By 1983, Lancia was questioning their racing commitment and were not willing to match the resources Audi spent on Roland Gumpert’s team, who were consequently considered the clear favorites. Lancia was not even producing a four-wheel drive car. However, the model Fiorio settled on was considerably lighter, which would be a clear advantage during some races, but not others. He was also determined to recruit Walter Rohrl, who was considered far and away the best rally driver not already signed to a team.
Rohrl is rather cagey, eventually agreeing to drive some races, but not others. Fiorio makes that deal, assuming Rohrl will change his mind to pursue the top driver honors of the season. Yet, he makes it clear he meant exactly what he said. Repeatedly, Rohrl pointedly tells Fiorio: “just losers only care about winners.” Easily, this is the best written line of the film.
Indeed, Rohrl’s approach to his sport is indeed the most interesting aspect of Race for Glory. The rest is pretty standard scrappy underdog stuff. Watching Fiorio out-fox the Audi team is reasonably entertaining thanks to Riccardo Scamarcio (the Italian gangster John Wick killed in The Continental), the star, co-writer, and co-producer, who ardently projects the Lancia captain’s passion for racing.
There is plenty of fast-driving in Race for Glory, but Scamarcio and co-writers Mordini, and Filippo Bologna do a nice job differentiating the various races (some of which Team Lancia will have little to no chance in). It is a slickly produced racing movie, but it is unlikely to win a legion of new American fans for rallying. Racing for Glory is definitely an outlier amid Thomas’s classy and idiosyncratic filmography, but if you want to watch some fast cars, it has an ample supply. Diverting but not recommended with any great urgency, Race to Glory releases this Friday (1/5).
