After an eight-year absence from cross-country rally, Nunzio Coffaro is set to make his comeback at the Rallye du Maroc. He will be the co-driver of the #421 Polaris RZR driven by Andrea Schiumarini in the SSV category, entered by TH-Trucks.
Coffaro’s last international rally was in 2016 under the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies before the current World Rally-Raid Championship. As a Toyota Motorsport driver, he secured the 2012 World Cup in the T1.2 subcategory for 4×2 cars and the T1.1 4×4 title the following year.
He started his cross-country career in 2009 after participating in off-road races like the Outback Challenge in Australia and other competitions in South America.
Coffaro’s debut at the Dakar Rally was in 2012, finishing thirty-eighth overall and as the top T1.2 entry in a Toyota Hilux with Daniel Meneses as navigator. Moving to T1.1, they improved their position to twentieth in 2013.
In 2016, Coffaro participated in the Dakar Rally, finishing thirty-first overall, followed by the Baja Russia Northern Forest and Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the World Cup. Despite the break, he is eager to resume his career and return to the Dakar.
Speaking about his passion for cross-country rallying, Coffaro stated, “I’ve been competing in off-road events for over two decades, honing my skills to compete at the highest level. The combination of adrenaline, strategy, and passion fuels my drive to continue.”
Although navigation is different from driving and he had to learn Italian to communicate with Schiumarini, Coffaro feels comfortable with the familiar teams. They have practiced with custom roadbooks to enhance communication and understanding between the driver and navigator.
Schiumarini drove a T1.2 Century CR6 at the recent Dakar Rally in January, finishing twenty-fourth in the Ultimate category.
The 2024 Rallye du Maroc is scheduled for 6-11 October.
