After an aborted late summer start, the inaugural Mille Miglia North America Tribute finally put rubber to the road from October 25–28, 2011 with fewer cars than originally envisioned but enthusiastic participation from those present. While the car count may have been small, the event’s quality was bolstered by a pair of Ferraris (1956 500 Mondial and 1957 500 Testa rossa) boasting period competition on La Corsa piú Bella del Mondo and an exquisite 1935 Delahaye 135 MS.
Featuring a controversial trek through San Francisco to cross the Golden Gate Bridge on the way to Stinson Beach, the route also carved along the winding roads of the Pacific Coast, journeyed across the mountains east of the Santa Ynez Valley and the rich forest north of Santa Cruz. According to Jeremy Cable of event organizer Stratus Media Group, Inc., the course was selected to trace the heritage of California just as its namesake runs through storied Italian cities and towns.
The 1,000-mile path included forays through Monterey, Paso Robles, Carmel, Big Sur and San Luis Obispo that allowed the participants to be feted with haute cuisine and fine wines. Food and drink, however, took a back seat to spirited driving, with the lolling normally associated with “retrospective rallies” replaced by a furious pace that harkened back to the event’s Italian roots.
Despite a roster that included Le Mans veteran and presenter Alain de Cadenet, Giordano Mozzi, overall winner of the 2011 Mille Miglia Tribute and 19-time Mille Miglia veteran Sylvia Oberti, the driver capturing the most attention was John Nikas and his well-worn 1953 Austin-Healey 100.
Cable reported with chagrin that Nikas was first to finish all seven stages ahead of his ostensibly faster competition and was unanimously awarded the Participant’s Choice Trophy. What made the victory even more surprising is that car and driver were fresh from their 7,000-mile trip across America as part of their effort to Drive Away Cancer. Even better, Nikas was also selected by drawing to participate in the 2012 Mille Miglia in Italy with expenses and travel costs paid by Stratus, which hopefully anticipates that the Mille Miglia North America Tribute will continue to grow and attract competitors from around the world, eager to sample the finest roads that America can offer.
