THEEcorally of San Marino is an international regularity car competition reserved for ecological vehicles and propulsion. Founded in 2006, its objective is the promotion and development of low environmental impact vehicles, to demonstrate the possibilities of its use in everyday life. The competition, aimed exclusively at ecological vehicles, welcomes operators from the automotive world, technicians and drivers, but also those who simply love cars and the environment.
To give life to the first Ecorally, establishing its rules and regulations and inserting it in the FIA Alternative Energies Cup was the FIA Alternative Energies Commission, in particular on the initiative of the San Marino member Carlo Ennio Morri. The first route involved the departure from St. Peter's Square in the Vatican and the arrival in San Marino. In addition to the regularity test, there was the "consumption" test, i.e. he won the prize who consumed less throughout the journey. There regularity race instead it is a test codified in the world automotive regulations: the winner is whoever completes the course by passing over the sensing tubes (pressure switches), in a pre-established instant and with an accuracy of a hundredth of a second. The ranking is drawn up by assigning penalties as you deviate from the assigned time value. The strategies for victory vary from maintaining an average speed as close as possible to the pre-established one (one cannot stop near the pressure switches, but only at a relative distance) to synchronizing with a countdown of the on-board instruments (opportunely scheduled at departure). Some races, on the other hand, require that the pre-established average speed be respected along the entire route. This type of competition tests thereliability of the vehicle, that is the ability to face the path without breakdowns, the orientation skills of driver and co-driver (the indications on the road-book must be interpreted during the excitement of the race) and finally the harmony and synchronization of the couple, in being able to put the wheel on the pressure switch by breaking the second.
Now in its 14th edition, it is the first of the five stages of the “Green Challenge Cup 2022“, trophy organized by Aci Sports in collaboration with Argos Italy, a company that has been operating in the natural gas and electricity sector for 20 years. On April 23, all the administrative and technical controls against drivers and ecological vehicles, while on the 24th the actual race got underway along the roads of the Republic of San Marino and those of Romagna. This year, the organizers played the twinning card with San Marino Revival, a race traditionally reserved for historic cars, which offers the public and collectors' curiosities.
The event was organized in accordance with the FIA (International Automobile Federation) International Sporting Code; the technical-regulatory management was entrusted to the FAMS (San Marino Auto Motor Federation) through its Race Officials, while the chronometric measurements were entrusted to the FS Cr. (San Marino Federation of Timekeepers). Technical partner for the recharging of electric vehicles, the energygreen of San Marino. Thanks to the patronage of the Giunta di Castle of Monte Giardino and the Secretariats of State, Territory and Environment, Tourism and Culture of the Republic of San Marino, the route was able to count on the crossing of various historical centres with real parades of vintage cars together with green cars.
In total, the caravan of ecological vehicles - electric, hybrid, LPG, methane and biomethane - traveled 127 kilometers along the most evocative roads of the Republic of Titano, subjecting competitors to special tests and pressure switches. Alongside environmental sustainability, the safety: the principle on which the regularity ecorally are based is precisely the respect of the highway code, the competitions taking place on roads open to traffic.
The final classification of the Ecorally and therefore the provisional one of the Green Challenge Cup 2022, saw the Toyota Hybrid of Lukasz Nytko and Artur Najder on the lowest step of the podium, then the electric Opel Corsa of the spouses Andrea Cajani and Valentina Pitacco in second place . The winner was the Lancia Ypsilon GPL driven by Roberto Chiodi and Lorenzo Gennari, supporters of the Rome's candidacy for the 2030 Expo with ad hoc portal, who were then also awarded the prize in the "Press" classification, reserved for journalists.
Undisputed domain of Fiat Balilla 508C for the “Revival” competition. Three, among the top four classified. The winners were Guido Barcella and Ombretta Guidotti of the Tazio Nuvolari team. Seconds Alberto and Federico Riboldi, father and son. Fourth Andrea Belometti and Doriano Vavassori. In third place, among many Balillas, was the Autobianchi Abarth A112 of Nicola Barcella, son of the victor.
