Bartolo Mistretta grants encore at Belice Valley Rally
Bartolo Mistretta granted an encore. Assisted by Gaspare Beninati, on a Skoda Fabia Evo, he came out on top in the second edition of the Valle del Belice Rally, a round valid for the Sicilian Rally Championship and organized by the Automobile Club Trapani with the collaboration of the Sporting Club Partanna.
The winner clinched the victory with a total time of 38 minutes 25 seconds and 3 tenths, at the end of 11 hard-fought special stages, with Totò Riolo, and Nicola Catania at his side as navigator, on a Skoda Fabia Evo that gave him a hard time. The driver from Cerda and the former mayor of Partanna, in fact, commanded the overall standings from the second test on Saturday until the seventh test, yielding the scepter only after the second pass at Cassaro and also because of a differential problem. In the end, the delay for them was 7″1, after having a maximum lead that had reached 2″3.
Third place on the podium for Andrea Nastasi, also in a Skoda Fabia Evo, who came in at 47″, many of which he accumulated in the second Gibellina stage, the night stage on Saturday, in which he lost more than 35 seconds due to a problem that occurred during the race. At the foot of the podium Dario Salpietro and Francesco Galati (Ford Fiesta), the most consistent after the three, with a delay of 1’10″2 and fifth Ernesto Riolo at 1’22”.
The race was characterized by a slippery asphalt that kept the drivers busy in no small way, as they covered the special stages arriving in all the municipalities of the Belice Valley: from Partanna, which hosted the arrival and departure, to Gibellina, Salaparuta, Santa Ninfa and Poggioreale. A real spot for the territory and for the GAL Valle del Belice with which the Automobile Club of Trapani reached an agreement to sign a memorandum of understanding whose goal is the promotion of the territory and its beauties.
As for the groups, in RC2N victory went to Bartolo Mistretta, in RC3N to Dario Salpietro (Ford Fiesta), while triumphing in RC4N was Matteo Salpietro (Peugeot 208). Francesco Beninati (Renault Clio) won in the RC5N group and Martino Pratile (Peugeot 106) in the RC6N.
In historic cars, in the 2nd grouping success was achieved by Italo Ricevuti (Bmw 2002), in the 3rd the first place went to Antonio Di Lorenzo (Porsche Carrera) and in the 4th grouping to Paolo Vito Mistretta (Renault 5 Gt Turbo). Finally, for the Classics, victory went to Benedetto Bruno (Peugeot 106).
