The 2001 Mille Miglia (1000 Miles)
Rarely do I have the chance to be in the presence of 10 or 20 historically significant autos in a day, but at the 2001 Mille Miglia (MM) there were about 300 significant autos. Each of the cars entered in the MM has to be an example of a car that has previously raced the MM or an actual car that raced in the MM. Each of these cars is an exceptional example of automobilia in its day. The MM ran from 1927 to 1957 as an all out race from Brescia in the North of Italy down to Rome in central Italy and back up to Brescia again the total route equaling 1000 miles, hence the name (Mille = 1000 in Italian). The 3 stage event with it's super long straights, tight mountain pass climbs and descents, rain, snow, blistering heat, and city street racing combined all that was challenging to man and machine. The complete history and info on the race can be found at their wonderful website www.millemiglia.it .
I've been racing competitively since the mid-eighties and am a bit of a racing freak, having visited F1, CART, NASCAR, SCCA, IMSA, TRANS-AM events whenever I had time. So, when my lifelong friend Bill Noon an avid historic racer, car collector and dealer asked me to join him in this year's MM I didn't hesitate.
The car we would compete with was a 1957 Abarth Zagato Double Bubble 750, a classic. This car is of aluminum construction with two noticeable bumps on the roof to fit drivers with helmet on at the wheel. The car has a 750cc engine in the rear. It has a good amount of power for such a small engine and considering that it had to carry over 500 lbs of drivers and gear! It was amazing that the car made it actually, but there were many other cars that did not.
The car we drove, was built to race in the US in the 12 hours of Sebring. It has a 9,000 rmp tachometer that is a clue to its racing intentions.
When we retrieved the car Soragna, Italy about 45 minutes from Brescia this is where we would stay Tuesday and Wednesday night, till registration Thursday morning and the start of the race Thursday evening. We had to do several things to get the car ready for our racing including adding an accurate odometer, moving the seat to accommodate me and organize the car to carry our luggage for the 3-day journey. To complete the repairs we visited the Alessandro Fenini at the ALLKART factory in Piacenza. I've raced ALLKART kart chassis for over 5 years and have gotten to know Alessandro having met him several times in the US an Italy.
He let us use his factory's shop to make the changes and repairs we needed then we were under way and back to Soragna for a few hours of sleep. At 7am we were up and on our way to tech inspection and check-in in Breschia.
Tech inspection and check-in is where the magnitude of the MM finally sank in. There were thousands of people in a large piazza in Brescia to look at the cars and talk with the racers - quite a large and international crowd for a Thursday morning as well. We pushed our car through the winding streets surrounding the piazza to the square where registration was till we got to the rows of officials in tents. The piazza was teaming with activity. Cars, racers, crew, race officials, police and onlookers made up the crowd and there we finalized our entry.
The MM today is a posh event. We had dinner in the paddock, prior to the star of the race. It was quite a spread, very Italian, very appetizing. Present were all the racers and crews. Some of the well-organized (most all) racers have support crews that follow them with their luggage, spare parts and tools. We weren't too concerned because the engine and parts in our car are very common in Italy, and we carried the tools we needed. But clearly, having mechanics, parts and supplies close behind on the course is the way to go. At the dinner, there was a celebrity or two in the mix as well.
During dinner is when the rain started. And did it rain! Our immediate concerns were the defroster and the wiper. The car is very cramped, as most racing cars are, and the wipers are vintage 1957. If anyone of you have owned a 60's VW Beatle, you can imagine my concern.
Breschia - Ferrara
The first stage takes place in total darkness on Thursday. The Night Start 8:00pm. the rain was heavy, pounding even. We had a wonderful meal at the start of the race for all the racers and their support crews. At the start, I was so happy to be in a 57 Fiat with a roof. It is not often that guys with a multi-million dollar Maserati, Ferrari, and Jaguar open top racers envy you but this rain did it. We blasted out of Brescia, and despite the rain there were a surprising amount of people at the start. I have heard that it is usually thousands, but this year because of the massive downpour, it probably was more like hundreds.
Our car echoed through the narrow streets slipping and sliding on the cobblestones through the cities squares and alleys. We drove for quite a while leaving the city limits onto major roads that would take us to Bussoloengo, Verona, Ostiglia and eventually Ferrara. In each of these cities there was a large crowd of spectators, the rain let up as we left Brescia, with an elaborate, banner filled podium where we crossed over the checkpoint. As some of these checkpoints we received T-shirts, Olive oil, Bread, cheese, tour books, wine (to drink!), and other interesting cultural surprises.
We stayed the night in a hotel set up by the organizers of the event in Ferrara. During check-in we were given a coupon book that served as our credentials for the hotels along the way. It also served as our meal tickets and entry to the Awards Banquet on Sunday, after the event.
Ferrara - RomeMorning start 8:30 am. This was the most beautiful of the 3 stages. Which took us through Ravenna, Gambettola, San Marino, Marcatino Di Conca, Urbino Urbania, bocca Trabaria, Sansepolcro Arezzo Perugia Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, Leonessa, Monte Terminillo, Rieti, and Rome.
This second day took us through the mountains and a handful of medieval mountain castles and villages. This leg of the race is also where we got to see the crowds in daylight. Crowds of spectators lined the streets in the towns and villages to watch the rolling car show. We could sense that there is an appreciation in Italy for people who race, and enjoy their exotic and collectible cars. At noon we had a wonderful lunch setup at a checkpoint. Once underway we started to climb into the mountains toward Rome. The view was great but the driving was difficult. Our 750cc motor didn't give us enough power to really roar up the steep inclines we faced. At the summit of these mountains there was still snow next to the roads. Going down was better, our car being a good handler but not very powerful. Our entry to Rome was triumphant! We toured several of the most famous monuments in parade-like fashion. Once at our hotel, we had a great meal consisting of multiple courses of a fine array of Italian cuisine - then to bed for the longest stage Rome to Breschia.
Rome - BreschiaMorning start 8:30 am. Bologna breakdown - After averaging 5000+ rpm in a 750cc motor with 400 pounds of people and another 100+ pounds of luggage and stuff something is bound to go wrong. Coming out of the Italian mountains after crossing the famous Fuda pass we stopped for espresso, water and the bathrooms. When we started the car back up, she wouldn't rev over 4000 rpm, at this point we had to move forward, being only a few dozen kilometers from the Bologna checkpoint. Once through the checkpoint we had to look at the car. If we didn't fix it, there would be no way to finish. Our ailing car was way to slow. My first diagnosis was coil damage. So we started shouting "bombina!, bombina!" at the growing crowd. And within 3-minutes, I had one in my hand. Let me illustrate the magnitude of this. Picture yourself downtown in the nearest city. Start shouting the word "bombina (coil), bombina, bombina…. with your hood open. Only in Italy would you have one in your hand in under 3-minutes. I felt like everyone was a fan of the Mille Miglia!
Prior to duct taping the new coil to the current one, I directed Bill to remove the distributor cap, just to check. Well within a few seconds we discovered that the points had closed so a quick adjustment and we were off to Brescia and the finish!
The last run to Brescia is driven straight into the setting sun. Visibility is very poor and traffic is brutal. We drove most of it weaving in and out of traffic trying to make up precious time to get us to the finish. The understanding of the
The finish - Breschia 11pm. Several thousands of people lining the road.
Where did we end up? 153 out of 360+ starters. 92 in class and the 7th placed Americans.
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