Guido Barcella and Ombretta Ghidotti on the Fiat 508 in C trim, of Franciacorta Motori, are the winners of the 30th edition of the Coppa Città della Pace, a competition valid as the second round of the Italian Historic Car Regularity Championship, organised by Adige Sport, led by the volcanic Luca Manera. The couple from Brescia, a steamroller not only in the CIREAS, won for the third time the Trentino race, which in this edition was held on a course designed on a real collage of previous editions. In Ala, the 'city of velvet' village that hosted the start and the prize-giving ceremony, the couple, both in life and in sport, did not hide their satisfaction:
"It was a mixed race," says Barcella, "where you can find easy trials and then a climb with hidden tubes, but we already know that. It was a demanding race especially for the cars, which have to be revised in every part after the competition. We are competing with a pre-war car which, while it may give you the advantage of the coefficient, is a very delicate vehicle that you have to manage. We also set the overall time so we are really satisfied. We are winning for the third time, but we hope to leave room for the younger guys.
Alberto and Giuseppe Scapolo found the right feeling after the lack of good fortune at the end of last season. On the inseparable Fiat 508 C '37 of Nettuno Bologna they drove cleanly, without any particular flaws, just 15 penalties behind the winners, thus achieving a great result. Completing the General Classification podium were the two Turellis, Lorenzo and Mario, father and son from Brescia who, in their spectacular Lancia Aprilia '37, held high the Brescia Corse colours at the end of a technically demanding weekend.
The event was attended by some fifteen pre-war cars that put on a spectacular show as they passed along the 237 km route through the challenging ups and downs of the Vallagarina, north of Lake Garda. But the stars were not only the pre-war cars, but the entire field of competitors, which saw some 90 crews at the start.
At the foot of the podium, but with great satisfaction, were Edoardo Bellini and Roberto Tiberti, again in a Fiat 508 C, a car that naturally lends itself to the championship as it is the updated version compared to the initial version and can enjoy a good 32 horsepower and 5 gears. Franco Spagnoli and Roberto Rossoni had to be content with fifth place in the 1928 Fiat 520, a placing that nonetheless earned them first place in RC1, the category for cars built before 1930. Sixth place went to Fabio and Marco Salvinelli from Brescia, father and son, in a pre-war Fiat 508C, ahead of Sergio and Romano Bacci in the Autobianchi A112 Abarth of the Scuderia Nettuno Bologna, in which they took the lead in RC4, i.e. cars built between 1970 and 1981. Mario Passanante, co-driven by Franciacorta Motori president Alessandro Molgora, did his best before the start in the hope that the usually reliable Fiat 1100/103 tv, which had grounded him in Verona, would not suffer another technical problem. For this crew, full promotion with first place in RC3/1.
Molgora's own car, the one driven by Angelo Accardo and Becchina, forced the crew to retire due to a fuel system failure that forced the Sicilian duo to defend themselves and not push.
Completing the top ten in the general classification are Alberto Aliverti and Andrea Cadei in an Autobianchi A112, who precede the splendid 508 C of Andrea Belometti and Giuliano Vavassori, a crew well accustomed to the upper parts of the tricolour rankings.
In RC4, second position for the Apulian from Bologna Nino Margiotta, navigated by Vincenzo Bertieri, author of an honest race in the Autobianchi A112 Abarth.
Other big names of the CIREAS, are in the final classification, lower than the positions we were used to, a sign that the Coppa Città della Pace, is confirmed as a severe race that does not allow mistakes.
Among the ladies, first place went to Rossella Torri and Caterina Vagliani on an Autobianchi A112 of Franciacorta Motori, while among the under-30s, first place went to the sons of art Edoardo Bellini and Roberto Tiberti on a Fiat 508 C.
The Italian Historic Car Regularity Championship now takes a short break, returning as scheduled on 1 and 2 April to the hot Campania region on the occasion of the MilleCurve, staged in Avellino.
