August 2022

Armindo Araújo was the best in Qualifying

Armindo Araújo, with a time of 1:53,1, was the fastest driver in the Qualifying Stage of the Rali Vinho da Madeira. The Skoda Faia Rally2 Evo driver will now have primacy in the choice of his starting order for the first stage of Club Sports da Madeira organization. Right behind Araújo were Simone Campedelli, who spent seven tenths of second more with an identical car, and Miguel Correia, 1.4 seconds behind in another Skoda Faia Rally2 Evo. The starting order for the 1st stage will be chosen at 1pm at Praça CR7. The Qualifying classification can be seen here.

Rali Vinho da Madeira hits the roads tomorrow

The 63rd edition of the Rali Vinho da Madeira, an organization of the Club Sports da Madeira dating back to 1959, begins tomorrow with the Qualifying Rally. The competition, included in the FIA European Rally Trophy and in the national and regional championships of the sport, shall be held over three days, from 4th to 6th August. The first day includes the Qualifying and Shakedown and, in the evening, the first qualifying stage, the Avenida do Mar Super-Special, which returns to the programme after the pandemic.The remaining first stage will be disputed on Friday, August 5th, with eight special races, double round by Golf Course, more extensive and ending in Referta, Palheiro Ferreiro, timed section that again includes the passage in Chão da Lagoa, Boaventura and Cidade de Santana. The second and last stage will take place on Saturday, August 6th, with eight more special stages, with a double passing through Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, Ponta do Pargo and Rosário. In terms of sports, the competition promises a lot of emotion with a list of 61 participants marked by a great quality of vehicles and joining many sounding names of this sport. The Italian Simone Campedelli and the Spaniards Alejandro Cachon and Emma Falcon are joined by the drivers who usually fight for the first positions in the Portuguese championship of this specialty. Ricardo Teodósio, Armindo Araújo, Bruno Magalhães, José Pedro Fontes, Bernardo Sousa or Miguel Correia, among others. Winners of the last editions of the event, also the Madeirans Alexandre Camacho and Miguel Nunes are at the start and promise to keep the victory trophy "at home". In a long and high-quality entry list, there are many more reasons to follow closely the fight for the absolute first places as well as in other classes and particular competitions. The Rally party is back!

Power Stage with Media area

The Power Stage is, in some championships, a qualifying stage that gives bonus points to the fastest. While the concept does not exist for the FIA European Rally Trophy nor for the Madeira CORAL Rally Championship, this timed section is regular in the Portuguese Rally Championship and awards 3 to 1 point to the three fastest. In the 63rd Rali Vinho da Madeira, the Power Stage will be SS 17 - Rosário 2, the last one organized by the Club Sports da Madeira. In 2022, the team led by José Paulo Fontes created an area, implemented right after the Power Stage, for the accredited media and which will be located at Meia Légua, Ribeira Brava.

How is the FIA ERT Iberian Rally Trophy doing?

So far there have only been two races in the Iberian area of the 2022 FIA European Rally Trophy. The Sierra Morena Rally was held in Spain at the beginning of April and the Terras d'Aboboreira Rally in Portugal in the middle of the same month. No driver scored simultaneously in the two events. The league classification is, as such, led by the winners of the already completed races, Pepe Lopez in the surroundings of Cordoba and Miguel Correia in Amarante. The remaining positions are shared by Spanish and Portuguese drivers, with exactly the same points. After the Rali Vinho da Madeira, two races will take place in Spain, the Princesa de Asturias Rally, from 8 to 10 September, and the Nucia-Mediterranean Rally, on 4th and 5th November: FIA ERT IRT: 1st Pepe Lopez and Miguel Correia, 30; 3rd Ivan Ares and Armindo Araújo, 24; 5th Efren Llarena and Bruno Magalhães, 21; 7th Surhayen Pernia and José Pedro Fontes, 19; 9th Eduard Pons and Pedro Almeida, 17. 30 drivers are classified.

RVM Special Stages (Leg 2)

SS 10 and 14 – CÂMARA DE LOBOS Câmara de Lobos joined the Rali Vinho da Madeira a few years ago and is run between Caminho das Fontainhas and Est. Ribeira Garcia. It is practically divided in two halves, the first one uphill and the second one downhill. It alternates some straights with sequences of very technical curves and even some sequences of "hooks" favouring the spectacle. It also joins forested and agricultural areas with areas of houses. How to get there: Through Câmara de Lobos: Cam. Velho Igreja, Cam. Francelheira and Cam. Luzirão. SS 11 and 15 – PONTA DO SOL Ponta do Sol starts at Est. Vale e Cova do Pico and evolves in very fast areas where in the middle there are some hairpin bends until Carvalhal, a traditionally spectacular area on the roads neighbouring the municipal stadium and from there begins a descent that becomes chilling in the last metres before the Ribeira da Madalena do Mar. How to get there: From Ponta do Sol: by Cam. Lombo do Meio, by Est. Eng. Ribeiro de Sousa and ER 222. SS 12 and 16 – PONTA DO PARGO This special competition whose classification is mostly determined by the skill of the drivers because it is very demanding in the sequences of long “hooks” and curves in both directions very close. Its surface varies from very wet in the tree lined area to very dry and abrasive in the bare areas. As it is all very identical along its entire length, it forces good ongoing notes. How to get there: From Ponta do Pargo: municipal road which gives access to Pedregal and Serrado. SS 13 and 17 – ROSÁRIO This trail crosses the Island along the imaginary line between São Vicente and Riveira Brava from Rosário to Serra d'Água, passing through Encumeada. It requires a lot of driving on the way up to Encumeada and then a great courage on the vertiginous descent until the end. It is one of the special races that gathers more spectators in the Rally. How to get there: With no alternative access roads, it requires time to travel through the start and finish.

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