Italian Championship RX 2021, the grand finale is approaching!
All set for Round 7 at Maggiora
Now we're here: on October 30/31 we will finally know who will be the Italian Champions of this 2021 season of the Tricolour Rallycross: in Maggiora Offroad Arena they are working to set up to perfection the track that will host almost 60 drivers competing not only for the tricolour points - the race will have a coefficient of 2 - but also for those of the FIA CEZ (Central European Zone); in fact, there are quite a lot of foreign drivers present, as a further guarantee of spectacle for the audience that can be present at 75% of the total capacity of the facility.
RX5
It will be a triumphal parade for Davide Riccio (Hyundai i20 R5), who has already been crowned Italian Champion, but there should also be Gian Maria Gabbiani, winner of the Castelletto Circuit round, and Luca Maria Rizzello, both on Peugeot 208 T16 R5, to give depth and spectacularity to this test.
Super1600
It will be a challenge at the last corner between Silvano Ruga (Renault Clio) and Paolo Barbieri (Citroen C2): currently there are 24 points (108 against 84) that separate them: not few, but with the coefficient 2 and the good number of entrants everything is still possible.
Among the other drivers present will be the winner of Round 5, the Czech Libør Teješ (Audi A1, Under 18), currently third in the FIA CEZ classification and fourth in the Italian championship; but also the FIA CEZ leader Balázs Körmöczi (HUN, Suzuki Swift), second in Round 5, and the fourth in the classification, the Czech Jan Ratajski (Skoda Fabia MK3). Also at the start another Czech driver, Radek Dvorak (Skoda Fabia MK2), already Czech Champion and winner of the FIA CEZ Championship in the STC-1600 category. Also watch out for the young Frenchman - 15 years old - Julien Meunier at the start with a Renault Twingo.
Also very welcome are the returns, as far as Italian drivers are concerned, of Armando Tocchio (Peugeot 106) and the 2019 Italian Champion Marco "Monster" Valazza in his Ford Fiesta.
STC
Roman Castoral and his Opel Astra OPC against everyone: this will be the dominant motif in the STC -, where the driver from the Czech Republic, despite having seen Matteo Valazza (Citroen Saxo) get much closer after the Ittiri Arena round (now the driver from Novara is only 7 points behind), is still the undisputed favourite both for the Tricolour and for the FIA CEZ. In addition to Valazza, a large number of drivers will try to contrast Castoral, from the returning Franco "Frenk" Fusi (Renault Clio), Ettore Barberis (Honda Civic) and Mattia Nicolini (Citroen AX), to the Polish Robert Dabrowski (Renault Clio), second in the FIA CEZ, passing by the Slovak Vladimir Marko (VW Polo) up to the Austrian Keke Platzer (Honda Civic Type R) and an old acquaintance of Maggiora Offroad Arena, the Dutchman Jo Van De Ven (VW Polo), Italian champion 2019.
It will be an all-Austrian battle in the STC -1600, with Richard Forster (VW Polo), currently second behind Dvorak in the FIA CEZ, Günter Chmela (Citroen Saxo) and 76-year-old (!) Karl Heinz Himmelstein (VW Polo), making his debut in the Maggiora Offroad Arena.
A three-way challenge in the STC+, with Alberto Palestrini (Renault Super 5) one step away from reconfirmation: at the start also Michele Andolina, who returns after his debut at Castelletto Circuit; and the Austrian Jurgen Weiß, with the Honda Civic Type R brought to success by Thomas Handlos at Castelletto Circuit.
Kart Cross
3.5 points: this is the minimum distance separating Marco Berniga (Planet Kart Cross K3, 217 points) from the 2016 and 2019 Italian Champion Marcello Gallo (Lifelive TN5, 213.5 points) after 6 rounds raced to the maximum. Every little detail will therefore be extremely important in this challenge which promises to be one of the most passionate in the entire history of the Italian RX Championship.
It will also be essential to see how the other drivers will fit into this challenge, starting from the third wheel, Riccardo Canzian (Speedcar Xtreme), currently at 197.5 and therefore able to place a surprise hit; more detached, but certainly want to close in beauty this long season, will be among others at the start also Maicol Giacomotti (Planet Kart Cross K3, 142 points), Mauro Vicario (Speedcar Xtreme, 141.5), the Belgian Kobe Pauwels (Lifelive TN5, 113.5), clearly at the head of the U18 Trophy, the brothers Grieco, Matteo and Nicolò (GMN Kart Cross, respectively 83 and 80.5 points) and Nicola Landrini (Planet Kart Cross K3, 48 points).
Mentions also for young Viktor Vranckx (Planet Kart Cross K3) and Marcus Antonio Martinelli (GMN Kart Cross) and for Cristina Tadone (GMN Kart Cross).
A total of 31 karts will be at the start.
OnSaturday 30 October from 14.00 to 16.00 there will be free practice and at 16.30 the first Q (over 4 laps).
The programme
OnSunday 31 October at 8.30am the first Q will start, followed by Q2, Q3 and Q4.
At 3pm the Semifinals and then the Finals will start, both over a distance of 6 laps.
The entrance fee is € 15.00, valid for the whole weekend; concessions € 10.00.