RALLY D’ITALIA SARDEGNA WILL START WITHIN 8 DAYS
The Italian stage of the World Rally Championship organized by ACI is scheduled from 21th to 24th of May

Angelo Sticchi Damiani President of the CSAI, Enrico Gelpi President of the ACI, Giovanni Petrucci President of the CONI

Enrico GELPI President of the Automobile Club d’Italia:
“Thanks to our role in the organization of this race and expecially thanks to the constructive relationship between ACI and FIA, we managed to confirm Rally d’Italia Sardegna, as the only Italian date of the World Rally Championship. This event is an unique opportunity for the tourism of the Island. Compared with what it happened in the past, we are pleased to find new attentions from the Region of Sardinia and from its President”.

Ugo CAPPELLACCI President of the Region of Sardinia:
“This rally has a double strategic value for the Sardinia. The first one is about the large promotion of the territory thanks to the 60.000 expected people during the 3 days of the race with an expense above € 11 millions. The second one is about the increase in value of the regional economy“.

Giovanni PETRUCCI President of the CONI:
“the success of this event shows our Country ability to promoting the sport. A greater approach of young people to the sport disciplines would be useful. ACI is already doing something, working with the CSAI federal school. The training must be integrated with incentiving policy and the increase in number of the Italian drivers at the Sardinian stage of the World Rally Championship, is showing that the done efforts have been useful.

There are 8 days to the start of the Rally d’Italia Sardegna, sixth stage of the World Rally Championship. 60 crews from 27 countries are entered the race organized by the automobile Club d’italia and they will challenger beach other from 21th to 24th of May along a track of more tran 1.200 km. The race will pass through the Olbia Tempio, Nuoro and Sassari areas. In program there are 17 specials stages and 347,12 timed kilometres. The start will be in Olbia and the finish in Porto Cervo. From this year the stage is valid for the JWR and PWR.

Thisworld stage has been illustrated today in roma by Enrico Gelpi, President of ACI andby Ugo Cappellacci, President of the Region of Sardinia,Sardegna with the presence of Gianni Petrucci, President of the CONI. Also this year, the high technical skill of the competition together with the organization of ACI, will propose the event, which is going to have the review as one of the best race of the World Rally Championship.

“Thanks to our role in the organization of this race and expecially thanks to the constructive relationship with the FIA - said the President of the Automobil Club d’Italia Enrico Gelpi- we managed to confirm the Sardinian stage as the only Italian date of the World Rally Championship.
This event is an unique opportunity for the tourism of the Island. Beyond this sport event, we are pleased to find new attentions from the Regione Sardegna and from its President compared with what it happened in the past”.

In this year edition there are many news, which will elate the technical features of the track and will improve the safety standards of the crews and of the spectators.
There won’t be anymore the red BANDELLE: they will be replaced by signpost wich will show the off-limits areas.

Regarding the news of the track, there are two new special stages. The first one will be in the Sa Linea area and will run along a disused railway. The second one will be in Fiorentini, in the Goceano area, in the forest ranger yard.

Also the format of the track is new. The first and the second stages have mirror-like forms with same lenght spacial stages. The start day three special stages will be run twice: the usual ones of Sa Conchedda Loelle e Castrazza. Also in the second stage three timed tacks will be run twice in the Sa Linea, Fiorentini and monte Lerno areas. Last day there will be five special stagPrugnola withes: the usual of Monte Olia and Solaris (to repeat twice) and a new version of the special stage of La Prugnola with a crossing through a granite quarry.

The accreditated journalists, representing 190 italian and International newspapers, ae more tran 350.313 hours of tv programmes all over the world have been dedidated to last edition, with about 50 million audience. Only concerning Italy, the increase in value of the tv dedicated spaces has exceeded € 3million.

“the Rally - said the President of the Regione Sardegna, Ugo Cappellacci - moves for three days the barycentre of the motor world in a unique land for its beauty and for its own vitality. This event has a double strategic value for the Sardinia. One value is about the large touristic promotion of the island thanks to the 60.000 expected people during the 3 days of the race with an expense above € 11 millions. The other value is represented by the increase in value of the regional economy which needs new internationaly, today more than ever.

From this viewpoint, the hundreds accreditated world newspapers will ensure an unprecedented visibility to all the Sardinia“. “The unanimous success which the event has at international level - said Gianni Petrucci, President of CONI - is the umpteenth evidence of the skill of our Country to promote the sport.” L’ACI represents the motor sport for the CONI and the success of events as the F1Gran Premio in Monza and as the Rally d’Italia Sardegna itself, proves the estreme professional skill and the great effort of who dedicate oneself to sport as a reason to live. My new mandate /task as President will be marked by a better approach of young people to the sport disciplines. ACI is already doing something, working with the CSAI federal school, where aspirants and italian champions were born.

In order to have actual advantages, the instructive training must be integrate with incentiving policy and the increase in number of the Italian drivers at the Sardinian stage of the World Rally Championship - from 17 in 2008 to 24of this year - is showing that the done efforts have been useful.

In order to promoting the motorport, the Automobile Club d’Italia has joined an important agreement with the Automobile Club of Germany - ADAC - on the base of that a crew of young german promosing drivers has been registered free of charge to the Rally d’Italia Sardegna. In the same way an international level race in Germany will give hospitality to two young italian drivers chosen by ACI.

Enrico Gelpi - President of the ACI - with  Simone Campedelli

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