Radicofani, Italy (March 18, 2023) - American rally driver Mark Piatkowski is set for his international rally debut at Italy’s Rally Della Val D’Orcia which kicks off tomorrow at 07:30 a.m. local time.
Earlier this week, the 2021 American Rally Association (ARA) LN4 champion unveiled the beautiful livery that his LPS Competition-prepped Volkswagen Polo N5 will be sporting for the 2023 Italian Rally Championship season-opener.
But while the car looks good in photos, it looked even better on the test stages as Piatkowski and co-driver Alessio Angeli got comfortable in the car on Thursday.
Ceremonial start following the pre-event shakedown.
“I’m getting progressively more comfortable with the car and shakedown times showed it.” Piatkowski says. “It’s still several worlds away from my Subaru back home, but I believe in myself and am trying to dig deep.”
After reconnaissance yesterday, Piatkowski is excited about the rally on Sunday, having finally driven the incredible roads that the rally has to offer.
Pre-event shakedown stage.
“The stages here are very technical with a lot of crazy undulations. It’s like a rollercoaster. The surface is quite rocky too which will be a workout for the tires.”
As the start of stage one grows closer and closer, Piatkowski finds himself cautiously optimistic going into his first international event.
“There is admittedly a lot to get used to, very quickly. I’m in a new car, with a new co-driver, in very different surroundings, but it’s all part of the experience.” said Piatkowski.
“It’s been months of planning leading up to this moment. I honestly can’t wait for stage one tomorrow!
“I have to thank my sponsors, Rally.Build, Racing for Heroes, Brightway Insurance Orellana, RC Competición, and all those names on the hood for letting me be here.
“I’m absolutely blown away at how well everything has come together.”
Rally Della Val D’Orcia
Rally Della Val D’Orcia is one of Italy’s premier gravel rallies. Serving as the season opener, Rally Della Val D’Orcia consists of over 75 kilometers of special stage roads, this year landing on the weekend of March 17-19.
Mark Piatkowski
Mark Piatkowski is an American rally driver, performance driving coach and media personality based out of New Jersey USA. Most notably, Mark was the overall 2022 Sno*Drift Rally winner and 2021 ARA LN4 National Champion. With over 13 years of motorsport experience, Mark has cemented himself as one of the top competitors in North American rallying.
Learn more about and support Mark’s sponsors:
Follow Mark’s Italian rally journey at: www.MAP-Rally.com/n5-italy
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