Florence hosted the second edition of the Rievocazione del Circuito Stradale del Mugello, the third round of the Campionato Italiano Grandi Eventi 2023, the premier series, in the Acisport tricolour panorama, dedicated to classic regularity.
The race, created to recall the 100-year history of the Mugello Stradale and the exploits of champions and cars from the world's most important manufacturers, saw the participating crews gather in the Tuscan capital on Friday for preliminary operations and pre-race checks.
At the start the main players in the Championship, such as title holder Francesco Di Pietra, specialist Mario Passanante and Matteo Belotti, who occupy the first three places in the CIGE 2023 classification after the first two races.
Also among the announced protagonists are Sergio Sisti, Gianmario Fontanella and Fabio Loperfido.
Also admitted to the race are road-going GTs produced from 1991 onwards, which are part of the grouping called: Tributo del Circuito Stradale del Mugello (Mugello Road Circuit Tribute) which, from this year, sees participants with this type of car score points in the newly-created Italian Championship Grandi Eventi Regolarità Moderna.
There were two stages scheduled with the 288 km race divided into 90 timed tests and eight average tests.
The first stage saw the 70 cars taking part in the competition gather at Piazzale Michelangelo, including such prestigious models as: four Lancia Lambdas, two of which with CASARO bodywork, a 1927 Bugatti 37A, a 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS, a 1930 FIAT 514 MM and two Lancia Aurelia B20 GTs.
The first day's programme, after departing from Florence, saw the crews drive through the Chianti hills and head to Piazza della Libertà in Arezzo, for the centenary of the Automobile Club, before heading back towards the Consuma Pass, not before passing through the charming towns of Casentino, Poppi and Bibbiena.
At the end of the first stage, Mario Passanante and Alessandro Molgora in a Fiat 508C finished first, ahead of the surprising Marco Gaggioli and Andrea Pierini in a twin car. Third place went to Fabio Loperfido and Alessandro Moretti in a Lancia Aprilia.
The second day, on the other hand, retraced the legendary roads of what was once the Circuito Stradale del Mugello, one of the oldest road races in Italy. The cars thus reached Scarperia where the tricolour flag was raised from the Piazza dei Vicari for this evocative moment of the competition. Through the Passo del Giogo, Fiorenzuola, the Passo della Futa and the famous cypress-lined avenue of Galliano, the cars reached the Mugello Circuit where, after finishing the competitive part, they were able to put their wheels on the International Circuit for an evocative final parade.
It was Mario Passanante and Alessandro Molgora who won the 2nd Mugello Road Circuit, a regularity race organised by the Automobile Club of Italy, ACI Storico, AC Firenze and Scuderia Automobilistica Clemente Biondetti valid as the third round of the Italian Great Events Vintage Championship 2023.
The Sicilian driver completed a high level race at the wheel of his Fiat 508C flying the Franciacorta Motori flag, repeating the success obtained last March at the Rievocazione Storica coppa Milano-Sanremo, the previous round of the series, confirming him as the absolute protagonist of the championship.
In second place overall were Fabio Loperfido and Alessandro Moretti in a Lancia Aprilia of the Classic Team. Third place went to Marco Gaggioli and Andrea Pierini in another Promotor Classic's Fiat 508C, who won the media classification.
The trio Passanante-Loperfido-Gaggioli, challenged for the lead throughout the race, also taking the RC2 category podium.
Many challenges punctuated the event, not only for the overall but also and above all for the Categories.
Category RC1 went to Gianmario Fontanella and Annamaria Covelli, who drove a 19271 Lancia Lambda Casaro into the race. The Promotor Classic crew edged out Sergio Sisti and Anna Gualandi, competing in a 1929 Classic Team Lancia Lambda Casaro, by just 13 penalties.
Third place went to Brescia Corse's Mattero Belotti and Ingrid Plebani and their 1927 Bugatti 37A.
RC3 instead rewarded Maurizio Magnoni and Marisa Vanoni in a Porsche 356 of the Registro Italiano Porsche 356. At 18 penalties behind them were team-mates Alessandro Virdis and Silvia Giordo in their 1956 Porsche 356 Speedster.
Closing the category podium was the Mg Midget Mk1 of Progetto Mite driven by Angelo Tobia Seneci and Elisabetta Russo.
In RC4 it was Dario Converso and Federica Ameglio who brought home top honours in their Innocenti Leyland Cooper .
Behind the crew of the A.C. Verona Historic team, came Fabrizio Ascoli and Alice Giulini in a 1970 Porsche 911 Targa.
Stefano Biondetti and Pierluigi Ugolini took their Alfa Romeo GT 2000 to the third step of the podium.
Winning the special classification for foreign crews were Michel Decremer and Marie-Claire Martens in an Austin Healey 100/6 of Promotor Classic.
Smiles also went to Claudia Tagliaferri and Elisa Panzeri who took the Ladies' Cup in their Jaguar XK OTS of the Scuderia Clemente Biondetti.
The Classic Team won the team classification, confirming their leading position in the championship.
Following the Circuito Stradale del Mugello, reserved for historic cars built up to 1990, the Tributo Circuito Stradale reserved for GT road cars built from 1991 onwards also took place on the same track.
The winner was Giordano Mozzi, already winner of the 1000 Miglia and for several seasons engaged with supercars. The driver from Mantua, navigated by Luca Taesi, drove his Ferrari 458 Spider to success, defending the colours of the MITE Project, the initiative that allows visually impaired people to race as navigators. Behind him came Fabio Vergamini and Anna Maria Fabrizi in a Ferrari 488 GTB. Third position for Graziano Mancinelli and Silvia Claudia Barberi in a Ferrari 458 Speciale of the Ferrari Club Italia.
The Italian Grand Prix Championship will continue from 19 to 23 July with the fourth round, the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti scheduled in Cortina d'Ampezzo ---> GO TO CALENDAR
All info and classifications on the ---> DEDICATED PAGE
