Massimo “Miki” Biasion

INTRODUCTION

Massimo Biasion (nicknamed “Miki”) is an Italian rally driver. His racing career began in 1979 driving a Opel Kadett GTE. In October of 1980, he made his debut in the World Rally Championship (WRC) driving the Opel Ascona. In 1983, he won the European Rally Championship (ERC) in a Group B Lancia Rallye 037. After the cancellation of the category, Biasion would go on to dominate WRC Group A rallying – winning two consecutive drivers championships (1988-89).


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PERSONAL SUMMARY

Personal information
Nationality Italy Italian
Born January 7th, 1958
Bassano del Grappa
World Rally Championship record
Active years 1980~1994
Teams Lancia, Ford
Rallies 78
Championships 2 (1988, 1989)
Rally wins 17
Podiums 40
Stage wins 373
Total points 768
First rally 1980 Rallye Sanremo
First win 1986 Rally Argentina
Last win 1993 Acropolis Rally
Last rally 1994 RAC Rally

RALLY BIOGRAPHY

EARLY CAREER

Massimo Biasion’s motorsports career began in 1974 with motocross competitions. In 1979, at age 21, he began to compete in rallying with an Opel Kadett GTE, accompanied by his friend Tizian Siviero. He made his debut in the Rally of Modena in Italy where he finished 38th.

In 1980, Biasion drove an Opel Ascona SR in the Italian Rally Championship, winning its category. He also participated in three races of the European Rally Championship (ERC); the Rally Targa Florio (5th place), Rally Elba (4th place) and the Rally San Marino (9th place). In October, he made his debut in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in the Sanremo Rally, but he withdrew from the 8th special stage due to differential failure.

In 1981, at the wheel of the Opel Ascona 400, Biasion participated in both the Italian and European Rally Championships. Among other venues, Miki took fourth place in the Rally 4 Regioni and Rally San Marino. In October, for the second time in his WRC career, he went in the Rally of Sanremo where he took 6th place and thus scoring his first points in the WRC.

In 1982, Massimo won the Italian Rally Championship in Group 4. He also competed in four ERC events; third in the Rally Targa Florio 4 Regioni, first in the Rally Internazionale della Lana, and the second in the Rally of San Marino. In October, he went back to the WRC Sanremo Rally where he took 8th place.

1983-1985: JOLLY CLUB

In 1983, Biasion became a member of the Jolly Club privateer team, driving a Group B Lancia Rallye 037. The season began with multiple victories in the ERC; Rally Costa Brava, Rally Sol, Costa Smeralda, and the Rally 4 Regioni. However, in the Rally Internazionale della Lana he finished 2nd. He won subsequent rallies such as the Ypres Rally and Rally Madeira San Marino. A third place in the Rally of Aosta sealed his claim to the ERC driver’s championship and the Italy Rally Championship. In October of 1983, he took part in the WRC at the Sanremo Rally where he took 5th place.

(C) eWRC-results.com / Biasion 1984 Acropolis

In 1984, Biasion competed exclusively at the top echelon of the WRC. In January’s Monte Carlo Rally he took 6th place. In March, he was in the fourth in Portugal. In May, at the Tour de Corse, Biasion got his first WRC podium with a 2nd place finish. In his fifth and final start of the season at the Sanremo Rally, Biasion achieved third place behind Ari Vatanen and Attilio Bettega. Miki finished the season with a decent 6th place in the WRC driver’s championship – quite a feat as part of a privateer team.

(C) eWRC-results.com / Biasion 1985 Sanremo

Biasion’s 1985 season began with the Rally Monte Carlo with 9th place. In February, he returned to the ERC and took part in the Rally Costa Brava. In March, he took part in the Rally of Portugal and clinched 2nd position. In the second half of March, he won the second rally of the ERC, the Rally Costa Blanca. In May, Biasion took 2nd position in the Rally of Elba. In August, he won his third ERC victory at the Rally of Chalkidiki. He started again in the Rally of Sanremo with a respectable 6th place. At the end of the season, Miki finished 12th in the WRC and 6th in the ERC.

1986: LANCIA

(C) eWRC-results.com / Biasion 1986 Monte Carlo

In 1986, Biasion became a member of the Lancia Martini works team, driving their new Delta S4. His debut with the team was in the Monte Carlo Rally, resulting in an accident but managing to limp the car to a 68th place. He retired from his next rallies; the Rally of Portugal, and the Safari Rally. In May, at the Tour de Corse event, Biasion’s Lancia teammate Henri Toivonen had a fatal accident along with co-pilot Sergio Cresto. The Lancia team management decided to withdraw its remaining drivers from the rally; Miki Biasion and Markku Alén.

(C) eWRC-results.com / Biasion 1986 Sanremo

Massimo’s first points of the 1986 season came in at the Acropolis Rally where he took 2nd place. In July, he stood on the podium again by finishing 3rd in the Rally of New Zealand. In August, Biasion got his first WRC victory in Argentina. In October, he took third place in the Rally Sanremo. However, that there was a dispute between the Peugeot team and the rally’s stewards whom disqualified them because of irregular side skirts. However, 11 days after the end of the Olympus Rally, the last of the season, the FISA decided to annul the results of the Sanremo Rally. For the last year of Group B, Biasion scored 47 points and took 5th place overall.

(C) eWRC-results.com / Biasion 1989 Acropolis

Miki Biasion would subsequently have a very successful rally career under the Group A replacement formula – winning two successive WRC driver championships in 1988 and 1989 with the Lancia team. He would switch to Ford in 1992 which would eventually leave him in a souring disposition, ultimately quitting the WRC after the 1994 season.

Miki has since appeared in many historic rally events across Europe but mainly in his home country of Italy, also driving course opening cars at local events.

SOURCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miki_Biasion + http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massimo_Biasion

(possibly spell-checked, translated, and/or edited; abridged, corrected, and/or expanded)


GROUP B RESULTS (WRC)

(# = finish position / R = retired or DNF / = did not compete)

Y TEAM EVENT PTS
Monaco
MC
Sweden
SE
Portugal
PT
Kenya
KE
France
FR
Greece
GR
New Zealand
NZ
Brazil
BR
Finland
FI
Italy
IT
Ivory Coast
CI
United Kingdom
GB
82 CSC 8 3
Y Team Event pts
Monaco
MC
Sweden
SE
Portugal
PT
Kenya
KE
France
FR
Greece
GR
New Zealand
NZ
Argentina
AR
Finland
FI
Italy
IT
Ivory Coast
CI
United Kingdom
GB
83 JollyC 5 8
84 JollyC 6 4 2 R 3 43
85 JollyC 9 2 R 6 23
86 Lancia 68 R R R 2 3 1 3 United States
US-
86 pts 47

WRC VICTORIES

 # Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Argentina Rally Argentina 1986 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta S4
2 Monaco Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1987 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF 4WD
3 Argentina Rally Argentina 1987 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF 4WD
4 Italy Rallye Sanremo 1987 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF 4WD
5 Portugal Rallye de Portugal Vinho do Porto 1988 Carlo Cassina Lancia Delta Integrale
6 Kenya Safari Rally 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
7 Greece Acropolis Rally 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
8 United States Olympus Rally 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
9 Italy Rallye Sanremo – Rallye d’Italia 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
10 Monaco Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
11 Portugal Rallye de Portugal Vinho do Porto 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
12 Kenya Safari Rally 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
13 Greece Acropolis Rally 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
14 Italy Rallye Sanremo – Rallye d’Italia 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
15 Portugal Rally de Portugal Vinho do Porto 1990 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
16 Argentina Rally Argentina 1990 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
17 Greece Acropolis Rally 1993 Tiziano Siviero Ford Escort RS Cosworth

ERC VICTORIES

No. Rally Season CO-DRIVER Car
1 Italy Rally Internazionale della Lana 1982 Roberto Dalpozzo Opel Ascona 400
2 Spain Costa Brava rally 1983 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
3 Spain Rally Sol 1983 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
4 Italy Costa Smeralda Rally 1983 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
5 Italy Rally 4 Regioni 1983 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
6 Belgium Rally Ypres 1983 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
7 Portugal Rally Madeira 1983 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
8 San Marino Rally San Marino 1983 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
9 Spain Costa Brava rally 1985 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
10 Spain Costa Blanca rally 1985 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037
11 Greece Rally of Chalkidiki 1985 Tiziano Siviero Lancia 037

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Awards and Achievements
Preceded by
Markku Alén
Autosport
International Rally Driver Award

1989
Succeeded by
Carlos Sainz
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Antonio Fassina
European Rally Champion
1983
Succeeded by
Carlo Capone
Preceded by
Juha Kankkunen
World Rally Champion
1988–1989
Succeeded by
Carlos Sainz
Preceded by
Walter Röhrl
Race of Champions
Classic Master

1998
Succeeded by
Not held

GALLERY

Kankkunen (left) / Alén (middle) / Biasion (right)

(C) eWRC-results.com / Biasion 1989 Sanremo
(C) eWRC-results.com / Biasion 1989 Acropolis


VIDEOS


REFERENCES

(C) Page by Jay Auger – website owner & author


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