Rally Terra Valle del Tevere

First TER Series win for Andrea Crugnola in Valtiberina

12.02.2023

Umberto Scandola and Jean Philippe Quilichini complete the podium in Rally Terra Valle del Tevere

 

2023 TER Series Round 1, Rally Terra Valle del Tevere, featured great sporting action over the world class Valtiberina technical gravel stages, between Arezzo, Monterchi, Anghiari, Pieve Santo Stefano and Sansepolcro.

 

After two days of fierce competition, 2-time Italian Champion Andrea Crugnola took a maiden season win. Codriven by Andrea Sassi on a Citroën C3, Crugnola took the lead with three stages to go, gradually increasing his advantage over his rivals.

 

After a two-day long fight for the win, the first leader Francesco Fanari, sharing a Škoda Fabia with Cristina Caldart, retired on the final stage when he was second. One’s pain is another's gain, as Umberto Scandola took one place in the last test. Returning to action after one year away, the 2013 Italian Champion was fast to adapt in his first time both driving a Citroën C3 Rally2 and with Nicolò Gonella.

 

The French crew of Jean Philippe Quilichini - François-Xavier Buresi took their Škoda Fabia on the last step of the podium, taking their revenge after a puncture ruined their race last year.

 

Fourth place went to another Fabia, of 2019 Italian 2WD Champion Tommaso Ciuffi codriven by Pietro Cigni, ahead of the sister car of San Marino’s Daniele Ceccoli, with Piercarlo Capolongo.

 

Sixth place rewarded 2022 TER Ladies Trophy winner Rachele Somaschini and Nicola Arena’s Citroën C3 Rally2.

 

In the TER 2WD, Fabio Farina and Gabriele Zanni took victory driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4. Local heroes Luigi Caneschi – Edoardo Caraffini secured silver, ahead of the Porto Cervo Racing crew of Michele Liceri with Salvatore Mendola, whose Peugeot 208 Rally4 carried a special Sardegna - Rally Terra Sarda livery.

 

The TER Historic event saw another exciting battle: Luigi "Lucky" Battistolli and Fabrizia Pons secured gold in the TER Historic J1/J2 standings with their iconic Lancia Delta 16V. Local heroes Valter Pierangioli - Sauro Farnocchia with a Ford Sierra Cosworth led after the opening stages, before technical issues caused them to lose time and settle with silver.

 

2-time TER Historic Pre81 Champion and TER Historic Ambassador, British Tim Metcalfe, codriven by John Connor, dominated the category with their faithful Ford Escort MKII, while San Marino’s Germano Bollini, codriven by Matteo Roggia, finished second in a sister car.

 

Several crews enjoyed the great gravel roads of Valtiberina, but could not reach the finish. TER Junior contendants Leonardo Pierulivo and Angelo Emiliano Ferrigno stopped on stage seven, while category rivals Roberto Daprà and Luca Guglielmetti, who were in the lead after the opening day, did not complete stage eight. The same stage ended the hopes of 2-time Croatian Junior Champions Martin and Dora Ravenščak’s Ford Fiesta Rally3. The Škoda Fabia of Tullio Versace and Simone Crosilla was the last to stop, on the final stage.