16 July 2019

Press Release #4

165 drivers at the start of 49th Trofeo Vallecamonica

Eyes on Denny Zardo, but the parterre is one of the highest level. Volluz and Petit are looking for success in the FIA International Hill Climb Cup round, while former F1 driver Alex Caffi will attempt the feat in the Tourism category.  A Smart fortwo EQ electric is also on the way.

Brescia, 16.07.2019 – The curtain is raised on the 49th Trofeo Vallecamonica that from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st will be the protagonist on the ramps of Malegno-Ossimo-Borno as official round of the Trofeo Italiano Velocità Montagna Nord 2019 and for the FIA International Hillclimb Cup 2019.

The event organized by the Automobile Club Brescia will be full of participants, with 165 modern and historic cars that are preparing to face the technical and challenging hill climb, considered one of the most exciting and complete on the international scene.

With these numbers and this entry list, the attention of fans will certainly be very important and along the track are expected thousands of people ready to follow the event with passion.

The organizing staff is making a great effort and is currently preparing the details for the preparation of the track in compliance with the very high safety standards imposed by the FIA title.

Among the modern cars, in the E2SS class, the participation of Denny Zardo (Norma M20 FC/Best Lap) is certainly to be taken into account, also considering his excellent recent results including the success at Verzegnis-Sella Chianzutan, but the champion from Treviso, winner at Malegno in 2003, will not have an easy time. The Swiss Joël Volluz, winner in Borno in 2012, will start the challenge with his Osella FA30, as well as the French Sebastien Petit on another Norma M20 FC. It is also interesting to follow the race of the veterans, with Fausto Bormolini who will return to Borno after the best performance obtained in 2014, always at the wheel of his Formula Reynard K02 (Furore Motorsport). The same car for team mate Renzo Napione, historical name of the Italian and European hill climb. Both will also compete for the FIA IHCC.

The list of the protagonists is however very long and must also take into account Gino Pedrotti (Formula Renault/Vimotorsport), Denis Mezzacasa (Tatuus F. Renault/Xmotors), Federico Liber (Gloria C8P-Evo/Alby Racing Team) and, among others, Enrico Zandonà (Formula 3/Funny Team) second last year at the end of an exemplary performance. Special mention also for Mirko Zanardini (Historika), who will take to debut the Wolf GB08 Thunder equipped with Yokohama hill climb tyres, a combination that is already known for the Campionato Italiano Sport Prototipi, where Zanardini is one of the protagonists. In CN class attention to Giancarlo Graziosi (Osella PA21/BSP racing) and Stefano Falcetta (Norma M20 EVO).

In E2SH class it will be necessary to deal with Mauro Soretti (Subaru Impreza/Leonessa Corse), but Michele Ghirardo will try his best (Lotus Exige Cup/Vimotorsport) especially if he will find conditions that can level the difference in performance between the two cars. Jindrich Pluhar and his Nissan Sunny, from the Czech Republic, as well as his compatriot Michal Kretz (Ford Focus ST/KLM Motorsport) will certainly be part of the game.

In E1 Italia class, with 12 drivers at the start, the driver from Brescia “Zio Fester” will be at the start with a Honda Civic of the Scuderia Superchallenge. The expert driver Paolo Parlato, racing since 1971, and his Renault New Clio (Borrett Team Motorsport) will certainly try to emerge.

Always spectacular the GT Cup class, which will see the debut on the Lamborghini Huracàn of Elite Srls, with the local driver Ilario Bondioni behing the wheel. A new and certainly exciting challenge awaits the home driver, who will have to deal with real experts in the category. The Ferrari 488 Challenge driven by Roberto Ragazzi (Superchallenge) will be admired and certainly considered a reference for the rivals, but also the Ferrari 458 Challenge driven by Carlo Scarpellini as well as the Lamborghini Huracàn Super Trofeo EVO driven by Rosario Parrino could be fast.

The former F1 driver Alex Caffi, indissolubly linked to the Trofeo Vallecamonica will try a real feat. After winning with Formula, Prototype Sport and GT, Caffi will participate in the 49th edition of the hill climb with a touring car, the Peugeot 308 usually used by Palazzi in CIVM. The declared target will be to conquer a victory in this category to reach a unique poker that no one has ever tried before. In Racing Start Plus, with 12 other drivers in addition to Caffi, the challenge is open and will see protagonists Roberto Mogentale, Giulio Panteghini, Davide Bertagna, Massimo Mossucca, Gianmaria Maffezzoni with the Mini Cooper JCW, while it will also be interesting the class 2.0 + with Gianluca Luigi Grossi (Renault Clio Cup/Novara Corse) to defend his second place of 2018.

In Group A Giovanni Antonio Cossu will certainly aim for points with the Honda Civic Type-R of the Team Autoservice Sport, but the already absolute protagonist of the Trofeo Luca Tosini will be the favorite with the ŠKODA Fabia R5 of Historika that he already knows well and with which he has repeatedly distinguished in rallies.

In Group N, Fabrizio Vettorel (Peugeot 106 Rallye/BL Racing) is the man to beat, while the large PROD S class with 20 participants is one of the most unpredictable. Giorgio Mendeni (Renault Clio RS/3B Racing Club) will defend last year’s success but you have to follow also Florian Rohregger (Renault Clio Williams/Vimotorsport), Massimo Pasqualini (Renault Clio RS) and, among others, Andrea Gulberti (Citroën Saxo VTS/Calibra).

In PROD E class the 2018 challenge is repeated with Gian Antonio Franzoni (Citroën Saxo VTS), Giuseppe Zendra (Renault Clio Williams), Manuel Baisotti (Renault Clio/Mediaprom) and Fabio Domenico Branchi (Peugeot 106 Rally/Calibra), but they will not be alone.

A real battlefield is the Racing Start class, with 23 drivers and an exciting challenge to follow. Mario Tacchini, expert driver of Speed Motor, will race one of the many Mini Cooper JCW, but it is impossible to mention all the likely drivers able to undermine the top of the standings, among which there are certainly Alex Leardini (Honda Civic Type-R/Historika), Alessandro Angelo Leidi (Honda Civic Type-R), Giovanni Ghidini (Renault New Clio/Team Racing Angelo Caffi) and Mario Osvaldo Iantorno (Citroën Saxo VTS).

The participation of Marco Maffessoli is really interesting. The italian driver will race for the first time an electric car, the Smart fortwo EQ that usually animates the first tourism championship in the world dedicated to an electric car, the smart EQ fortwo e-cup. The participation, absolute new in the hill climbs, will certainly be followed to compare the performance of this car with the regular engine cars.

Among the two-cylinder the challenge will compare Marco Galuppini and Ettore Liberato, both on Fiat 500 of Sport Favale 07.

Historic cars will also face the Malegno-Ossimo-Borno and will certainly give a spectacle not to be missed with extraordinary cars that can bring the mind and the hearts back to the years when these cars were the absolute protagonists of the Trofeo Vallecamonica.

In the 1st Group, the wonderful Lancia Fulvia barchetta of Giorgio Taglietti (Scuderia Bologna Squadra Corse) is not to be missed, as the return of expert Genoese driver Renato Benusiglio with a Lancia Fulvia Coupè of AB Motorsport. Third last year, Cecilio Damioli Ravelli will bring on the ramps of Malegno his Lancia Fulvia Coupé for the colors of Historika.

In the 2nd Group there will be a special mention for Maurizio Sbrilli and his wonderful Chevron B23 of the Breno Racing Club, even if Marco Dino Giovanni Putelli, this time at the start with a GRD 75S will be a special observer. Alessandro Trentini (Porsche 911 Carrera RSR/Squadra Corse Angelo Caffi) and the Ildebrando Motti (Porsche 911 Carrera RSR/Squadra Piloti Senesi) will have the burden and the honour to make the powerful engines of Stuttgart resound along the 8.800 meters of the track.

In the 3rd Group, besides the stainless Giuseppe Viali (Martini MK30 F. Seat), Luigi Moreschi (Osella PA7/Scuderia Tazio Nuvolari), Giuseppe Gallusi (Porsche Carrera RS) and Walter Conforti (Tri Dolomite Sprint) will try to leave their mark, but there will be many cars to admire.

Finally, in the 4th Group, eyes will be focused on the Aralla family with Emanuele who will bring back to the Trofeo Vallecamonica the wonderful Dallara F390 that was driven by Olivier Panis in Gitanes livery for the colours of the Valdelsa Classic Motor Club, while Matteo will be at the start with a Formula Reynard 903. Tiziano Romano (Bogani/Squadra Corse Angelo Caffi) and the fast and constant Oscar Gadaldi, with the Renault 5 GT Turbo of the Valdelsa Classic Motor Club, will also try to leave their mark in the home race.

The program of the event, which this year also claims the patronage of the Regione Lombardia, will start on Friday, July 19th from 14:00 with the scrutineerings at Edil Partì in Borno. Saturday 20th will begin the action with two official practice sessions, from 9:00, while the real challenge will be staged as usual on Sunday 21st with two heats, always from 9:00. The road will be closed both Saturday and Sunday at 7:00.

15 July 2024

Simone Faggioli wins for the fourth time the Trofeo Vallecamonica

13 July 2024

Fazzino is the fastest after official practices

Regione Lombardia
Provincia di Brescia
Altopiano del Sole
Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica
Consorzio Comuni B.I.M. di Valle Camonica
Comune di Borno
Comune di Cividate Camuno
Comune di Lozio
Comune di Malegno
Comune di Ossimo