Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was a long distance race on public mountain roads in Sicily . It was created by the entrepreneur Vincenzo Florio , whose family owned the streets of this Madonie circuit.
The Targa Florio (Italian for shield, badge ) was held from 1906 to 1977, mostly in May as an important international event, sometimes with World Cup status ( sports car world championship ). It is even older than the Indianapolis 500 . It has been continued as a rally since 1978 .
As the Targa Florio Rally , this traditional event was held in the 2012 season as part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge .
history
The first Targa Florio started on May 6, 1906 at 6 o'clock with 10 automobiles, which went on the 148 km long circuit every 10 minutes. The winner completed the given three laps in 9 hours and 32 minutes.
Between 1925 and 1929 Bugatti dominated the race with the Type 35 and won five times. In the 1920s, the Targa Florio was the most important sports car race , as the 24 Hours of Le Mans , the Mille Miglia and the Grand Prix races were not yet established. The races on the then approximately 22 km long Stuttgart Solitude were even called the Swabian Targa Florio . The Eifel race originally took place under similar conditions as the Targa Florio.
route
The route variant of the Grande circuito delle Madonie with its original 148 km could almost be compared to a tour of the island - if such a 1000 km long Sicily tour had not actually been on the program from 1912 to 1914 and 1948 to 1950. From 1919 it was shortened to 108 km and again from 1932.
The classic round of the Piccolo circuito delle Madonie went counter-clockwise from the starting point through Cerda in the west, past the 500 meters high Caltavuturo in the south down into the valley, in which there is now a motorway, over 600 meters high mountain roads, in a hairpin Collesano in the east, down to Campofelice di Roccella , from where the cars raced along the Buonfornello straight along the sea, which was more than six kilometers longer than the Hunaudieres straight in Le Mans. This lap still had 72 km and was usually completed ten times, with the vehicles being started individually in 20-second intervals, because overtaking maneuvers are difficult on the narrow track and a start in a crowd is unthinkable.
The fastest took less than 40 minutes for the tour. In 1972, Helmut Marko set the lap record in the Alfa Romeo with 33:41 minutes or an average of 128.253 km / h. The fastest in training was Leo Kinnunen in 1970 in a Porsche 908/3 with an average of 128.571 km / h or 33:36 min. It should be noted that you have already practiced in traffic in order to be able to memorize the sequence of around 900 bends. For this purpose, racing cars were given road approval, even the Porsche 908 had a Stuttgart number plate on the rear. Ferrari even equipped Formula 1 racing cars with the "Prova" markings (but this was necessary for insurance reasons). In addition, the Zuffenhausen factory drivers were asked to watch films showing the route, which was unpopular with some pilots as it could cause nausea.
Due to the successes on this winding route, which gave the initially small-capacity car a sensational overall victory in an important World Championship race for the first time in 1956, Porsche named an open version of the 911 and 912 as "Targa" . With a sensible use of the term, which means shield , the convertible with a wide roll bar was called that. The name was adopted in analogy to the name of the racing versions of some Porsche models, which were named Carrera (Spanish for racing ) after the Carrera Panamericana .
All route variants are now partly badly deformed; the Piccolo circuito delle Madonie is officially closed in two places. Driving a complete lap is no longer possible after the construction of a motorway in the Scillato valley, as part of the former route is now a dead end.
Risks
With the Ferrari 512S of local hero Nino Vaccarella, a thoroughbred racing car with around 560 hp thundered through Cerda in 1970, in the immediate vicinity of the residents and spectators, who also gathered on the meadows and mountain slopes to watch the spectacle and cheer on their hero. Enthusiastic spectators even tried to touch the car in the serpentines. Crowds, rocks, trees and abysses lined the racetrack. Lost horse nails were a problem, or chickens on the road, and the bumpy and dusty track that could damage a racing car without an accident.
In the run-up to a Targa Florio, a call was made to lock the apartments at the edge of the route, to lock up all free-range pets and, above all, grazing animals and to supervise the children. This was also advisable in the week before the race, as unofficial practice laps were completed. An important precautionary measure for the driver was to accelerate vigorously - because a loud exhaust noise warns passers-by.
Porsche decided not to use the large Porsche 917 and launched the short, light, agile and open Porsche 908/3 .
For safety reasons, the Targa Florio was withdrawn from World Championship status in 1974 and the race was only rated as an Italian championship run. It was continued with a reduced number of laps, the interest of spectators and participants waned, some pilots even competed under pseudonyms. Second-rate drivers on fast sports prototypes on an extremely demanding and dangerous course without any safety precautions could not go well - in 1977 there was a fatal accident on the long straight and the race was stopped, and the road race was stopped.
The Targa Florio was continued as a rally from 1978 , with short special stages on the mountain roads. In the anniversary year 2006, the 90th edition was due.
The name Targa is also continued in the Targa Tasmania, a rally held in Tasmania since 1992 .
Overall winner
year | team | Overall winner | vehicle | Travel time | championship |
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1906 |
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Itala 35 / 40HP | 9: 32: 22,000 | was not part of any championship |
1907 |
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Fiat 28-40 HP | 8: 17: 36,000 | was not part of any championship |
1908 |
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Isotta Fraschini 50HP | 7: 49: 26,000 | was not part of any championship |
1909 |
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SPA 28 / 40HP Speciale | 2: 43: 19,000 | was not part of any championship |
1910 |
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Franco 35 / 50HP | 6: 20: 47,000 | was not part of any championship |
1911 |
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SCAT 22 / 32HP | 9: 32: 22,000 | was not part of any championship |
1912 |
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SCAT 25 / 35HP | 24: 37: 19,000 | was not part of any championship |
1913 |
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Nazzaro Tipo 2 4.4 | 19: 18: 40,000 | was not part of any championship |
1914 |
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SCAT 22 / 32HP | 16: 51: 31,000 | was not part of any championship |
1919 |
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Peugeot L25 | 7: 51: 01,800 | was not part of any championship |
1920 |
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Nazzaro Tipo Grand Prix | 8: 27: 23.800 | was not part of any championship |
1921 |
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Fiat S 57 / 14B | 7: 25: 05,200 | was not part of any championship |
1922 |
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Mercedes 115 PS Grand Prix racing car | 6: 50: 50,200 | was not part of any championship |
1923 |
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Alfa Romeo RLS 3.2 | 7: 18: 00,200 | was not part of any championship |
1924 |
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Mercedes Tipo Indy 2000 | 6: 23: 37,000 | was not part of any championship |
1925 |
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Bugatti Type 35 | 7: 32: 27,200 | was not part of any championship |
1926 |
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Bugatti Type 35T | 7: 20: 45,000 | was not part of any championship |
1927 |
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Bugatti Type 35C | 7: 35: 55,400 | was not part of any championship |
1928 |
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Bugatti Type 35B | 7: 50: 56,600 | was not part of any championship |
1929 |
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Bugatti Type 35C | 7: 15: 41.700 | was not part of any championship |
1930 |
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Alfa Romeo P2 | 6: 55: 16,600 | was not part of any championship |
1931 |
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Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 | 9:00: 27,000 | was not part of any championship |
1932 |
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Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 | 7: 15: 50,600 | was not part of any championship |
1933 |
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Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 | 6: 35: 03,000 | was not part of any championship |
1934 |
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Alfa Romeo B / P3 2.9 | 6: 14: 26,800 | was not part of any championship |
1935 |
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Alfa Romeo B / P3 2.9 | 5: 27: 29,000 | was not part of any championship |
1936 |
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Lancia Augusta | 2: 08: 47,200 | was not part of any championship |
1937 |
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Maserati 6CM | 2: 55: 49,000 | was not part of any championship |
1938 |
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Maserati 6CM | 1: 30: 04,600 | was not part of any championship |
1939 |
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Maserati 6CM | 1: 40: 15,400 | was not part of any championship |
1940 |
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Maserati 4CL | 1: 36: 08,600 | was not part of any championship |
1948 |
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Ferrari 166S Allemano | 12: 12: 00,000 | was not part of any championship |
1949 |
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Ferrari 166SC | 13: 15: 09,400 | was not part of any championship |
1950 |
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Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 | 12: 26: 33,000 | was not part of any championship |
1951 |
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Frazer-Nash Le Mans Replica | 7: 31: 04,800 | was not part of any championship |
1952 |
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Lancia Aurelia B20 | 7: 11: 58,000 | was not part of any championship |
1953 |
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Lancia D20 | 7: 08: 38,800 | was not part of any championship |
1954 |
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Lancia D24 | 6: 24: 18,000 | was not part of any championship |
1955 |
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Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR | 9: 43: 14,000 | Sports car world championship 1955 |
1956 |
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Porsche 550 RS 1500 | 7: 54: 52,600 | was not part of any championship |
1957 |
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Fiat 600 | 1 | was not part of any championship |
1958 |
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Ferrari 250TR / 58 | 10: 37: 58,100 | Sports car world championship 1958 |
1959 |
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Porsche 718 RSK 1500 | 11: 02: 21,800 | Sports car world championship 1959 |
1960 |
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Porsche 718 RS60 | 7: 33: 08,200 | Sports car world championship 1960 |
1961 |
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Ferrari Dino 246SP | 6: 57: 39,400 | Sports car world championship 1961 |
1962 |
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Ferrari Dino 246SP | 7: 02: 56,300 | Sports car world championship 1962 |
1963 |
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Porsche 718 GTR Coupe | 6: 55: 45,100 | Sports car world championship 1963 |
1964 |
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Porsche 904 GTS | 7: 10: 53,300 | Sports car world championship 1964 |
1965 |
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Ferrari 275P2 | 7: 01: 12,400 | Sports car world championship 1965 |
1966 |
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Porsche 906 Carrera 6 | 7: 16: 32,600 | Sports car world championship 1966 |
1967 |
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Porsche 910/8 | 6: 37: 01,000 | Sports car world championship 1967 |
1968 |
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Porsche 907 | 6: 28: 47,900 | Sports car world championship 1968 |
1969 |
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Porsche 908/02 | 6: 07: 45,300 | Sports car world championship 1969 |
1970 |
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Porsche 908/03 | 6: 35: 30,000 | Sports car world championship 1970 |
1971 |
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Alfa Romeo T33 / 3 | 6: 35: 46,200 | Sports car world championship 1971 |
1972 |
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Ferrari 312PB | 6: 27: 48.011 | Sports car world championship 1972 |
1973 |
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Porsche Carrera RSR | 6: 54: 20,111 | Sports car world championship 1973 |
1974 |
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Lancia Stratos HF | 4: 35: 02,600 | Challenge Mondial Italian Sports Car Championship |
1975 |
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Alfa Romeo 33TT12 | 4: 59: 16.700 | Italian Group 5 Championship |
1976 |
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Osella PA4 | Italian Group 6 Championship | |
1977 |
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Chevron B36 | Italian Group 6 Championship |
1 competition run with index coefficient
Others
For many drivers, the trip to Sicily also offered the opportunity to buy new driver's shoes, which were then handcrafted by a traditional shoemaker . The extinction of the shoemaker's trade and increased safety requirements, which only allowed comfortable suede with a lining with Nomex ( homologation ), led to the fact that the custom died out.
literature
- Giuseppe Valenza: Targa Florio Il Mito , Legenda Editore, Milan 2007 and Nigensha Publishing, Tokyo 2009.
Web links
- "Collesano"
- Website "Album di ricordi" (English)
- Results ( Memento from May 25, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- Lots of photos (Italian) ( Adobe Flash required)
- Targa Florio 1906/1977
- Article at classicdriver.de
- http://www.targapedia.com/
Individual evidence
- ↑ Glowing Landscapes . Mirror online. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ↑ On the trail of the Targa Florio . Blog AutoNatives.de. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- ↑ http://www.targaflorio.info/61.htm
Coordinates: 37 ° 56 ′ 52 ″ N , 13 ° 47 ′ 10 ″ E