Paolo Andreucci and Anna Andreussi made it three wins out of four rally starts for the brand-new 'Super2000' Fiat Grande Punto Rally in the 2006 CSAI Italian Rally Championship after they swept their way to an imperious victory in last weekend's 90th Rally Targa Florio. Andreucci dominated the entire event - which takes over great swages the historic roads once used by the famous historic Sicilian motor race - and the Fiat factory pilot was never threatened as he cruised to a comfortable 1 minute and 13.2 second victory in the N.technology-run car over his closest challenger, the GpN Subaru Impreza STi of Piero Longhi. Making it an excellent weekend all round for the new 'Super2000' Grande Punto Rally, his team-mate Andrea Navarra and co-driver Giudo D'Amore claimed the final podium position as the duo become ever more accustomed to their new rally car.

The Fiat Grande Punto Rally was developed and built last year by Fiat's competitions arm N.technology to the FIA's proposed new 'Super2000' rally regulations which had called for low development and running costs, two-litre normally-aspirated engines, a stock FIA-designated four-wheel-drive system and limited 'electronic driver aids'. After four rounds of the 2006 CSAI Italian Rally Championship contested so far the Grande Punto has chalked up three outright wins (all in Andreucci's hands) and it has proved to be more than a match for the very latest, 2006-specification turbocharged GpN Japanese rally machines: the Mitsubishi Evo IX and Subaru Impreza.

Andreucci started the 90th Targa Florio's eight-stage leg one with a fourth fastest time on the opening stage, however an unbeatable time on SS2 propelled him straight to the top of the rally leaderboard with an 8.5 second advantage over second placed Gianfranco Cunico. It was a lead the Fiat driver wouldn't relinquish, and after setting 2nd fastest time (SS3) and 7th (SS4) he went fastest on each of the final four stages of the day, cruising into overnight parc ferme with a comfortable 46.4 seconds advantage over Cunico, and 54 seconds over the third placed Longhi. N.technology team mate Navarra, who had gone second fastest on the last stage of the day (SS8) was in 7th place, 1 minute and 25.5 seconds behind his team leader. Four stages made up leg two and with the pressure well and truly off him, Andreucci still posted three second quickest times (SS9,10 and 11) and a 7th fastest time on the closing stage of the rally (SS12.) Meanwhile, Navarra had been busy clawing his way up the leaderboard, and fastest overall time on the final stage saw him climb four places into a final third place.