EHRC - ‘Zippo’ and Piceno Win in Austria
The Audi quattro of Italian crew ‘Zippo’ and Denis Piceno returned to the winner’s podium in Austria, the Audi running faultlessly after the technical issues that had cost them the win in Switzerland and Hungary. The Audi took the fastest overall time on seven of the eight stages on the final day of the Rallye Weiz and finished 69.3 seconds ahead of Karl Wagner and Gerda Zauner’s Porsche 911 SC.
The Category 4 battle was just as fierce and the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 of Tibor Erdi Jnr and Zoltan Csoko made the early running after leading the category overnight. The BMW M3 E30 of Marty McCormack and Barney Mitchell powered its way to the front on SS7, with McCormack taking the fastest category time on six stages and the fastest overall time on SS13.
Erdi retired at the end of SS11 and this promoted the BMW M3 of Marc Valliccioni and Yoann Raffaelli into second place, with Championship leader Ville Silvasti bringing the Lancia 037 Rally in third place, despite a persistent engine issue that dogged the car for most of the weekend.
The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 of Mats Myrsell and Co-Driver Championship leader Esko Junttila crashed on the first stage of the day, the Swedes emerging from the car unharmed, but a fire started at the rear of the car, completely destroying the Ford Sierra.
While the Category 3 leaders were fighting for the overall win, third place in Category 3 was secured by the Volvo 244 of Siegfried and Renate Mayr, the Germans finishing well ahead of the Ferrari 308 GTB of Andrew McAlpine and Andy Bull, which had clipped a chicane and damaged the front right wing of the Ferrari.
In Category 2 two the Porsche 911 Carrera RS of Paolo Pasutti and Giovanni Campeis built on the overnight lead of two minutes to finish the 13th and final stage 5m16.0s ahead of the BMW 2002 Tii of Pietro Corredig and Sonia Borghese.
Ernie and Karen Graham brought the Ford Escort Twin Cam to the finish line to claim their fourth Category 1 victory of the 2022 season, taking the fastest Category 1 time on all eight stages on Day 2 and on all thirteen stages of the Rallye Weiz. The Flexifly Rally Team run Ford finished 4m33.4s ahead of Antonio Parisi and Giuseppe D’Angelo in the Porsche 911S, with their teammates James Potter and Caroline McCormack finishing third in the Ford Cortina 1600 GT.
Teuvo Hamalainen and Pirjo Rosberg finished fifth in Category 1 in the 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta behind the BMW 2002 Ti of Carlo Fiorito and Marina Bertonasco.
CLICK HERE for the results from the final day of the Rallye Weiz
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