The new Italian Rally Championship 2004 starts at Volterra, in Pisa's province on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th. The Championship proposes the Fiat brand to defend the titles won in the past season, the Manufacturers and the Drivers' one by Paolo Andreucci. The last season ended with the astonished performance of the Fiat Punto Abarth, which brought his top drivers Paolo Andreucci and Giandomenico Basso to the highest standings of the final classification and let Fiat to conquer the Manufacturers Championship.

At the startline of the Tuscan event there are seven Fiat Punto Abarth - who is literally the car to challenge - driven by the Andreucci, Basso, Stefano Bizzarri at his first experience with the Fiat car, the youngsters Alessandro Bettega and Matteo Gamba - already starring young talents in 2003 - the Welsh guy Leon Pesticcio at his first time in the Italian series and Luca Hoelbling.

The Punto Abarth drivers, apart Andreucci and Basso, winners of the last two editions of the Fiat works trophy, will take part to the Trofeo Fiat Abarth 2004. The Punto is not the only Fiat car engaged in this event and in the upcoming Italian Championship. This year is even the third edition of the Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth, real school for young drivers who really want to emerge in the rallying world. There are fifteen crews registered with a Stilo Abarth leaving the start of the Rally Tutta Terra Toscana. The Stilo Abarth Rally take part to the Italian Rally Championship, like the Trofeo Punto, but with a shorter programme of eight rounds.

The programme of Rally Tutta Terra Toscana makes provision for two legs with 14 special stages entirely run on gravel, for a total amount of 161 timed kms. The start of first leg has been on February 27th at 15.30, with the arrival at Volterra at 20.10, after four stages. Second leg is going to start and arrive at Volterra from 7.30 to 18.50. After the Tutta Terra Toscana, the Italian Championship goes on with Rally of Ciocco (March 18-20th), Mille Miglia (April 1-3rd), Costa Smeralda (May 6-8th), San Marino (May 27-29th), Salento (June 17-19th), San Martino di Castrozza (July 8-10th), Alpi Orientali (August 27-29th), Adriatic (September 10-12th), Sanremo (October 8-9th), and Targa Florio (November 18-20th).