Published on: 18/02/2021 Updated on: 20/02/2025
For the first time, Team Mafra is participating in the Attilio Bettega Cup.
On Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21, Marco Mattioli and his navigator Mario Pensotti will be driving the 1974 Alfa Romeo 1750GT. A new adventure through the magnificent scenery of the Dolomites.
The 2021 season of regularity races for historic cars opens for Mafra with a first: the Attilio Bettega Cup. This is a very challenging race, so much so that it has earned the nickname "Italian Monte Carlo." A course of about 350 kilometers, with 10 special stages. Competitors cross the Grappa massif, the Feltrine Pre-Alps and the Dolomites, in a scenery that in the middle of winter takes on fairy-tale contours. The snow and icy roads make this race truly challenging, even though it is a regularity trial.
Over the years, our general manager Marco Mattioli and Mario Pensotti have gained a lot of experience. They have participated in several regularity races such as the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique and the Targa Florio Classica. A passion, that for classic cars, that Marco Mattioli has cultivated for many years. First by collecting cars, then by participating in numerous regularity competitions, with the goal of continually improving. Even the cars are no longer those of the first competitions, now they are prepared to be more competitive and easy to drive.
Attilio Bettega Cup, a race for great performers
St has now passed more dthe 30th anniversary of Attilio Bettega's passing and this race wants to commemorate his exploits with a route along the roads that often saw him as a protagonist. Two very intense race days with start on Saturday, February 20, from Bassano del Grappa and finish in Fiera di Primiero (TN). It's 350 kilometers, running along roads that pass through the world's most beautiful mountains. Snow and ghiaccio provide the backdrop and the entered crews compete to the thousandth of a second in a regularity race that is as challenging as it is fascinating. Mafra takes center stage with its crew and the ever-present inflatable arches that mark the start and finish of the various special stages. In addition, all crews receive a special Mafra Welcome Kit specially made for this occasion and containing a selection of products ideal for facing the competition.
- Glass Clean& Shine, a product designed to clean and degrease car windows;
- Every Time, instant dry sanitizer suitable for every situation;
- 1 bottle of Hand Gel;
- 1 microfiber cloth Heavy Work.
In addition, at scrutineering each crew will receive 1 5-liter can of Cristalbel -20, windshield washer fluid that can withstand the freezing temperatures expected during the race.
It is the famous Ponte degli alpini in Bassano that at 1:30 p.m. frames the start of the Attilio Bettega Cup. In the first stages, the race takes place along the Grappa massif, the mountain sacred to the Fatherland. There are then numerous passes that see the passage of the cars, from theCereda Pass to the Duran Pass and the legendary Giau, anticipated by the catwalk along thestreets of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Before the arrival, the cars are engaged on the roughness of the Valles Pass, from Falcade to the Rolle Pass, in a continuous up and down and hairpin bends that test the skills of drivers and navigators. The finish is scheduled after midnight in Fiera di Primiero, while the awards ceremony is held on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 10:30 a.m. at theHotel Glamour in Bassano.
Who was Attilio Bettega
Many of you have probably never seen him race, but you have certainly heard of him. In the golden years of rallying, Attilio Bettega was a real star. His racing career began in 1972 driving a Fiat 128 Coupe, but it was in 1977 that he first made his mark by winning the A112 Trophy. Also that year, driving a Lancia Stratos, he finished second in the Valle d'Aosta Rally, preceded only by a true legend, Sandro Munari.
Thanks to these achievements, he joined the Fiat stable and later Team Lancia Martini Rally. In the 1980s he asserted himself several times at both national and international levels. Bettega won the podium four times in rallies valid for the world championship, including 2nd place at the Rally d'Italia in 1984. The following year Attilio Bettega lost his life in a frightening accident during the Tour de Corse, and the racing world mourned a great driver. Today the trophy that is run in his honor wants to remember his deeds, keeping alive the memory of a good, generous and discreet guy.
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