Motorsport - The "Rally del Ciocco". Tonight the passage to the "Caffè delle Mura"

Starting this evening from Viareggio, in Piazza Maria Luisa, on the seafront facing the historic Hotel Principe di Piemonte, at 21pm, the 48th edition of the Rally "Il Ciocco and Serchio Valley", opening race of the "Ciar Sparco", the Italian Rally Championship, taking place on the roads of the province until Sunday 23 March, arriving in Castelnuovo, where the service park will also be located in the sports facilities area, with the organisation and direction ofOrganization Sport Events (OSE), led by the general manager Valerio Barsella.

Tonight, then, passage from the historic "Caffè della Mura", in the city, to then reach Il Ciocco. Tomorrow, Saturday 22 March, six special stages are planned (three to be repeated twice), "Il Ciocco" (km 2.23) which will be the power stage and the "television" special of the day, followed by "Fabbriche di Vergemoli" (km 14.14) and "Coreglia" (km 7.49). Sunday the second and final stage that will include the special stages of "Puglianella" (km 7.29) and the classic "Careggine", the longest of the rally with its 19.75 kilometers: they will be repeated twice. Then, a third passage on the "Ciocco" stage is planned (km 2.23), again under the lens of the cameras; while the final special stage of the rally will be the "Ciocco - Laghetto" (km 1.79), again within the Tenuta.

There are 119 registered, of which 74 are on the list for the "Ciar Sparco" race. An opening of the Italian Rally Championship which attracted the most qualified pilots in the tricolor, led by the multiple tricolor champion Andrea Crugnola, four times winner at the "Ciocco" in the last five editions and some important names on the international scene: such as the Russian with a Bulgarian license Nikolay Gryazin, among the protagonists of the WRC2 World Championship and the Finn Heikki Kovalainen, with a winning past in Formula 1 and now a champion in rallying.

Great challenges also in the "Cir-Promozione", among the two-wheel drives, in the "Ciocco" Coppa Rally di Zona (45 entrants) and in the "Gr Yaris Rally Cup" and "Suzuki Rally Cup" trophies.

"We have numerous and qualified members and I cannot hide the fact that I am satisfied with the work done – he comments Valerio Barsella, who has been driving the Ose for years – . Our rally has always been appreciated for its characteristics. We are also gratified by the fact that important foreign drivers and teams often participate in our race, giving it further prestige and visibility. Also for the 2025 edition we wanted to involve in the rally as much of the province of Lucca as possible, with the start from Viareggio, passing through the capital and the race on the roads of Garfagnana".

Dino Magistrelli