Rally Norway: Aimont Racing preview

Gigi Galli in a Citroen Xsara WRC of Aimont Racing Team at Rally Norway

Gigi Galli and his co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini in a Citroen Xsara prepared by PH Sport and run by Aimont Racing Team, are ready to take part in Rally Norway, third round of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship.

Only four days after the checkered flag of Rally Sweden, Aimont Racing Team and Gigi Gally are in action again in near Norway, ready to dispute their second rally of this year season.

Rally Norway has been included in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar this year for the first time and the short distance from the base of Rally Sweden makes it natural to pair them on consecutive weekends. The rally is supported by the Norwegian Royal Family and by the Prime Minister and has already attracted the interest of lots of Norwegians.

The climate and the route should be very similar to those of last weekend in Sweden. Temperatures are forecast to be around -20°C in the high stages on the mountains of Lillehammer, where the second leg will take place. It has been snowing these days so the route should be in good conditions.

The base of the rally is in Hamar, approximately 120 km north east from Oslo. All the three legs will start and end there as well as the Service Park, located inside the spectacular Viking Ship, socalled because of its vassel shape,, built in 1994 to host the speed ice skating races of the Winter Olympic Games., therefore Aimont Racing Team's technician will work in better conditions in comparison with Sweden.

The Norwegian special stages are not as fast as the Swedish ones but narrower and technical. Most of the tests go through thick forests, some of them have been used last year when it was not yet a World Rally event, but now have been revised and extended to conform to WRC races. Since this race has been included in the championship this year for the first time, is brand new for most of the world rally drivers

The Ceremonial start will take place tonight at 20.00 and the rally will finish on Sunday February 18th at 15.00. The rally has a total route of 1109,57 km, divided into 18 special stages (355,9 km). The action will start on Friday February 16th on the special stages of the first and longest leg of the event, inside the Kongsvinger forest, south east of Hamar.

"We are satisfied with the experience we've had in Sweden" said Pierfrancesco Zanchi Team Manager of Aimont Racing Team "In these few days we adjusted the car and we solved few little technical and sporting problems and we will use Pirelli tyres in this rally too. We have to make good use of the experience we acquired and improve".

"I'm ready to tackle this new race", said Gigi Galli "We've made a few changes on the car and now I know the Citroen Xsara a little bit more. I'll try to use at my best the Swedish experience". Here below the complete time table of Rally Norway.

-credit: aimont