1,000 MILES JOTTINGS

1,000 MILES JOTTINGS

AS an interesting comparison with this year’s result, the winners of previous ‘Thousand Mile Races, with their times, have been as follows :

1927.

1. Minoia and Morandi (2-litre 0.M.), 21h. 4m. 48s.

2. I. Danieli and Balestrero (2litre 0.M.), 21h. 20m. 53s.

3. M. Daniell and Rosa (2-litre 0.M.), 21h. 28m. 2s.

1928.

1. Campari and Ramponi 1500 c.c. Alfa-Romeo), 19h. 14m. 5s.

2. Mazotti and Rosa (2-litre 0.11.), 19h. 22m. 27s.

3. Strazza and Varallo (2i-litre Lancia), 19h. 37m. 37s.

1929.

1. Campari and Ramponi (1,750 c.c. Alfa-Romeo), 18h. 4m. 23s.

2. Morandi and Rosa (2-litre 0.M.) 18h. 14m. 14s.

3. Varzi and Colombo (1,750 c.c. Alfa-Romeo), 18h. 16m. 12s.

1930.

1. Nuvolari and Guidotti (1,750 c.c. Alfa-Romeo), 16h. 18m. 59s.

2. Varzi and Canavesi (1,750 c.c. Alfa-Romeo), 16h. 29m. 51s.

3. Campari and Marinoni (1,750 c.c. Alfa-Romeo), 16h. 59m. 53s.

Thus during a period of five years the winners’ time over this course has been cut down by nearly five hours ! Few things could demonstrate more clearly the intensive development of the automobile through racing. The same men have figured at the head of affairs in the” Thousand Miles” with striking regularity. Caracciola, this year’s winner, took part in it for the first time last year and finished sixth. Campari who

was second this year was victorious in 1928 and 1929 and ran third with Marinoni, his companion of this year, in 1930. Morandi, who has been faithful to O.M. throughout, won the first Thousand Miles with the veteran Minoia, and was second in 1929 with his team-mate of this year, Rosa, who was also second in 1928 and third in 1927.

Strazza, who was third on a Lancia Lambda in 1928 did not get a drive at all in the end this year. He had agreed to drive a big Mercedes belonging to Signor Maino, a wealthy amateur, who was going to accompany him and drive himself for the first few miles. Ten miles out of Brescia, however, the car blew its gasket and was withdrawn.

Before this year’s race there was some talk of its being the last of the series owing to the expense of its organisation. Modern Italy, however, cannot for a moment sit down under a foreign victory, and as a result of the Mercedes win, it seems certain that the race will be run next year in order that the Italian defeat may be avenged.

However, that is no good reason why a team of English cars should not be sent over to compete. The little Austin which ran this year did remarkably well and only took some 40 minutes more for the course than the winner in 1927.

Cars which aroused universal admiration were the new 1,750 c.c. unsupercharged Alfa-Romeos with ultra-light streamlined saloon bodies, weighing less than 3 cwt. One of these cars finished eighth in the whole race and was an easy winner of the saloon class.

Another model which gave a good account of itself was the new 1,500 c.c. sports Fiat with high compression engine, many examples of which ran in the ” Utility ” Class, and secured the team prize.

An interesting entry was a team of blue Bianchis entered by no less an organisation than the Italian “Flying Squad.” This is a new idea for the intensive training of the new English mobile police.

Although there were nearly 100 starters in the race and the roads were only guarded in the towns and villages, there were no serious accidents. An Alfa-Romeo, however, driven by de Laurentis, crashed into a bridge, and Foresti, who was acting as reserve driver sustained a broken rib. Otherwise the worst effects of crashes were a few cuts.

The new Alfa-Romeos were deprived of all chance of victory by the failure of their tyres to stand up to the test. Nuvolaxi is belipved to have changed eighteen tyres and Arcangeli ten. Caracciola on the other hand with his heavier and faster Mercedes only changed one tyre throughout. This is a great tribute not only to Dunlops but also to the weight distribution and roadholding of the Mercedes, which we have noticed before, as for instance at le Mans last year.

His lack of tyre troubles was lucky for Caracciola as he went through the whole race with practically no pit organisation, depending on wayside petrol stations for his fuel. During his second crossing of the Apennines, however, he very nearly ran out of petrol, but his only other trouble was when his car’s exhaust pipe came adrift shortly before the finish.