Targa Florio 1972
The 56th Targa Florio , also Targa Florio, Piccolo Circuito delle Madonie, Sicilia , took place in Sicily on May 21, 1972 and was the seventh round of the sports car world championship of that year.
Before the race
After the incidents at the Targa Florio in 1971 , criticism of the Sicilian racing event rose. Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the track became increasingly undisciplined. Enthusiastic people tried to touch the car in serpentine curves. Crowds, rocks, trees and abysses lined the racetrack. Lost horse nails were a problem, chickens were not infrequent on the road and two ignorant locals drove their vehicles onto the track in 1971 despite barriers during training. Serious accidents could only be prevented by luck.
During the race, Brian Redman had a serious fire accident in the Porsche 908/03 in which he suffered second and third degree burns. The accident of Fulvio Tandoi from Trieste ended fatally. He hit a tree with his Alpine A110 and died at the scene of the accident. The media raised the mood against the race. In FISA , which was responsible for organizing the races of the World Sports Car Championship, it was primarily the Formula 1 drivers organized in the Grand Prix Drivers' Association that created the mood against the race.
Despite all the opposition, the Targa took place again in 1972 as a world championship run.
The race
After 16 participations in a row, Porsche was not represented at the Targa with works cars for the first time since 1959 . So far, Ferrari had dominated this year's world championship races with the 312PB racing car model . All of the races up to the Targa were won by the Scuderia works cars and works drivers. The Scuderia only brought one vehicle to Sicily, which was driven by Arturo Merzario and Sandro Munari . Munari, who competed for Lancia in the World Rally Championship, was signed for one race after a request from Enzo Ferrari . After a few test laps with the prototype in Fiorano, Munari got to know the racetrack on four days of training with a Ferrari Dino 246 . With Munari, Cesare Fiorio came to the Scuderia for this one race ; he replaced Peter Schetty as race director.
At Ferrari's suggestion, radio was used between the box and the driver for the first time. The driver could not speak, but received instructions via radio signal from the box. After Carlo Chiti also used this technology at Alfa Romeo , the 1972 Targa Florio was the first race in motorsport history to use this technology.
In contrast to Ferrari, Alfa Romeo reported four vehicles. The Alfa Romeo T33 / TT / 3 were driven by Nanni Galli , Andrea de Adamich , Toine Hezemans , Nino Vaccarella , Rolf Stommelen , Gijs van Lennep , Helmut Marko and Vic Elford . Marko and Elford had competed for Porsche in recent years. Elford won the race in 1968 together with Umberto Maglioli in a works Porsche 907 .
Before the start, Fiorio decided that Merzario should drive the first three laps and then take turns with Munari at the wheel every other lap. Merzario took the lead and built it up to 40 seconds ahead of Vaccarella by lap three. When Munari took over the car, two Alfa Romeos had already failed. On the fourth lap, Munari collided with a Lancia Fulvia and lost a lot of time. This enabled Marko to take the lead. A race-long duel between the Ferrari and the Alfa Romeo of Galli and Marko followed, which was almost decided in favor of Alfa Romeo by a pit problem at the Scuderia. After a pit stop, the hot 12-cylinder Ferrari engine did not start for two minutes, but there were also delays at the Alfa stops, so that Merzario and Munari were able to save a lead of 16 seconds at the finish.
Results
Final ranking
Item | class | No. | team | driver | vehicle | Round | ||
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1 | S 3.0 | 3 |
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Ferrari 312PB | 11 | ||
2 | S 3.0 | 5 |
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Alfa Romeo T33 / TT / 3 | 11 | ||
3 | S 3.0 | 4th |
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Alfa Romeo T33 / TT / 3 | 11 | ||
4th | S 2.0 | 8th |
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Lola T290 | 10 | ||
5 | GT 2.0 | 38 |
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Porsche 911S | 10 | ||
6th | GT + 2.0 | 25th |
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Porsche 911S | 9 | ||
7th | S 2.0 | 7th |
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Abarth-Osella 2000 | 9 | ||
8th | S 1.3 | 56 |
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Lola T212 | 9 | ||
9 | GT 2.0 | 35 |
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Porsche 914/6 | 9 | ||
10 | GT + 2.0 | 23 |
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Porsche 911S | 9 | ||
11 | S 1.0 | 11 |
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AMS SP | 9 | ||
12 | GT 1.6 | 85 |
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Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA | 9 | ||
13 | GT 2.0 | 47 |
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Porsche 911 | 9 | ||
14th | GT 2.0 | 42 |
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Porsche 911 | 9 | ||
15th | GT 2.0 | 45 |
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Porsche 911 | 9 | ||
16 | S 1.3 | 54 |
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Chevron B19 | 9 | ||
17th | GT + 2.0 | 32 |
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Porsche 911S | 9 | ||
18th | GT 1.6 | 77 |
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Alpine A110 | 9 | ||
19th | GT 1.6 | 88 |
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Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA | 9 | ||
20th | GT 2.0 | 44 |
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Porsche 911 | 8th | ||
21st | GT + 2.0 | 29 |
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Porsche 911S | 8th | ||
22nd | GT 1.6 | 76 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA | 8th | ||
23 | GT 1.3 | 99 |
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Lancia Fulvia HF | 8th | ||
24 | GT 1.3 | 92 |
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Alpine A110 | 8th | ||
25th | S 1.6 | 48 |
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Tondelli BT | 8th | ||
26th | GT 1.3 | 94 |
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Alpine A110 | 8th | ||
27 | GT 1.6 | 94 |
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Alpine A110 | 8th | ||
28 | S 1.3 | 58 |
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Lancia Fulvia Sport Competizione | 8th | ||
29 | GT 1.6 | 89 |
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Lancia Fulvia HF | 8th | ||
30th | S 1.0 | 63 |
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AMS SP | 8th | ||
31 | GT 1.3 | 96 |
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Alpine A110 | 8th | ||
32 | GT 1.3 | 93 |
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Alpine A110 | 8th | ||
33 | GT 1.6 | 83 |
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Lancia Fulvia HF | 8th | ||
34 | S 1.6 | 50 |
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Lancia Fulvia T&S | 8th | ||
35 | GT 1.6 | 78 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA | 7th | ||
36 | GT 1.3 | 101 |
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Simca 1300 | 7th | ||
37 | GT 1.3 | 100 |
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Alpine A110 | 7th | ||
38 | GT 1.3 | 102 |
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Alpine A110 | 7th | ||
Disqualified | ||||||||
39 | GT 2.0 | 40 |
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Porsche 911 | 9 | ||
Failed | ||||||||
40 | S 2.0 | 14th |
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Chevron B21 | 6th | ||
41 | GT 2.0 | 41 |
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Porsche 911 | 6th | ||
42 | S 1.3 | 57 |
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Giliberti A112 | 6th | ||
42 | S 1.0 | 72 |
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OMS | 6th | ||
43 | S 2.0 | 11 |
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Abarth 2000 | 5 | ||
44 | S 1.0 | 66 |
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AMS SP | 5 | ||
45 | GT 1.6 | 74 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA | 5 | ||
46 | GT 2.0 | 43 |
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Opel GT | 4th | ||
47 | GT 2.0 | 46 |
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Porsche 911 | 4th | ||
48 | S 1.6 | 49 |
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Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ | 4th | ||
49 | GT 1.6 | 80 |
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Lancia Fulvia HF | 4th | ||
50 | GT 1.6 | 90 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA | 4th | ||
51 | S 3.0 | 1 |
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Alfa Romeo T33 / TT / 3 | 3 | ||
52 | S 2.0 | 6th |
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Abarth-Osella 2000 | 3 | ||
53 | S 2.0 | 21st |
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Abarth 2000S | 3 | ||
54 | GT + 2.0 | 31 |
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Porsche 911S | 3 | ||
55 | S 1.0 | 70 |
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Fiat-Abarth 1000S | 3 | ||
56 | GT 1.3 | 97 |
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Lancia Fulvia Sport | 3 | ||
57 | S 2.0 | 9 |
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Lola T290 | 2 | ||
58 | S 2.0 | 12 |
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Abarth 2000 | 2 | ||
59 | GT + 2.0 | 22nd |
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Porsche 911S | 2 | ||
60 | GT + 2.0 | 28 |
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Porsche 911S | 2 | ||
61 | GT 2.0 | 33 |
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Opel GT | 2 | ||
62 | S 1.3 | 59 |
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Matra Djet 5S | 2 | ||
63 | S 1.0 | 64 |
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AMS SP | 2 | ||
64 | GT 1.6 | 81 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA | 2 | ||
65 | GT 1.3 | 98 |
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Lancia Fulvia HF | 2 | ||
65 | S 2.0 | 10 |
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Chevron B21 | 1 | ||
66 | GT 2.0 | 36 |
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Porsche 911S | 1 | ||
67 | S 1.0 | 62 |
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Raymond | 1 | ||
68 | S 1.0 | 71 |
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Fiat-Abarth 1000S | 1 | ||
69 | GT 1.6 | 75 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA | 1 | ||
70 | GT 1.6 | 82 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA | 1 | ||
71 | S 3.0 | 2 |
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Alfa Romeo T33 / TT / 3 | 1 | ||
72 | S 2.0 | 15th |
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Daren Mk.3 | 1 | ||
73 | GT + 2.0 | 27 |
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Porsche 911S | 1 | ||
74 | GT 2.0 | 39 |
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Fiat 124 Spider | 1 | ||
Not started | ||||||||
75 | GT + 2.0 | 26th |
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Porsche 911S | 1 | ||
76 | GT + 2.0 | 30th |
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Porsche 911S | 2 | ||
77 | GT 2.0 | 34 |
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Porsche 911S | 3 | ||
78 | S 1.6 | 51 |
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Morris Mini Cooper | 4th | ||
79 | S 1.6 | 52 |
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Ginetta G4 | 5 | ||
80 | S 1.3 | 55 |
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Giliberti A112 | 6th | ||
81 | S 1.0 | 65 |
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OMS | 7th | ||
82 | S 1.0 | 69 |
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Fiat-Abarth 1000S | 8th | ||
83 | GT 1.3 | 95 |
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Alpine A110 | 9 | ||
84 | S 3.0 | 1T |
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Alfa Romeo T33 / TT / 3 | 10 | ||
85 | S 3.0 | 3T |
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Ferrari 312PB | 11 | ||
86 | GT + 2.0 | 23T |
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Porsche 911S | 12 |
1 Vehicle withdrawn 2 not started 3 not started 4 not started 5 Toothed belt damage during training 6 not started 7 not started 8 accident during training 9 not started 10 training car 11 training car 12 training car
Only in the entry list
Here you will find teams, drivers and vehicles that were originally registered for the race but did not take part for a variety of reasons.
Item | class | No. | team | driver | chassis |
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87 | S 2.0 | 16 |
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Chevron B19 |
88 | S 2.0 | 18th |
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Lola T290 |
89 | S 2.0 | 19th |
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Porsche 910 |
90 | S 2.0 | 20th |
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Ferrari Dino 206S |
91 | GT + 2.0 | 24 |
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Porsche 911S |
92 | GT 2.0 | 37 |
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Porsche 911 |
93 | S 1.3 | 53 |
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AMS 1300 |
94 | S 1.0 | 61 |
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AMS SP |
95 | S 1.0 | 67 |
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Bandini |
96 | S 1.0 | 68 |
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Fiat-Abarth 1000S |
97 | S 1.0 | 73 |
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ATS 1600SP |
98 | GT 1.6 | 84 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA |
99 | GT 1.6 | 86 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA |
100 | GT 1.6 | 87 |
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Alfa Romeo GTA |
101 | GT 1.3 | 91 |
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Lancia Fulvia Sport |
Class winner
Racing data
- Reported: 101
- Started: 74
- Rated: 38
- Race classes: 9
- Spectators: 400,000
- Race day weather: warm and dry
- Route length: 72,000 km
- Driving time of the winning team: 6: 27: 48,000 hours
- Overall rounds of the winning team: 11
- Total distance of the winning team: 792,000 km
- Winner's average: 122.537 km / h
- Pole position: Arturo Merzario - Ferrari 312PB (# 3) - 33.59.700 = 127.078 km / h
- Fastest race lap: Helmut Marko - Alfa Romeo T33 / TT / 3 (# 5) - 33.41.000 = 128.253 km / h
- Racing series: 7th round of the 1972 World Sports Car Championship
literature
- Peter Higham: The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. A complete Reference from Formula 1 to Touring Car. Guinness Publishing Ltd., London 1995, ISBN 0-85112-642-1 .
- Pino Fondi: Targa Florio - 20th Century Epic. Giorgio Nada Editore Vimodrone 2006, ISBN 88-7911-270-8 .
Web links
Individual evidence
Previous race 1000 km from Spa-Francorchamps 1972 |
Sports car world championship |
Successor 1000 km race on the Nürburgring in 1972 |