8/11/2018, 9:36:39 PM cet

The last day – back to Modena

Wednesday, May the 24th

07,01

07,24

08,49

15,37

17,00

Racing vintage cars not only on racetracks but on small Italian roads !
Action, hillclimbs, fun, fantastic sights and excellent cooking !

All this plus really nice weather brought together ”The Modena Cento Ore Classic 2000” and made dreams come true for everyone !

The founders of that event, five friends and real vintage car lovers - all members of the ”Circolo della Biella” - were originally fascinated by the Coppa d’Italia which took place in the 80’s and combined sprint races with road stages and Italian lifestyle – not for just one but four days.

They wanted something different from today’s other Historic events. And so they created a unique recipe…

Far away from being a nice little comfortable Historic event the Modena Cento Ore promised to bring back great road race emotions without the turmoil of the Mille Miglia retrospective. And it kept this promise !

Sunday Race Organization

Sunday, May the 21st

09,00

15,38

16,00

Only the Sunday morning – in contrast to the other race days – started late. At 9.00 o’clock while the competitors dropped in slowly at the Parco Novi Sad (in the north east of Modena). There, all competitors could collect the exact race program, start numbers etc..

Minor differences surprised: Misano as the fourth race track was cancelled for a second Imola stage on Wednesday.
First I was disappointed but after the three days driving the whole route for that report I – and I think some competitors, too – were glad about that. The timetable was too tight – as well without Misano !

And not to forget the excellent food offered in a tent at the Parco Novi Sad – fantastic specialties of the region (including the biggest Parmesan-round I’ve ever seen !)

All cars were set up in a row for the Novi Sad race stage in the afternoon.

Group 3

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Participants

Group 1

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2

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No doubt - star of the grid was the fabulous Alfa Tipo 33 belonging to Mr. Grist followed by Mason-Styrron’s red/blue ”Monster” – Daytona Competizione Gr.4.

Three Bizza 5300 GT Strada and a rare De Tomaso Pantera Gr.4 – by the way, the same car which finished 5th OA and 1st IC in the 1000km di Monza 1972 – made Race 1 very interesting.

Group 2

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Three 250 GT SWB were entered in Race 2, the Dubbini-car looking ”very competitive” with lower engine than 1785 i.e.! First, Mr. Lindkvist announced his TdF for the Cento Ore but after the accident at Spa he drove his recently acquired 250 GT SWB.

Summary

The Modena Cento Ore Classic is recommended for all those of us, who can’t answer the question anymore, if the Mille Miglia has become a series for Donkervoort Super Seven cars…

You could really feel the love for historic cars and the ambition to create a unique new event the organization team were motivated from !

Hopefully the Modena Cento Ore Classic will be next year on the calendar, too.

Bjoern Schmidt

Ferrari in detail

10 Ferraris took part in the first issue of the Cento Ore Classic. The car with the greatest sound overall was the 365 GTB 4 Competizione SII s/n 15681 producing a very aggressive melody !
This 365 GTB 4 Gr.4 was sold new to Maranello Concessionaires and entered at Le Mans in 1972 and 1973 with no success (dnf).

Oldest Ferrari in the grid was the 500 Mondial Pinin Farina Spyder s/n 0410 MD but it sadly only saw the light on Sunday.  Instead of 0410 MD the 750 Monza with s/n 0470 M(D) is a well known competitor in historic events in the hands of Dieter Streve-Muelhens. The car led a hard race-life in Finland and Sweden in the 50’s being crashed there many times.

Also an interesting history especially for German Ferraristi can offer the Ferrari 250 GT ”Tour de France” s/n 0879 GT, first owned by Wolfgang Seidel from Germany. In May 1997 it went for 354729 pounds – auctioned at Brooks Monaco sale - to Mauro Bompani – yes – the main organisator of the Modena Cento Ore Classic !

Another ”Tour de France” was entered by Carlo Voegele from Switzerland (s/n 0909 GT). A car which can also look on a successful career. Driven by its first owner, Mr. Lambert from Switzerland, it reached a lot of class wins in Swiss hill climbs in 1958, 1959 and 1960.

The 250 GT SWB of Mr. Dubbini (s/n 1999) and the Allemann team (s/n 1785 GT) are competition chassis, both with a very cloudy history. Both cars were destroyed in accidents.
1999 GT was rebuilt by Fantuzzi. 1785 GT was sold from Luigi Chinetti as a wreck to Rene Herzog from Switzerland. The car was ”restored” by Autokraft Ltd. in the 80’s with a totally new body and later sold to Mr. and Mrs. Allemann.

First race stage

The first race stage was held in Modena’s Parco Novi Sad from 15,30 o’clock. A small track (0.9 km) was sticked and even the Regularity-racers were a little frolicsome at this first skill test.
The race had begun…

After this all competitors drove through Modena for a demonstration parade ending at the Piazza Grande.

The second day – ”Racing” to Canossa

Monday, May the 22nd

07,01

07,46

07,56

08,56

10,32

12,00

14,00

17,30

Day three – down the Apennine to Imola

Tuesday, May the 23rd

07,01

08,24

11,27

14,02

17,30

As I mentioned before, day two began very early for all participants. Modena was left behind at 7,00 o’clock and the first target was Fiorano – The Ferrari test track !
Franklin in his green roaring Shelby GT 350 took a short trip through the sandbanks there…

Only one round was driven and after Fiorano the competitors made a short stop for visiting the Galleria Ferrari before racing up the Apennines.

Straights – not longer than 50m – interrupted only shortly millions of curves !

Special stage 3 (from Gatta to Carpineto) was reached at 8,56 o’clock. This was the first real hillclimb driving up to the Carpinete castle. A wonderful panorama awaited the competitors on the top !

Further to the Canossa hillclimb stage. Unfortunately a heavy accident happened there. The Swiss Allemann team with its Ferrari 250 GT SWB damaged the car severely hurting the passengers legs ! Hopefully they will have a speedy recovery.

The hot weather and the hard special stages were responsible for a lot off break downs of cars. The red Bizzarrini 5300 GT destroyed its oil tub at Canossa and the blue Bizza also gave up after Canossa. The De Tomaso had blown its engine after being the fastest car in the field of the second day.

The stages at the second day also were a hard trial – for both, men and machines.

The varnish of Griswold’s yellow Bizza and others capitulated about these track-conditions. Griswold later gave up at Imola because of engine troubles. Instead of him the Austrian team with its red Bizza s/n 245 hold up the Bizzarrini-banner and raced again at Imola after working the whole night repairing the oil tub which was destroyed the day before at San Polo. What a comeback for s/n 245: The Bizza driven by Koppenwallner made a second place behind the Lotus 30.

The 500 Mondial and the 750 Monza couldn’t be seen on the third day.

Race 3 was not a speed race but for Regularity. The Ferrari 750 Monza s/n 0470 MD only drove some special stages and not the whole event because of being entered in the Mille Miglia 2000 later that week. Mr. Brevini confirmed that this Monza still is owned by Dieter Streve-Muelhens from Germany.

”Some” irregularities had troubled the owner of the white painted Ferrari 365 GTB 4 already before the first race stage: The Daytona had two different serial numbers in the engine bay ! S/n 14347 stamped on the plate upon the right wing and s/n 12731 on the traverse. FIA papers identified this car as s/n 12731. Mr. Mandelli – the owner – said that he bought this Daytona as the second owner from new and indeed the car looked very original and clean (14347 belongs to a Daytona Spyder conversion in the U.S.).

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