Club Racing — news

The 42nd Pedavena–Croce d'Aune hillclimb will take place from 18–20 September, with over 170 drivers already registered for the event held on Monte Avena in northern Italy. The competition continues to attract thousands of motorsport enthusiasts annually. Entry registration remains open until the published deadline, with organisers expecting the field to grow further before the closing date.

Simone Faggioli has secured his 20th Italian Supersalita (hillclimb) championship title following victory at the Coppa Nissena in Caltanissetta, Sicily. Driving a Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl, the Tuscan driver needed only two points to mathematically confirm the crown, but opted to pursue an outright win to close the season decisively. Faggioli topped the morning hillclimb run ahead of Stefano Di Fulvio and Samuele Cassibba, both also piloting Nova Proto machinery. A sudden storm prevented the scheduled second run from taking place, but Faggioli's maximum points from the opening ascent had already secured the championship. The victory held particular significance for the driver, marking his return to the Coppa Nissena circuit where he made his hillclimb debut in 1997. The 2026 season proved demanding for Faggioli, who balanced the Italian Supersalita campaign with a competing commitment at Pikes Peak in the United States, forcing him to miss one domestic championship round. Speaking after the race, Faggioli reflected on a competitive year: "The level of competition was genuinely high this season, and it was far from certain we would secure the title given the ambitious programme we had set. I must congratulate Stefano Di Fulvio and Mirko Torsellini on their second and third-place finishes—it was rewarding to compete against them." He also represented ACI Team Italia, the Italian motorsport federation's official team, throughout the championship. Faggioli attributed the achievement to the collective effort of his team, technical staff, family, and sponsors. The title marks a significant milestone in a career spanning nearly three decades in European hillclimb racing.

The 71st Coppa Nissena Historic hillclimb in Caltanissetta was cut short last weekend after only Sunday's opening race, with adverse weather forcing early abandonment of the event. The 5.45 km course, laid out on the SS 122 between Ponte Capodarso and Villaggio Santa Barbara, hosted the fifth round of the Sicilian Historic Speed Hillclimb Championship, with mixed results for the three Island Motorsport drivers competing. Alfredo Altopiano delivered the strongest performance for the team, piloting an Opel Kadett GTE in the 3rd Grouping to fifth place overall and first in the SIL/2000 class. The result marked his second outing of the season, following his debut at the Monte Erice Historic just over a week earlier. Teammate Stefano Parisi struggled in his Lancia Delta Integrale, finishing in the top ten of the 4th Grouping but crossing the line with difficulty after a fuel pressure regulator malfunction. Meanwhile, Beppe D'Anca secured third place among the Classic category entries in his Osella PA20/S BMW, though he too was hampered by persistent fuel system issues throughout the weekend. D'Anca's return to competition marked the end of a 13-year absence from racing, following an initial test run at Erice.

Zbigniew Staniszewski secured his seventh consecutive Polish rallycross championship in the supercars class at a combined FIA Central European Zone and Polish national round held at Słomczyn on 13 September 2026. The Olsztyn-based driver recovered from a difficult qualifying session to claim victory in the final, edging out Slovakia's Bruno Beckert in a competitive battle. Staniszewski piloted a Ford Fiesta R5 throughout the event, a power disadvantage against rivals running engines exceeding 500 horsepower. After a strong opening qualification win, his strategy faltered in subsequent heats, culminating in a fourth-place finish in the fourth qualifying race. However, a decisive start in the final proved decisive. Staniszewski gained the upper hand within 50 metres and controlled the opening corner, maintaining his lead through to the chequered flag with a time of 4:39.227, ahead of Beckert's 4:48.731. In the FIA CEZ supercars standings, Staniszewski leads with 136 points, followed by Czech driver Ales Fucik on 76 points and Austrian Gerald Eder on 44 points. Within the Polish championship, Staniszewski's tally of 77 points puts him well clear of Beckert (51 points) and his brother Norbert Beckert (48 points). Staniszewski will contest the next round of the Central European Zone championship in Nyírád, Hungary, the following weekend, where 18 supercars are expected to compete.

Cosimo Laghezza has secured the 2026 Italian Super Hillclimb Championship, with the title decided at the 71st Coppa Nissena in Caltanissetta. The finale took place on the 5.450-kilometre hillclimb course that runs from Ponte Capodarso to Villaggio Santa, organised by Automobile Club Caltanissetta. The fast and well-established Sicilian venue provided the stage for the championship decider, bringing the Super Salita season to a close.

Samuele Cassibba concluded his Italian Supersalita (hillclimb) championship campaign with a strong result, taking third place overall at the 71st Coppa Nissena near Comiso in Sicily. The final round of the national series saw the Scuderia Ateneo driver pilot his Nova Proto NP 01 V8 over the technical and flowing SS122 course between Capodarso. Cassibba's podium finish capped off a competitive season in Italy's premier hillclimb championship, with the Ragusa-based competitor securing a top-three result in the series' seventh and concluding event.

The 85th round of Prime Drift Open will conclude the 2026 season at Autodrom Słomczyn from October 2–4, with championship titles and final standings still to be decided across multiple classes. The Polish drifting series, now in its 18th year, has established itself as one of Europe's longest-running drift competitions and a launching pad for drivers who have gone on to compete at the highest international levels. In the Masters class, Łukasz Pijar leads with 292 points in his BMW E46 Touring, holding a 30-point advantage over Mateusz Suski (Toyota Supra MK5, 262 points) and Fabian Hała (BMW E46, 232 points). The PRO category presents an even tighter battle: Rafał Biej (BMW E36) sits atop the standings with 242 points, but Kordian Trela-Muchewicz (Nissan S15A) trails by only 26 points. The PROAM class is the most competitive, with Adam Jung (BMW 1) leading on 57 points—just eight ahead of a three-way tie between Borys Piotrowski, Nikodem Pałasz, and Paweł Nawara, each with 49 points. Slomczyn, a 1,200-metre circuit with a history dating to 1994, offers spectators natural earthen banking and grandstand seating that provide excellent sightlines across most of the track. The venue has hosted previous Prime Drift Open finals and is known for its technical layout and demanding conditions. The event will feature a Petrolheads.Unite zone showcasing vehicles and drivers from multiple motorsport disciplines, including hill climb competitor Maciej Serafin with his Pikes Peak machine, Polish Hill Climb Championship leader Bartłomiej Madziara in a Lamborghini Huracán ST Evo2, rally drivers Michał Skrzypczyk (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) and Krzysztof Czechak (Subaru Impreza GT), 2024 Polish Autocross Champion Oskar Maciejewski, and flat-track racer Kuba Święch in a Mini Cooper. Ticket prices are 40 PLN (Friday), 60 PLN (Saturday), 80 PLN (Sunday), and 120 PLN for a two-day pass (Saturday–Sunday). Live coverage will be available on YouTube.

The Master of Champions Cup (MOCC) season reaches its penultimate round with the Richard Burns 2001 Rally, where the championship battle could be decided before the final event. After six rounds, Novak Sedej of Slovenia leads the standings on 175 points, followed by Jurek Bogdanowicz on 155 points and Michał Walkowski on 147 points. With only two rounds remaining, the margins are tight enough that a single mistake could prove costly in the fight for the title. The rally itself presents a demanding challenge: competitors will face 15 special stages totalling approximately 130 kilometres across mixed surfaces, combining gravel and asphalt sections. Variable grip and difficult conditions will demand both raw pace and careful vehicle setup. The final stage, stretching over 18 kilometres, is expected to be the decisive moment where the championship battle may be settled. Sedej will attempt to defend his lead, while Bogdanowicz—fresh from a recent victory—looks to mount another attack on the top spot. Walkowski, meanwhile, remains within striking distance and could yet emerge as a contender. The winner of the Richard Burns 2001 Rally will also secure a professional co-drive with Miko Marczyk, the 2025 European Rally Champion, as the event's top prize.

Herbert Perwein claimed overall victory at the 2026 Bergrallye Marktl/Straden hillclimb, establishing a new track record on the 1.3 km course in Austria. Driving a VW PR Golf 1 Turbo 4×4, the Salzburg-based driver set his first record in the opening race and improved it again in the decisive third run, securing a commanding win in favourable weather conditions. The event, organised by Stella's Racing Team under race director Jimmy Kahr, drew 87 competitors and was completed efficiently, finishing shortly after 16:30 despite minor delays during practice sessions. Reinhold Taus of Styria finished second overall in a Subaru Impreza P4 Turbo, claiming first place in the Pf Class 1 category despite grappling with a drivetrain issue during the races. Thomas Nöst, also from Styria, rounded out the podium in third with a VW Polo 6 HCR, taking second in Pf Class 1. Franz Kogler placed fourth overall with a newly prepared Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, securing third in Pf Class 1 in what he described as his biggest hillclimb success to date. Markus Binder completed the top five, just 0.96 seconds behind after two scored runs, winning Pf Class 2a in a Ford Escort Cosworth. Hannes Kaufmann finished sixth, a mere 0.2 seconds further back, taking Pf Class 2b honours in another Ford Escort Cosworth. Further down the order, Rupert Schwaiger placed seventh in a Porsche 911 3.5 Bi-Turbo with fourth in Pf Class 1, while Peter Probhardt took eighth in a Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 05 Evo 3, finishing second in Pf Class 2a. Heiko Fiausch claimed ninth overall and victory in Pf Class 3b with an Opel Astra STW, and Patrick Mayer rounded out the top ten with a VW Golf 1 16V 2.0, winning Pf Class 4a.

Gianluca Ticci has secured overall victory at the 2026 Garessio-San Bernardo hillclimb, piloting a Nova Proto NP 03 to the top step in a closely contested event organised by Team Supergara. The result marks Ticci's first win at the prestigious Italian climb and caps a strong season for the Ligurian driver, who has also triumphed at the Susa-Moncenisio and Cesana-Sestriere events earlier in the year. Competition remained tight throughout the three-run format, particularly in the Sport categories where multiple drivers battled for classification honours. In the decisive third run, Ticci posted his best time of 196.42 seconds, holding off Veldorale in a Radical SR4 (198.63) to secure the crown. Beppe Scozzafava (Radical SR4), Damiano Furnari (Elia Avrio ST 09) and Daniele Patete (Fiat X1.9) were among the other leading contenders, though Patete incurred a 10-second penalty for a cone infringement. In the Historic category, Silvano Bianciotto won aboard a Renault Clio Williams despite two 10-second penalties in the second run, ahead of Giacomo Stoppani (Kadett GTE) and Durante (Ford Sierra). Specialist class victories went to Sonia Castelli (Peugeot 106-Suzuki, Women), Gabriele Maiocco (Peugeot 208 VTI, Under 23), Capanna (Peugeot 208 GTI, RS Plus), Tuminello (Peugeot 106 S16, Group N) and Chiaberto (Skoda, Group A). Marco Riboni (Fiat 127-Renault) won Group E1 Italia, while Daniele Patete (Fiat X1.9) took Group E2 Silhouette honours. The event concluded the 2026 Italian Slalom Cup and Northern Trophy seasons. Final championship standings are under compilation, with Team Supergara confirming the 2027 calendar will continue the series' tradition of high-level grassroots competition.

The Coppa del Chianti Classico is shaping up as a major draw for historic hillclimb racing in Italy, with strong competitor interest already evident ahead of the event. Scheduled for 18–20 September, the 43rd edition of the Tuscan hillclimb will host the eighth and penultimate round of the Italian Historic Hillclimb Championship, bringing together a field of significant quality across multiple classes. Organised by Targa Racing Club in collaboration with Siena Racing Driver and supported by the Automobile Club Siena, the event will run on the Chiantigiana 222 route through the Chianti Classico hills. The provisional entry list, still awaiting final confirmations, already signals a competitive gathering of established drivers and historically significant machinery. Among the anticipated starters in Group 4 BC are Denny Zardo (Giada T118), Salvatore Riolo (PCR A06) and Piero Lottini (Osella PA 9/90), representing the sport prototype category that typically provides some of the most spectacular performances in historic hillclimb competition. Group 3 entries include Giuliano Peroni (Osella PA 8/9), alongside classic road-based machinery such as Sandro Gironi's Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV and Guido De Rege Di Donato's Porsche 911 SC. Group 2 is expected to feature significant automotive heritage, with entries including the Alpine A110 of Ettore Falchetti, the Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAm of Fosco Zambelli and the Ford Escort MK1 Twin Cam of Franco Ermini, alongside numerous Fiat Giannini and Abarth entries. Group 1 competitors are anticipated to include early-era hillclimb machinery such as Lola T212, Chevron B19 and Daren MK3 models, paired with Alfa Romeo, Mini Cooper and Abarth examples. The Classics category features Osella PA 20 entries for Giovanni Cassibba, Stefano Peroni and Mirko Torsellini, pending final confirmation.

Simone Faggioli secured his 20th Italian national championship title at the 71st Coppa Nissena hillclimb in Sicily, winning Race 1 on the technical SS122 course near Caltanissetta. Driving a Nova Proto NP01 for Best Lap, the Florentine driver set a new track record of 1'59.92 (with chicanes) to conclude the Italian Supersalita Championship season. Faggioli's victory marked his 11th success at the Nissena event, organised by the Automobile Club Caltanissetta. Stefano Di Fulvio of Scuderia Vesuvio finished second in a Turbo-spec NP01 on his debut at the event, while Samuele Cassibba from Ragusa claimed third place and top honours among Sicilian drivers. Race 2 was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions after the start. The event concluded the 2024 Supersalita Championship season and awarded titles across multiple categories. Giuseppe Aragona (Calabria) won the E1 group in a Volkswagen Golf 7 Audi, Marco Gramenzi (Teramo) took E2SH in an Alfa 4C, Salvatore Mondino (Cosenza) claimed the Racing Start Turbo title on a Seat Leon RS, and Salvatore Tortora (Salerno) won the Racing Start Cup in a Peugeot 308 RC. Selina Prantl secured the Ladies' Cup and Under 25 classification in TCR. A significant incident occurred during Race 1 when Kadija Mourtaji exited the track at the finish line in a Ferrari 296, striking the finish arch and touching the timing stand. The driver was unharmed, though three race officials sustained minor injuries. Competition resumed after a delay exceeding one hour. Despite the accident, Mourtaji finished first in the GT group with her Ferrari 296 Challenge GT Super Cup. Angelo Mercuri claimed his 12th Italian Two-Cylinder Championship title in a Fiat 500.