Background
Sergio Cresto was born in New York on 19 January 1956.
Sergio Cresto was born in New York on 19 January 1956.
He was also a former co-driver for fellow Lancia employee Attilio Bettega, who died in an accident during the 1985 Tour de Corse on May 2, 1985. His co-driver Maurizio Perissinot survived the crash uninjured. This event happened one year before the accident that claimed the lives of both Sergio Cresto and his driver by then Henri Toivonen on May 2, 1986.
As an Italian American, Cresto lived in Ospedaletti, near Sanremo.
He began racing in an Opel Kadett with Gerbino. In 1979, Cresto was Tonino Tognana’s co-driver in an Opel Kadett as well as in the more powerful Fiat 131 Abarth two years later.
In 1981, Cresto and Tognana came in 8th in the Italian Championship. In 1982, Cresto was co-driver with another “top driver", Gianfranco Cunico, in a Fiat Ritmo 130, getting good results.
The following year, Cresto again changed drivers and ended the season placing three times at the Italian national level: 6th with Cinotto after the 3rd-place finishes at Targa Florio and again at Quattro Regioni in a Lancia 037) 10th with Zanussi (after finishing 2nd at the San Marino Rally in a Lancia 037).
With Zanussi, Cresto came in 3rd at Halkidikis as well that year, a European Championship qualifying race. He competed again in the same race the following year with Carlo Capone in a Lancia 037 Tre Gazzelle. After Perissinot’s accident, Cresto was Bettega’s co-driver for two races qualifying for the World Championship.
In 1985, he raced again with Zanussi for Lancia.
In 1986 Cresto was Henri Toivonen"s co-driver in a Lancia Delta S4. lieutenant all came to an end however at the Tour de Corse where they both died as a result of the crash during the eighteenth stage of the rally.
Their accident meant that the quick Group B cars were banned after the 1986 season.