August 2022

RVM Special Stages (Leg 1)

SS 1 – AVENIDA DO MAR The Avenida do Mar Super Special Stage returns to the Rali Vinho Madeira, bringing a lot of excitement and animation to downtown Funchal. It is a classification designed for exhibition, with some roundabouts, 90º turn and several chicanes to reduce the speed of the competitors. How to get there: Downtown Funchal.   SS 2 and 4 – CAMPO DE GOLFE This Special Stage starts on ER 207, after the entrance to the local Campo de Golfe and includes a short sequence of straights to Santo da Serra. From there and up to Fonte de Santo António, the course is quite winding and narrow. It is followed by the also very fast evolution to Ribeira de Machico, followed by the demanding climb to Lombo das Faias and a flat area until the "snail" of Portela. The timed section again contemplates the steep descent to Referta. How to get there: From Santo da Serra: at the cross road with Est. Fonte de Santo António, through EM Caramanchão and ER 102 at Lombo das Faias. From Machico: at Ribeira de Machico (Warning: emergency exit), Portela by Cam. Fajã dos Rolos and by ER 108 at the cross road with Est. Fonte de Santo António. SS 3 and 5 – PALHEIRO FERREIRO ER 201, commonly known as Caminho dos Pretos, is the "cathedral" of Madeira rallies and, in the past, few races that did not include it in their itinerary. It is done "uphill" between Palheiro Ferreiro and Terreiro da Luta with a route that mixes almost perfectly the fast areas with those that require a lot of technique, this year without the famous Choupana jump. After Terreiro da Luta follows the climb to the South Gate of Chão da Lagoa, the passage through the Funchal Ecological Park and the fast descent from the North Gate of Chão da Lagoa to Poiso and a few more hundred metres on the ER 202. How to get there: From Funchal: Cam. São João Latrão, through Rua Nova Curral dos Romeiros and in Choupana, by Cam. Meio and Cam. Terço, and Terreiro da Luta by ER 103; from Camacha, Poiso by ER 203 and Portão Sul do Chão da Lagoa by ER 203 and ER 103.   SS 6 and 8 – BOAVENTURA  Boaventura was for many years the only special stage disputed only in the northern part of the island. For many years it was also absent from the Rali Vinho da Madeira itinerary. It requires a lot of technique in the constant change between climbs and descents and fast and slow zones in a sometimes narrow course between Boaventura and Arco de São Jorge.   PE 7 and 9 – CIDADE DE SANTANA Introduced 13 years ago in the Rali Vinho da Madeira itinerary, it starts near the centre of the parish of Ilha and ends at Est. Eiras. It is almost always uphill, with the exception of some flat and very fast areas. On its route there are very technical areas where there are some "hooks". Its dispute is often marked by weather conditions different from the rest of the island. How to get there: From Santana: by Cam. Queimadas, by Est. Padre Agostinho J. Cardoso, by Rua Joaquim S. Branco (Warning: Emergency exit) and by Cam. Feiteira do Nuno.    

How is CPR doing?

The Rali Vinho da Madeira is the sixth race of 2022 in the Portuguese Rally Championship. The season opened with the Fafe, Felgueiras, Cabreira and Boticas Rally in March, a race won by Armindo Araújo. Still in the same month, the caravan headed to the Azores Rallye and in São Miguel the best was Ricardo Moura in his only participation this year so far. In mid-April, the championship returned to the north of the country for the Terras d'Aboboreira, race in which Miguel Correia made his first triumph in this competition. About a month later, the Vodafone Rally of Portugal took place, event also included in the WRC, in which the maximum score went to Ricardo Teodósio. In this race the gravel phase of the championship ended. In tarmac, at the beginning of June, the competition headed to Castelo Branco and the winner was again Armindo Araújo, the first to win again this year. Also very constant in the points, it is normal that Araújo leads the table with a good advantage to Miguel Correia. The third position is occupied by José Pedro Fontes, who scored points in every event, followed by Bruno Magalhães, who was on the podium three times but had to drop out in the most important race of the year, and Ricardo Teodósio, who had two withdrawals. After the Rali Vinho da Madeira, the Água Rally on September 2nd and 3rd and the CAMG Rally in Marinha Grande on October 7th and 8th are still to come. CPR: 1st Armindo Araújo, 121; 2nd Miguel Correia, 97; 3rd José Pedro Fontes, 77; 4th Bruno Magalhães, 71; 5th Ricardo Teodósio, 38; 6th Pedro Almeida, 33; 7th Ricardo Moura, 28; 8th Pedro Meireles, 28; 9th Paulo Neto, 22; 10th Paulo Caldeira, 16; 11th Lucas Simões, 15; 12th Gil Antunes, 15; 13th Daniel Nunes, 14; 14th Ernesto Cunha, 13; 15th Paulo Meireles, 10. 16 drivers are classified.  

Administrative checks and scrutineering this afternoon

This afternoon between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., the scrutineering for the 63rd Rali Vinho da Madeira will take place. The program foresees the administrative checks, in which all the documentation of the teams and their cars will be checked between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at Praça CR7. The initial scrutineering will start 15 minutes later, at 6:15 p.m., and continue until 9:30 p.m. at Pier 6 of the Funchal Harbour. Parallel to this check, the turbos and gearboxes will also be sealed. Besides the Autograph Session, held yesterday at Madeira's Casino, the checks are usually used by the many fans of Madeira's rally and motoring festival to be closer to the protagonists of the race, drivers, co-drivers and their machines.  

Crowded autograph session at Casino

The Autograph Session for the Rali Vinho da Madeira was much better attended than expected. Hundreds of fans went to Madeira's Casino to meet their favourite drivers, creating long queues. The first fans arrived at 7p.m. to save their place and be the first to ask for autographs.  This much awaited moment was scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m., ending at 11:00 p.m. Given the high number of enthusiasts still waiting for their turn, the organization decided to extend the schedule, however, and despite the effort, not all got their autographs. The demanding schedule of the drivers for these days, did not allow to extend for much longer the autograph session.  Furthermore, the organization asks for the understanding for what happened and invites all the population to stop by the Service Park, in Avenida Sá Carneiro, where they can see up close the teams participating in the RVM.

To be the first with five victories

Alexandre Camacho hits the roads of this Rali Vinho da Madeira with a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. His goals are "the best possible result. However, considering the last editions of the event, I intend to be fighting for the victory. There is strong competition and nothing will be easy. I would very much like to be the first driver with five victories in this rally. In terms of difficulties, the biggest are the opponents, because the list of entries is very good. Besides us, from Madeira, there are only big names of the national and even international competition. We prepared well, we reviewed some details and we are confident". Camacho is 42 years old and made his rally debut in 2001 with a Toyota Yaris. He moved to the wheel of a Citroën Saxo and then to a Citroën Saxo Kit-Car and Peugeot 206 S1600, with which he won the first titles in the category. Since then, he has been Madeira Champion on six occasions, 2008 and 2009 in Peugeot 207 S2000, 2015 with Porsche 997 GT3, 2017 behind the wheel of Peugeot 208 T16, and both 2018 and 2019 with Skoda Fabia R5. He won the FIA European Rally Trophy in 2018. He is second in this year's Madeiran Championship.

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