Christian Merli starting in Vallecamonica

On Sunday, Christian Merli will be racing his Osella FA 30 Zytek LRM at the 50th Trofeo Vallecamonica in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is the third round of the Italian hill climb championship CIVM, and there will be two race heats on the 8.591 km track from Malegno to Borno. In 2015 the champion from Trentino took overall victory at this event and established a new record at 3’41”60, as yet unbeaten.

Christian’s comments
“It’s a great race, I like it, and it’s also close. We won it in 2013 with the Osella PA 2000 and then again two years later with the FA 30 with the RPE engine. The first half is very technical with hairpin bends and medium-slow corners. In the upper part it gets very fast, with bends in 5th and 6th gear, and there are three chicanes to reduce the speed. There are many variables, including the weather. We’ll see. It’s another important test in view of the fourth round of the European and Italian championships at Ascoli, the 60th Coppa Teodori later this month. Of course, my priority so far is the European championship. Let me add that at Malegno Angelo Marino will be joining Team Merli. He is 35 and from Salerno, near Naples. He will be racing our Osella PA 30 3000 Zytek.”

The calendar of the 2021 Italian hill climb championship CIVM
23 May: Trofeo Scarfiotti, Sarnano – Sassotetto (Marche), 30 May: Verzegnis – Sella Chianzutan (Friuli Venezia Giulia), 13 June: Trofeo Vallecamonica (Lombardy), 27 June: Coppa Paolino Teodori, Ascoli Piceno (Marche), 4 July: Trento – Bondone (Trentino), 18 July: Alghero – Scala Piccada (Sardinia), 1 August: Trofeo Luigi Fagioli, Gubbio (Umbria), 8 August: Morano – Campotenese (Calabria), 22 August: Trofeo Silvio Molinaro, Luzzi – Sambucina (Calabria), 5 September: Pedavena – Croce d’Aune (Veneto), 19 September: Monte Erice (Sicily), 26 September: Coppa Nissena, Caltanissetta (Sicily).

Ruth Scheithauer