Abarth is to expand its factory lineup to three cars, hoping to pose a serious challenge for victory on this weekend’s 52nd Rallye Sanremo, as it ramps up the fight to secure a clean sweep of this year’s Italian Rally Championship drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles. Joining Luca Rossetti and Giandomenico Basso at the wheel of the new wide-track Abarth Grande Punto S2000s will be the hugely experienced Renato Travaglia, who drove for the Scorpion factory team in the CIR two years ago and most recently piloted a private Abarth Grande Punto on the opening rounds of the CIR last year, winning the first event.

After five rounds of the CIR, both the title fights are poised on a knife-edge. Rossetti trails arch-rival and former Abarth driver Paolo Andreucci (Peugeot 207 S2000) by just three points, although team-mate Basso is fading from the picture, the reigning European champion 11 points off the top of the table. In the manufacturers’ title race, Abarth has a four-point cushion over Peugeot, and the battle for the crown, in what is regarded as the most competitive national rally series in the world, is effectively between these two, as third-placed Skoda has collected just 25 points so far.

Basso, who claimed his first win in Sanremo two years ago in the Grande Punto Abarth, but missed last year’s event due to a clashing European commitment, will seeded at #1, while Rossetti is set to start at #4. Travaglia, who like the two regular crews will have one of the new ‘wide track’ evo cars, will be #8 off the ramp. Also providing valuable private support on the testing mountain roads of Italy’s Imperia province will be Manuel Villa in an Abarth Grande Punto S2000. Villa, who starts from #33, is much respected by Italian rally fans for his heroic performances at the wheel of the S1600 Fiat Punto in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge’s 2WD Cup. Also in action will be another name synonymous with Fiat: Marco Cavigioli will make his presence felt on the fast asphalt, at the wheel of his tried and trusty two-wheel-drive Fiat Punto JTD, tackling the IRC’s 2WD Cup. The Italian was the IRC 2WD Cup champion in 2007.

Rossetti, Basso, Travaglia and Villa will be part of a record-breaking entry of 30 Super 2000 cars, which apart from Abarth, includes Škoda, Peugeot, Citroen, Proton and Ford – all drawn to the rally as quite aside from its historical status and inclusion in the CIR, represents the last all-asphalt event in the 2010 IRC (round 10 of 12). The event, which is running for the 52nd time this year, is one of the most famous on the international rallying calendar and also one of the most demanding, thanks to its blend of night stages run over narrow and undulating passes. The competitive action is contained within a 23-hour window, which traditionally puts a huge strain on car and crew. Indeed, competitors get little opportunity to savour the delights of the glamorous Italian Riviera town, with its restaurants, bars and casino, such is the intensity of competition.

After leaving the permanent service park located in the grounds of the town’s old railway station overlooking the Mediterranean Sea this Friday afternoon, drivers tackle two stages, Coldirodi and Bignone, before returning to service in Sanremo. The Coldirodi and Bignone runs are then repeated, albeit split by the Apricale stage. Following a regroup and service halt in Sanremo, crews face the daunting Ronde stage, a 44-kilometre monster, which combines the three stages that form the second loop and gets underway after dark at 22:09 local time.

A short overnight halt later, and competition resumes with the final five stages split by service in Sanremo. The tests are not for the faint-hearted either, with just the 1.73-kilometre Bajardo stage less than 22 kilometres in length. The stages feature fast and flowing sections, frequent changes of rhythm, and blind and open corners with rapid climbs and descents commonplace. The ability to find the optimum ‘racing’ line and maintain a high level of speed are essential for recording competitive stage times. The road surface is predominantly smooth, albeit with some sections of broken asphalt. The tests on day two are known for providing better grip than on day one, particularly following recent resurfacing work on part of the route.

As with all mountain-based rallies, the weather is changeable and unpredictable, and that can make tyre choice a lottery. In 2006, when Sanremo hosted the last of four IRC pilot events, torrential rain forced organisers to cancel the opening leg. Conversely, last year’s rally was held in bright sunshine. However, even if there is no rain, the sections under tree cover can be notoriously slippery due to the sap being dragged out of the trees. The undulating nature of the roads places a great strain on the cars, with the engine, transmission and brakes all being subjected to a heavy pounding.

In the IRC battle, Juho Hänninen and Jan Kopecký may well be team-mates at Škoda Motorsport, but the Fabia-mounted drivers are locked in a close title battle. Hänninen, from Finland, is in the driving seat following Kopecký’s crash on the previous round, last month’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín, which means that Kopecký must win in Italy to maintain his bid for top championship honours. Hänninen, 29, has upped his pace on asphalt significantly in 2010, but Kopecký still has the edge when it comes to driving on sealed surfaces, and starts as one of the favourites for victory. As well as contesting the IRC this year, the Czech has been tackling the CIR, thereby giving him a greater knowledge of the terrain, but also a taste of the fearsome competition the local drivers will provide.

Paolo Andreucci, who finished second on June’s Rally d’Italia-Sardegna in his Peugeot 207 S2000 and was a winner in Sanremo in 2006 in the Grande Punto Abarth, is set to be on of the favourites for victory. He heads a rejuvenated Peugeot assault, which includes Kris Meeke, the IRC champion and last year’s Sanremo winner, Frenchman Bryan Bouffier, Belgian talent Thierry Neuville and Portugal’s Bruno Magalhães, who returns to the IRC after skipping the last round.

When it comes to experience, few drivers in the field possess as much knowledge of the Ligurian roads as Gilles Panizzi, who returns to frontline rallying in a works Proton Satria Neo. The 44-year-old from France has won in Sanremo on three occasions previously, and will be hoping his renowned pace and expertise on asphalt will provide a change of fortune for the Malaysian firm, not to mention a huge buzz for the thousands of fans lining the route. Capable Northern Irishman Niall McShea will continue in the second car.

Like Panizzi, Freddy Loix also has extensive knowledge of the Sanremo stages and will be anxious to maintain his staggering 100 per cent winning record in the third factory Fabia on what is likely to be his fourth and final outing of the IRC season. The Belgian prepared for Sanremo by finishing second on his domestic championship Omloop van Vlaanderen rally recently. Other Fabia drivers on the entry include Škoda UK Motorsport’s Guy Wilks, a three-time podium finisher this season, and Skoda Italia’s young gun Marco Signor.

Norway’s Andreas Mikkelsen is the lead M-Sport Ford Fiesta driver and is highly rated. Fellow Fiesta youngster and former Abarth pilot, Umberto Scandola, also has potential, while fellow former Abarth exponent Andrea Navarra has won in the IRC in the past. Andrea Perego is the highest-seeded Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer driver. However, for the first time on the IRC this year, there will be no Subaru Imprezas in action. As well as Cavigioli, some of the names to watch out for in the IRC 2WD Cup include Honda Civic drivers Sandro Sottile and Laszlo Vizin, as well as M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2 runner Harry Hunt, who claimed IRC two-wheel drive glory during the visit to Sardinia in June.