Corrado Fontana was the best finisher of the quartet of Grande Punto Abarth drivers who were all chasing FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) points on the 38th edition of the Bulgaria Rally over the weekend, the Italian finishing fifth and in the process edging out the similar car of Turkish star Volkan Isik on the very last stage. Two Polish Grande Punto Abarth drivers, Michal Solowow and Tomasz Czopik, completed the rally finishing in 8th and 11th place respectively

Dimitar Iliev (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) won 38th Rally Bulgaria and amazingly became only the second Bulgarian to take the victory in the 38-year history of this elite competition since Ilia Tchoubrikov in the distant year of 1971. Iliev gained a solid advantage in Leg 1 and on Saturday he counted on safe driving and simply kept his first place. “I cannot express how happy I am. In the last two stages everything went great”, said Iliev right after the final stage, SS13. Simon Jean Joseph (Citroen C2 S1600) was second overall 17.9 seconds behind. The Frenchman was pushing to the limit all the time and managed to get ahead of Jasen Popov (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9). Jean Joseph is a two times European Rally champion and has two second places in Rally Bulgaria in 2004 and 2005. “Great performance of Iliev. We drove at full speed and had a lot of fun”, said Jean Joseph.

Krum Donchev (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) was fourth followed by Corrado Fontana in the private Grifone-run Grande Punto, and who was 1:21.1 behind Ilev at the finish line. The Italian driver has been competing in the FIA European Rally Championship this year and has been making steady progress towards the front of the pack with each event; this was his most impressive performance so far. His challenge got underway quite slowly during the early stages of Leg 1, and at the first service he was cautious of his chances: "I am not happy with the first two stages of the day," said the Italian. "On SS8 we lost some time because our car has short gears. I think that Joseph had the same problem." However he had moved up to sixth place, best placed of the Grande Punto Abarth drivers', as the surviving 38 cars went into overnight parc ferme at the end of Leg 1, and he climbed another place up the leaderboard, at the expense of Isik, during leg 2. In fact after setting fifth fastest time on SS10, and third fastest on both SS11 and SS12, he had gone into the final test (SS13 "Bemeken") just 2.3 seconds behind Isik.
 

A maximum attack saw him win the stage outright, his first fastest scratch time of the event, to just squeeze past the Turk who was 4.4 seconds slower on the 22.27 km long test. Fontana was delighted to finish the best Grande Punto driver: “I am very happy," he said at the finish line. "This is my debut here but I am fifth and won against Isik."

Volkan Isik in the Fiat Motorsports Turkey-run Grande Punto Abarth was sixth, just 2.1 seconds behind Fontana after losing fifth place on the final stage. This was despite winning two consecutive stages of the hard-fought rally on the final day. After being the fastest driver on SS10 "Magistrala 2" the Turk immediately won SS11 "Tzerovo 2". Isik is very well known to the Bulgarian public as he often participates in local rallies.

Pole Michal Solowow, also chasing ERC points in his reaistic title bid, finished in eighth place, while his countryman Tomasz Czopik, on his debut in the Grande Punto Abarth, was eleventh overall. Czopik had been the fastest of all the Grande Punto Abarth drivers' on Leg 1 until he suffered a puncture on SS4, losing him 29.1 seconds to the stage winner and dropping him down the order from eighth to eighteenth position. He did very well to recover position, moving up to 13th by the end of Leg 1 and gaining two further places during the six-stage duration Leg 2. “If I hadn’t had a puncture yesterday, I would have been much ahead in the overall standings," said Czopik at the finish. "I am satisfied with the Fiat as this is the first time I drive it." 48 crews started the 38th edition of the Bulgaria Rally, with 32 making it through the 13 tough stages.

The FIA European Rally Championship will now move onto another all-asphalt round, the Rally Vinho da Maderia, which will be contested on 2-4 August. It is the seventh of the ten rounds that comprise this years series.