Circuito Del Garda Quindici Volte Via!
By Giancarlo Cavallini
This is the fascinating story of a small, obscure racetrack in the Italian Lakes region near Salo. The track offered most everything one could want – changing elevations, tight winding turns, a long sweeping straight and a fast section running along the water’s edge. The track only ran 15 races between 1921 and 1966, including an 11-year gap from 1950 to 1961 of disuse.
However, in those 15 races, some of the greatest names in motorsport put in performances at Garda – men like Moss, Ascari, Farina, and Nuvolari. In later years, drivers like Jo Siffert and Jonathan Williams also made their mark running in Formula Junior or F2 machinery. In fact, a young Jo Siffert, driving a Lotus FJr., set a new lap record that broke the previous record set by Ascari in a Ferrari! Speaking of which, if you’re a Formula Junior enthusiast, you will love this book. Unfortunately, there is very little in print on FJr.’s and even less on Italian Juniors. Names like Taraschi, Stanguellini, Cisitalias, Osca, and Moretti can all be found in this fine book.
In addition to the history of the circuit, author Giancarlo Cavallini devotes a great deal of print to the drivers and their thoughts and feelings about Garda. These insights from the people who raced there, combined with the atmosphere of winding streets lined with waving people, olive groves, vineyards, palm trees, and classic Italian architecture, all contribute to a romantic, highly emotional racing atmosphere.
The book is written in both Italian and English, with plenty of on-track photos capturing the action. So pour yourself a glass of wine and settle down in a comfortable chair to enjoy a look back into racing history in this picturesque little part of the world. Published by: Fondazione Negri.
Available by e-mail at [email protected] or tel: 0039 030 42020 Cost: L65,000 ($63.00 US or 33.56 Euros).
