ilTornante

Stefano Di Fulvio secured his fourth success at the 64th Svolte di Popoli hillclimb in the Abruzzo region, piloting a Nova Proto NP 01 turbo to victory in the Italian National Hillclimb Championship. The driver from Chieti won the aggregate classification with a best time of 3'07"65 in race one, holding off a strong challenge from Lucanian rival Achille Lombardi on an Osella PA 30, who was hampered by a spin during the opening encounter. The podium was completed by Sergio Farris from Sardinia in a Wolf GB 08 Mistral and promising young Trentino driver Jacopo Dellamaria in a Wolf GB 08 Thunder Aprilia, the latter taking the sportscar category for motorcycle-derived engines. The event, which counts toward the ACI Sport junior national series for northern and southern zones, saw Popoli local Vincenzo Ottaviani forced to retire from race two after a joint failure on his Wolf, despite posting the third-fastest time in the opening race. Lombardi struck back in race two, posting a winning time of 3'12"23 just 15 hundredths ahead of Di Fulvio, but the earlier spin proved decisive in the final reckoning. Just outside the podium, Francesco Ferragina from Catanzaro made strong progress in an Elia Avrio ST09, while Giuseppe D'Angelo dominated the GT category in a Ferrari 488 Evo ahead of Alessandro Gabrielli in a Ferrari 296. Alberto Scarafone from Lazio took the CN prototype class in an Osella PA 21 Honda, and Salvatore Tortora claimed the Racing Start Cup in a Peugeot 308. Category winners included Silvano Stipani in the E1 class on a Peugeot 106, Lucio Petrocco in the rally car category on a Skoda Fabia, Giovanni Loffredo in TCR on a Cupra León, and Rodolfo Fusco in the two-cylinder national championship on a Fiat 500. Historic and classic car categories were won by Giuseppe Valenti on a Peugeot 205 and Luigi Scarpelli on a Peugeot 106 respectively.

The Monte Erice hillclimb in Sicily has already attracted competitors from across Europe following the opening of entries for its 68th edition, scheduled for 4–6 September. The event, counting towards both the Italian Historic Vehicle Speed Climbing Championship (CIVSA) and the Italian Mountain Speed Championship (CIVM), has registered early confirmations from international drivers including Austrian competitor Harald Mössler, who will contest the historic car category. The Trapani-based event is known for its challenging course layout and dramatic landscape backdrop, with competitors tackling the climb against the backdrop of locations featured in Virgil's Aeneid. Beyond Mössler, the entry list has begun to fill with established names from northern Italy, including Andrea Buttura from Caprino Veronese, a respected figure in the hillclimb scene. The weekend schedule runs from Friday 4 September with technical scrutineering in Trapani's Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, followed by practice runs on Saturday 5 September. The main competition takes place on Sunday 6 September along the Strada Provinciale Immacolatella, with the start at Valderice and finish in the medieval village of Erice. Entries remain open ahead of the event.

The 64th edition of the Svolte di Popoli hillclimb will take place from 7–9 August in the Abruzzo region of Italy, serving as a double-counting round for both the northern and southern zones of the Italian Mountain Velocity Championship (CIVM). The event, organised by the Associazione Svolte di Popoli, has attracted 123 entries across the competitive field. Details of the weekend's programme and participating drivers will be unveiled at a press conference on Thursday 6 August at 18:00 at the Auditorium Guizza in Popoli Terme. Among the announced competitors are several championship contenders: Stefano Di Fulvio, the 2025 series winner, will pilot a Nova Proto NP 01 turbo, while Achille Lombardi from Basilicata returns on an Osella PA 30 following recent victories. Giancarlo Maroni Jr. will drive a Nova Proto turbo, and Sergio Farris from Sardinia will contest in a Wolf GB 08 Mistral. Vincenzo Ottaviani, a local favourite, will race the Thunder Aprilia 1150cc variant after recent competition at Sarnano. The GT category will feature a strong grid including Giuseppe D'Angelo on a Ferrari 488 Evo, Giovanni Del Prete in a Lamborghini Huracán, and Kadija Moutaji, a young driver from Marche, making her debut in a Ferrari 296. Piero Nappi will bring an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 to the field. Several Abruzzo-based drivers, including Claudio Pio and Silvano Stipani, will also compete. The 2024 winner was Achille Lombardi, with Daniele Filippetti from Umbria finishing second, both on Osella PA 30s. Vincenzo Ottaviani was the leading local finisher in a Wolf.