Many champions among the 180 admitted to Rallylegend 2023

Repubblica di San Marino.

World rally stars past and present, but also a long list of names that have contributed to rallying around the world. All these and more are set to attend Rallylegend 2023. 180 teams from twenty-four different countries, even from outside Europe. The number of San Marino teams taking part in the event is outstanding, with fourteen in total, in addition to ten mixed teams.
 
FROM TONY FASSINA TO ANDREA CRUGNOLA, ITALY’S GLORIOUS RALLYING HISTORY
European and Italian champion of the 80s and a legend behind the wheel of his white Lancia Stratos, “Tony” Fassina will be back with the roaring six-cylinder Ferrari engine at Rallylegend. Also re-evoking that wonderful age of rallying is “Lucky” Battistolli, with Fabrizia Pons on the notes, continental and national champions on several occasions in recent years, but also stars of the golden age, at San Marino with the Subaru Legacy. They will be joined by Federico Ormezzano, with the Lancia Stratos with which he won before switching to the legendary Talbot Lotus; Mauro Sipsz, the king of Group 1 at that time, who will share his Lancia Stratos with improvised co-driver Alessandro Alunni Bravi, team principal of the Sauber Alfa Romeo team in Formula 1. Back in the right seat is Massimo De Antoni, national champ with Tonino Tognana in 1982, navigating his young son Edoardo in a 1974 Ascona while Piergiorgio Bedini, also a Group 1 “boss” a few years ago, will be at the wheel of a Ford Escort Mk2. Piero Longhi, two-time Italian champion in the early 2000s, will be again driving a Clio S1600, while Luca Pedersoli, who boasts an important collection of national titles, will be joined in the Citroen C3 WRC Plus by co-driver Andrea Adamo, a talented engineer and, in recent years, Hyundai Motorsport team principal in World Rally. The circle is completed with Andrea Crugnola, three-time Italian champion over the last four years, who will be at Rallylegend with a BMW M3 and with Alberto Battistolli, a talented young driver following his father footsteps, who is building an interesting career and will be putting on a show with a Delta Integrale.
“Hors concours” Paolo Diana, with his modified Fiat 131 Racing, voted the champion of slide by his many fans.
 
PRESTIGIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS AND IMPORTANT NAMES AMONG THE MANY INTERNATIONAL TEAMS
The winner of various Irish championships, Ray Breen, who is now a collector of historic vehicles, shared this great passion with son Craig, who tragically died in April this year while taking part in a test in Croatia with the Hyundai team. “It’s a wonderful holiday for us”. This is how Craig Breen used to describe Rallylegend and his father Ray didn’t want to miss the 2023 edition, where he will be driving a Subaru Legacy. Also in attendance is Jean Claude Andruet, another rallying legend, at the wheel of a rare Matra Simca Cg-Mc. The Uruguayan-Argentinian team made up of Gustavo Trelles and Jorge Del Buono, almost unbeatable in the Production World Championship of the late 90s, will be aboard a Subaru Impreza. Among his many achievements, Alister McRae boasts a win in the Asia Pacific Championship. The brother of the late Colin is following son Max McRae as he begins his sporting career and who will be at Rallylegend with a Subaru Impreza. Also driving a Subaru Impreza is Argentinian Marcos Ligato, national champion and a star of WRC Production in the early 2000s. Sebastien Carron (Skoda Fabia R5) is the winner of three Swiss championships, Austin Mc Hale (Ford Focus WRC) amassed five Irish titles in the 80s and 90s, while Andrew Nesbitt, the winner of the Irish national track title in 2000, will be at Rallylegend with a rare ex-works Mitsubishi Lancer WRC.
 
SABRINA SALERNO PATRONESS OF RALLYLEGEND 2023
The patroness of Rallylegend 2023 is Sabrina Salerno. Singer, actress and presenter, Sabrina will be in the Rally Village on Saturday 14 October. Sabrina Salerno has enjoyed a successful career. She started out as a singer, releasing her first single, “Sexy Girl”, in 1986, which did well in the Italian and German charts. She continued with “Boys”, which reached number 1 in Europe and South America, while “All of me” did very well in the UK. In Italy, “My Chico”, of which Sabrina was a co-writer, reached number one. Throughout her career, Sabrina has sold more than 20 million records around the world, amassing various gold and platinum discs, as well as a prestigious “grammy” in 1989. Sabrina has also appeared on screen and stage. She featured in the 883 film “Jolly Blu”, French film “Start 80”, directed by Frèdèric Forestier and produced by Oscar Thomas Langmann and, more recently, in “Modalità aereo”, directed by Fausto Brizzi.  In February 2020, Sabrina was a co-presenter, alongside Amadeus, of the 70th Sanremo festival.