Baja Vermentino 2022: Ventura-Brun crowned as SSV champions. First victory for Ferroni-Fiorini on Suzuki in Cross Country.

The penultimate leg of the tricolor double offers the Side by Side Vehicles title to the Turinese, dominators on every test. For the Modenese on Suzuki in Group T1 comes the first joy of the season. Second Mengozzi-Schiumarini in a Mitsubishi Pinin T1 at 36.2''. The Trivini Bellini cousins, in a T2 Pajero, finish third and leave the race for the CCR title open.

The 3rd Baja Vermentino put on a show along the five timed sections of the penultimate round for the Italian Side by Side Vehicles Championship and Italian Cross Country Rally Championship. The Sardinian round, held on the dirt tracks around the town of Berchidda, turned into a tricolor catwalk for Amerigo Ventura and Mirko Brun, who scored their fourth consecutive victory on the Yamaha YXZ 1000 R and won the SSV title with one race to spare. A domination put on display since the first special of the year by the Turin specialist, the fastest at the wheel of the tubular means of Japanese brand also on every test of this Baja. Behind him complete the podium all signed Yamaha Valentino Rocco and Elisa Tassile second position at 1'30.8, followed by rookie Alessandro Bonetto paired the young Chiara Casu, at her first race as navigator.

On the other hand, everything remains open regarding the Cross Country Rally title. This thanks to the first victory of the season for Emilio Ferroni and Daniele Fiorini on a Suzuki Grand Vitara in Group T1. The experienced driver from Modena thus puts behind him a rather unlucky season so far, made up of great placings in tests but few final results. Ferroni was ready at the right time during Saturday morning, when Alfio Bordonaro and Roberto Briani, so far leading the standings, were slowed down by clutch problems. For the Catanese driver on the other Suzuki Prototype, regret remains after a first juncture of the race that had proposed him as the absolute protagonist, but in the end he is forced to settle for fifth place overall, useful anyway both to stay in the championship race and to aim for the top of the Suzuki Challenge in the last clash. In second place, on the other hand, were Manuele Mengozzi and Andrea Schiumarini, 36.2'' behind the top, who also returned to the podium aboard the Group T1 Mitsubishi Pinin after an unprofitable start to the season. Rounding out the leading trio are Alessandro and Marco Trivini Bellini, in a Group T2 Mitsubishi Pajero, 1'21.2'' apart. With this result, the Mantuan cousins remain at the top of the championship standings and will play their chances at the last Baja delle Marche, scheduled for mid-October.

At the foot of the overall podium, second in group T2, were Andrea Luchini and Piero Bosco on Grand Vitara despite an early day compromised by a problem with the car going into protection, later solved in assistance. Consistent and error-free was the race of Mauro Cantarello and Federico Lezi, sixth on the other Vitara in T2. A result that still keeps them in play for the final challenge of the Suzuki single-make trophy. In seventh position cuts another important milestone for Suzuki, multiple champion Lorenzo Codecà, navigated by Mauro Toffoli, who completes the development path of the new Group T2 Jimny and proves the reliability of the 100hp vehicle even on the bumpy and treacherous Sardinian roads. Target also hit for Gianluca Morra and Luca Abbondi, who complete the lineup of the tricolor Cross Country with their Group TH Grand Vitara.

ASSOLUTE VERMENTINO CICCR CLASSIFICATION: 1. FERRONI-FIORINI (Suzuki Vitara Proto V6) in 51'21.0; 2. MENGOZZI-SCHIUMARINI (Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin) at 36.2; 3. TRIVINI BELLINI-TRIVINI BELLINI (Mitsubishi Pajero) at 1'21. 2; 4. LUCHINI-BOSCO (Suzuki New Grand Vitara 1.9) at 2'14.6; 5. BORDONARO-BRIANI (Suzuki Gran Vitara) at 2'27.6; 6. CANTARELLO-LEZI (Suzuki New Grand Vitara 1.9) at 2'36.8; 7. CODECA'-TOFFOLI (Suzuki Jimmy) at 6'09.7; 8. MORRA-ABBONDI (Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0) at 9'34.7;

VERMENTINO SSV ABSOLUTE CLASSIFICATION: 1. VENTURA-BRUN (Yamaha Yxz1000 R) in 48'18.6; 2. ROCCO-TASSILE (Yamaha Yxz1000 R) at 1'30.8; 3. BONETTO-CASU (Yamaha Yxz1000 R) at 4'32.8;

Automatic translation from the original Italian version
Source ACI Sport