Giandomenico Basso, who needed a top result on the Rallye du Valais to stand any chance of taking the title fight to the final round, ended up finishing in fifth place after fighting back from three punctures that cost him more than two minutes

Photo Gallery: Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rd 9 - Rally du Valais (II)

After being in command overnight it all went badly wrong for Abarth yesterday on the Rally du Valais as overnight leader Umberto Scandola ripped a wheel off and Giandomenico Basso saw his title hopes evaporate after two punctures

Abarth's Umberto Scandola will lead the Rally du Valais into this morning's stages following Thursday's opening three tests, team mate Giandomenico Basso was the early leader but a puncture has left him 13.7 seconds adrift

Photo Gallery: Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rd 9 - Rally du Valais (I)

The factory Abarth team will field a third car on the Rallye du Valais for up-and-coming Italian star Umberto Scandola; the 23 year-old, who is a protégé of Abarth, is fresh from leading the last IRC round in Sanremo convincingly

Following his second straight IRC win, on the Sanremo Rally at the end last month, Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso has hauled himself back into the championship title fight, although the Italian still remains with only an outside chance

Unquestionably linked to the long history of rallying and to the great Lancia triumphs in particular, the Martini Racing brand has chosen the 6th edition of RallyLegend next month to celebrate its forty years victories in rallies

The most famous team in rallying's long history, Lancia Squadra Corse, is being recreated for 6th RallyLegend 2008, where it will enter two Delta Integrales for Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion and a Stratos for Sandro Munari

Always in command, Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso claimed victory on the Sanremo Rally this afternoon for the first time in his career to move up to second place overall in the IRC standings with two rounds left to go

Photo Gallery: Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rd 8 - 50th Sanremo Rally (II)

Giandomenico Basso was in scintillating form today on the Sanremo Rally, steadily extending the lead he took into this morning's stages as he set fastest time after fastest time to finish the finish Leg 1 with a lead of almost a minute

Photo Gallery: Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rd 8 - 50th Sanremo Rally (I)

Abarth will plunge into the action of the 50th Sanremo Rally with a massive 6-car factory supported line-up as they seek to etch their name into a record book that has been dominated over the last half century by the famous Italian brands

Abarth will challenge for victory with a line-up of no fewer than six factory cars, driven by Giandomenico Basso, Renato Travaglia, Andrea Navarra, Anton Alén, Umberto Scandola and Alessio Pisi on this coming week's 50th Sanremo Rally

After a long and difficult IRC season Abarth has bounced back in superb style on this weekend's Rally Principe de Asturias with Giandomenico Basso racing to a 12-second victory over his closest Peugeot rival this afternoon

Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2WD Cup leader Marco Cavigioli has vowed to fight back and continue his title challenge to the end after being forced to retire from the Rally Principe de Asturias after a bizarre incident on SS7

After a thrilling opening day of the 45th Rally Principe de Asturias yesterday, Abarth factory driver Giandomenico Basso goes into today's final leg as the overnight leader after the Italian team showed a superb return to form

Photo Gallery: Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rd 7 - 45th Rally Principe de Asturias, Shakedown & Leg 1

Despite suffering from gearbox problems on the Barum Rally Zlín, the Abarth team aims to bounce back on the forthcoming Principe de Asturias Rally in Spain next week which is new to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge this year

Renato Travaglia upheld Abarth honour on the IRC-counting Barum Rally Zlín after finishing fifth overall, the privateer making up two places in his Island Motorsport-run Grande Punto Abarth S2000 during today's final leg

Photo Gallery: Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rd 6 - Barum Rally Zlín

Renato Travaglia in seventh place is the best positioned Grande Punto Abarth driver at the end of the first leg of the Barum Rally Zlín after the factory team suffered a disastrous first leg with both cars retiring due to gearbox issues

Fiat Rally Team pilot Luís Tedesco won the Rally Estação yesterday at the wheel of a Fiat Palio Abarth which handed him the 2008 Brazilian Rally Championship crown, his fifteen national title, achieved with three rounds still remaining