360 Challenge
The 360 Challenge world finals brought together participants from all parts of the globe, anxious to tie up their
particular series on the very fast and demanding Monza circuit. With the track new to a large number of the
competitors, there was plenty of off course excursions, although most only resulted in dented pride and
crumpled aluminium or broken front and rear valances. The frantic action and proclivity for intimate body
contact continued through the races, particularly through the very tight first chicane at the end of the
start/finish straight, where a number of cars mixed their colour schemes. The variable weather didn’t help the
situation, as slick tyres and a suddenly soaking track are not comfortable bedfellows, the result being some
rather clumsy waltzes and pirouettes with even closer body contact.
At the end of the weekend’s races all the 360 Challenge international regional championships had been
decided, with Ange Daniel Bard from France taking the West Europe title by just two points from Max
Blancardi, with Emanuele Moncini taking the South Europe title, and Luciano Nicolodi the USA one.
Historic Challenge
Grid A – The single seater grid, although small by the standards of the other groups, was as well supported
as it has been at any time of the year, and for the first time this year featured a Ferrari. This was the Dino F2
model of Corrado Cupellini, with which he achieved the third fastest practise time, the list being headed by the
Maserati 250 F of Burkhard von Schenk.
The first race was the last on Saturday afternoon’s programme, and started under leaden skies with steady
rain. Soon after the start the skies became even darker and the heavens opened, such that they were almost
driving in monsoon conditions, with roosters of spray streaming from the wheels. The conditions didn’t seem
to perturb the Cupellini Dino, as he drew steadily away at the head of the field, until the organisers decided
that conditions were becoming just too dangerous, and halted proceedings after three laps had been
completed.
The second race enjoyed better weather conditions on Sunday morning, and Cupellini proved that his
Saturday victory was no fluke. Once the von Schenk Maserati 250 F had beached in the gravel trap at the
Parabolica, he held off the advances of Irvine Laidlaw’s Maserati 6 CM, who then had a spin that dropped him
down the order, leaving Peter Heuberger in his 250 F to take 2nd place. Robert Fink in his Alfa Romeo Tipo B
P3 took the final place on the podium, following up a fine 2nd place in Saturday’s shortened race.
Grid B
The Maserati contingent are particularly strong in this group for drum brake sports racing and GT cars, and
Monza was no exception, with the 250 S of Laidlaw and the 300 S of von Schenk occupying the front row of
the grid. Bernd Hahne in his 450 S model was surprisingly lowly placed in 10th after only completing two
timed practise laps. Christian Traber and his Ferrari 250 MM got to grips with the track well to take 3rd fastest
time, just ahead of Carlos Monteverde’s Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, its body repaired after the Silverstone
accident.
From the start of the first race it was von Shenk and Laidlaw that made the running, pulling away from their
pursuers. However, the Maserati 450 S of Hahne was quickly carving his way through the traffic ahead of him,
and catching the leading batle. He soon established his supremacy and eased away to a comfortable win,
whilst von Schenk held off the challenge of Laidlaw, to take 2nd place by a fraction over half a second.
Christian Traber brought the 250 MM home 4th a scant 1.5 seconds ahead of the Monteverde 250 TR. Further
down the field the 375 MM of Jean Sage had a race long duel with the 375 Plus of Philippe Lancksweert,
managing to beat him by a second at the flag.
In the second race on Sunday, the first four finished in the same order with more space between them, but
the Maserati 300 S of Peter Munsch managed to get ahead of the Monteverde 250 TR for 5th place. Philippe
Lancksweert won the battle of the 375s this time, finishing comfortably ahead of Jean Sage with a buffer of
four cars between them. Thus Maseratis were totally dominant at the head of the field, occupying both
podiums.
Grid C
The grid C disc brake practise session was dominated by the Stieger brothers, Patrick and Christoph, in
Ferrari 512 M and 312 P respectively, comfortably ahead of the 512 S model of Jean Guikas. John Bosch in
his 365 GTB/4C put in a strong performance to post 5th fastest time, perhaps too strong, as the engine cried
enough and his activities were over for the weekend. David Franklin in the 712 CanAm didn’t even make timed
practise, as the gearbox gave problems in the untimed session, and he took an early shower. He did have the
consolation of a drive in Carlo Vogele’s 330 GTO in Sunday’s race, a magnanimous gesture from the Swiss
driver. Federico Della Noce, the manager of Rubens Barichello also put in a strong performance to take 7th
fastest time in his 250 LM, only 0.34 seconds behind the similar model of David Piper.
In the first race all the front runners experienced problems of one sort or another. Both 512 models retired,
Guikas spinning out of the lead on lap 4, whilst the 312 P pitted before continuing and recording the fastest
lap of the race, finishing a lap down in 14th place. As light rain started to fall the skill of Peter Hardman shone
through the gathering gloom, as he established himself at the head of the field in the front engined Dino 246
P, steadily increasing his advantage lap after lap, to take a dominant victory. Frederico Kroymans achieved
his best finish of the year in his 250 GTO, to take second and also the overall Shell Historic Ferrari Maserati
Challenge title for 2001. The 250 GT SWB of Vincent Gaye finished 3rd ahead of the 250 LMs of Della Noce
and Piper.
A massive thunderstorm early on Sunday afternoon left a streaming track for the start of the second race,
although the rain itself had stopped by the time they took the grid. The Stieger brothers decided that the
conditions were too risky with unsuitable rubber, and were non-starters. This left Jean Guikas as the major
contender if he could keep it on the island! He succeeded admirably, driving a controlled race in very difficult
early conditions, to take an impressive victory. Peter Hardman was the best of the rest after disposing of the
250 LMs of Della Noce and Piper, the latter finishing 3rd whilst the former spun away his chances of a podium
finish, to eventually come home 9th. David Franklin enjoyed his run in the 4 litre GTO to take 4th, although he
thought that it was a bit to stiffly sprung for the conditions, making it ”interesting”! Another ”Sunday Driver”
change was that Bernd Hahne took over Hartmut Ibing’s 250 LM, finishing in 5th place.
Formula Uno
On both Saturday and Sunday there were historic Ferrari F1 car demonstration runs, that attracted a wide
array of models, which apart from Jo Vonlanthen’s 500/625, chassis # 54/1, were mainly from the seventies
and later, including 312 T, T2, T3, T4 and T5 models, turbo cars in the form of a 126 C4 and F1-86, plus many
nineties examples. The Saturday run was red flagged early after the F 399 of Paddy Shovlin spun and stalled
right in the middle of the first chicane, with Michael Gabel in his F 300 detouring across the grass to avoid
him and then stalling upon rejoining the track, doubling the complexity of the chicane for everybody else.
Once these cars had been retrieved the run continued without further mishap. The Sunday run preceded the
driver track tour on a large flat bed articulated Iveco truck, which was open to all participating drivers, who
were joined by Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barichello and Luca
Badoer.
Fast & Furious
While the driver truck meandered round the circuit, the mechanics wheeled out the three F1-2000 models for
the team drivers to do the factory demonstration run. This was undoubtedly the high point of the day for the
masses in the grandstands opposite the pits, who had come to pay homage to their heroes, and when the
cars were pushed out of their garage, a deafening roar erupted from the appreciative crowd, with air horns
blowing wildly in accompaniment.
When the team drivers returned from their circuit tour, the roars that greeted them were even louder as they
walked to the cars waiting on the grid. The trio of V10 engines burst into life, reached a crescendo and they
were off to provide a superb high speed demonstration run. They continuously swapped places, and on one
lap Schumacher and Barichello swept along the main straight as one, with the second car literally tucked
under the gear box of the other, I don’t know which was which, as it was a high speed blur that took your
breath away. The confidence that they must have in each other to run that closely is truly amazing.
The run ended with the traditional tyre smoking pirouettes along the main straight, a spectacle always greatly
appreciated by the crowd, whose air horns blasted wildly in appreciation.
Another great end of season ”Ferrari Festa” that even the weather couldn’t put a damper on, despite its best
efforts.
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