Monzanapolis: la Corsa dei due Mondi.

[Die Mensch-Maschine]

Ho trovato questo interessante filmato sulla "Race of two Worlds", di cui avevo sentito parlare in passato ma di cui non sapevo molto. Sembra una cosa abbastanza rara in quanto su tutto il Tubo esiste solo questo filmato. Di questa corsa, che si svolgeva sull'anello di Monza, ne sono state organizzate 2 edizioni: nel 1957, alla quale fa riferimento il video, e nel 1958, vinta da Jim Rathmann, ma della quale non esistono filmati (almeno su Internet).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu-2SsGiESc

[sundance76]

Ho un articolo di Ruoteclassiche su questa gara. Appena lo trovo lo posto.

[AmanteMercedes]

Se non ricordo male, durante un'edizione di questa corsa fece cose strabilianti Musso, salvo però ritirarsi prima della fine gara perché stremato fisicamente. Mi pare comunque, che si era attirato le attenzioni degli americani che gli volevano offrirgli un ricco ingaggio per averlo a Indy .. però magari mi ricordo male.

EDIT

Mi ricordavo bene. Sono andato a vedere il mio blog, dove avevo appuntato due righe su questa storia, e la corsa dove Musso fece faville fu proprio quella del 1958, allorché Ferrari schierò due macchine, guidate da Musso e Shell. Mentre l'edizione del 1957 fu in realtà corsa solo dai team americani. Sempre da quel che ho scritto, mi pare che le uniche due edizioni di questa gara siano state proprio quelle del '57 e del '58....

[AmanteMercedes]

Ecco il piccolo articolo che avevo scritto proprio su quella mezza impresa di Musso a Monza ..

Quella volta che Musso rischiò di diventare l'eroe dei due mondi ...
Musso, ovvero un fulmine lungo le curve sopraelevate di Monza. 281 km/h di media: tempo record nelle prove ufficiali, di una corsa sui generis, il Trofeo dei due Mondi. La corsa può essere annoverata tra le curiosità, tra quei tentativi della mia riuscita, e forse mai veramente tentata, unificazione delle gare made in USA e quelle europee. L'edizione del 1957 fu una bella vetrina americana in terra brianzola. Non ci sono team europei e la corsa (al meglio delle tre manches) è vinta da Jim Bryan.
Di europeo, a ben vedere, a Monza non c'è nulla, almeno nel '57. Non la pista, che è un catino, con le due sopraelevate. Non le auto o i driver che sono tutte a stelle e strisce.
Nel '58, ci sono vetture e piloti europei, che sfidano gli americani. C'è uno dei massimi specialisti dell'epoca delle corse su ovali, ossia Rathmann, che nelle libere piazza una media strepitosa: oltre i 281 km/h: meglio di quanto lo stesso Rathmann aveva fatto a Indy '58, quando aveva staccato il miglior tempo nelle prove con 235 km/h di media sul giro. C'è il Maestro, Juan Manuel Fangio.
La Ferrari è presente con Hawthorn e Musso. I due drivers ferraristi hanno approcci radicalmente diversi: Hawthorn non è convinto di poter tirare fuori qualcosa dalla macchina su quella pista (per la cronaca, si girava verso sinistra). Musso, invece, vola. Meglio di Fangio, presente con una vettura americana. Meglio degli specialisti USA. Meglio di quel Rathman che aveva vinto la corsa più importante del mondo.
Chi pensa che correre su un ovale sia semplice, pecca di superficialità. Per capirlo, basta considerare le riflessioni maturate da Bruce McLaren, che a Indy aveva avuto esperienza di pilota (non molto fortunate) e di costruttore (queste, con gloria). Le considerazioni di McLaren, specie alla luce delle cognizioni tecniche di quest'ultimo, assumono rilevanza essenziale per comprendere la difficoltà delle corse negli ovali, solo in apparenza semplici. Il pilota neozelandese ha avuto modo di spiegare la complessità di messa a punto e di guida su circuiti della suindicata tipologia. Vero è che la tecnica negli ovali pare ridursi all'intuizione di Musso per cui non bisogna "tagliare la curva in modo normale, ma andare sul punto più alto, a metà curva, e poi piombare sul rettilineo sfruttando la maggiore accelerazione consentita dalla discesa" (un'idea che venne a Musso ricordandosi "di come facevamo andare forte le biglie ..." ), ma la grandezza del pilota sta tutta nel dare concretezza a quella complessità di gesti che vengono racchiusi in una frase.
Tuttavia, per affrontare una corsa come il Trofeo dei due Mondi (o la 500 miglia di Indianapolis) non basta la tecnica: serve la preparazione fisica e quella psicologica. Viaggiare inclinati, a quella velocità, sottopone il corpo a forze e a criticità diverse da quelle che intervengono se il circuito è "piatto". Attuare la tecnica di Musso in un giro è una cosa. Essere capaci di ripeterla, con metodo, a quei ritmi, per lunghe sequenze di giri, magari con i sorpassi e i doppiaggi, è altro. Musso non ha questa preparazione, Rathmann sì. E infatti, in due manches su tre, Musso cede fisicamente. Rathmann, no. Lo specialista americano vince: magari ha meno coraggio, meno tecnica di Musso, ma è più preparato a gestire una gara di quel tipo. Il pilota Usa, insomma, possiede un concetto di corsa nel suo assieme che il romano non ha. Eppure, Musso agli americani piace. Tanto da strappare un ingaggio per la 500 miglia di Indy del 1959 ... a cui non potrà però partecipare per la prematura scomparsa.
Musso, lo specialista dei circuiti veloci. Musso, l'incompiuto. Musso, uomo oltre i limiti che costringe il pilota a fare quello che non avrebbe mai fatto .. ma questa è un'altra storia.
-DiAmante-

[marcostraz]

Wow...bell'articolo!!! 

[Niki]

[AmanteMercedes]

Grazie.

[duvel]

[quote="Die Mensch-Maschine"]
Ho trovato questo interessante filmato sulla "Race of two Worlds", di cui avevo sentito parlare in passato ma di cui non sapevo molto. Sembra una cosa abbastanza rara in quanto su tutto il Tubo esiste solo questo filmato. Di questa corsa, che si svolgeva sull'anello di Monza, ne sono state organizzate 2 edizioni: nel 1957, alla quale fa riferimento il video, e nel 1958, vinta da Jim Rathmann, ma della quale non esistono filmati (almeno su Internet).


[/quote]

Magnifico, tutto quel che riguarda il vecchio Autodromo m'intriga sempre

[Pedro59]

Bell'articolo, Amante.

[AmanteMercedes]

[quote="Pedro59"]
Bell'articolo, Amante.

[/quote]

Grazie .. detto da un Maestro come Te ...

[Baldi]

...e io ho trovato questo articolo con tutti i i risultati..




The Race of Two Worlds

In 1954, a new steeper banking was constructed at Monza and was used in the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, being merged with the existing circuit to provide a 6.214 mile (9.822 km) circuit, the cars running a lap of the road circuit before completing a lap of the oval. The course was re-used for the 1956 Grand Prix, and the similarity of the Monza oval to that of Indianapolis was not lost on Giuseppe Bacciagaluppi, president of the Automobile Club of Milan. Bacciagaluppi invited Duane Carter, the competitions director of the United States Automobile Club, to watch the race, and together they fleshed out the idea for a joint Formula 1/Championship car race, The Race of Two Worlds, where the best of Grand Prix racing would race the best of Champ Cars.

The Beginnings
The race would use the banked track only, and was scheduled for June 1957. Preparations for the American drivers was done by Pat O'Connor in April of 1957, who tested a 5.5 litre V8 Chrysler test car for Firestone (instead of the traditional four cylinder Offenhauser unit), managing 226 miles at an average of 163.4mph, with a best lap faster than 170mph - this compared to O'Connor's Indianapolis 500 pole position speed of 144mph! Once the Indianapolis race was completed, ten front engined roadsters were transported from New York to Genoa on the ship Independence, whereupon the were taken to Monza on trucks supplied by Alfa Romeo. The drivers and mechanics followed on behind in an old DC-3, taking some 26 hours to arrive.

The competition though fizzled out, as the Formula 1 drivers didn't want to compete. They had no existing cars capable of racing with the championship cars on the banking, and the roadsters wouldn't be much good on a road course. Having already experienced the banking, the drivers were also concerned about the track. It was very bumpy, and the suspension travel of the cars was completely used up as their cars were pressed into the track. Coupled with the high speeds involved, most of the drivers boycotted the event, with only 3 Jaguar D-Types from Ecurie Ecosse entering, these cars having finished 1-2 in the previous weekend's Le Mans 24 Hrs. The formula 1 drivers worries about speed were well founded, as Tony Bettenhausen took pole position for the race at an average speed of 177mph.

There was an amusing incident during practice. Jimmy Bryan, in his Dean Van Lines Special, had 10 $10 bills blow out of the top pocket of his overalls. Being somewhat upset at this, he stopped his car at the foot of the banking, and climbed to the stop. Given the steepness of the banking, this was quite a feat, and he managed to get most of his money back too.

The American cars only had two speed gearboxes, whereas the Jaguars had four-speed units, and the Jaguar drivers used this to great effect at the rolling start, shooting from the back of the grid to the front and leading the first lap by some 300 yards. This wasn't to last for long though, and the USAC drivers soon overtook. However, there was prize money for the first lap leader, and this went to Jack Fairman. Jimmy Bryan won this 63 lap heat, and the second heat, but finished second to Troy Ruttman in the third, and thereby clinched the overall race win at an average of 160.1mph.

The 1958 Race
29 June 1958 - Monza 500

Entrants

No Driver Entrant Car Engine size (cc)
1 Jimmy Bryan George Salih Belond-AP Special 4200
2 Jack Fairman Ecurie Ecosse Lister Jaguar D-Type 3800
4 Masten Gregory Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-Type 3442
5 Jim Rathmann John Zink Zink Leader Card Special 4200
6 Ivor Bueb Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-Type 3800
8 Rodger Ward Roger Walcott Wolcott Fuel Injection Special 4200
9 Bob Veith Robert M Bowes Bowes Seal Fast Special 4200
10 Stirling Moss Scuderia Eldorado Eldorado-Italia 4190
12 Mike Hawthorn Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 4023
14 Luigi Musso Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 2962
16 Harry Schell Luigi Chinetti Ferrari-Chinetti 2962
24 Jimmy Reece Fred Sommer Hoyt Machine Special 4200
26 Don Freeland Bob Estes Bob Estes Special 4200
29 Juan Manuel Fangio AE Dean Dean Van Lines Special 4200
35 Eddie J Sachs Jr Jim Robbins Jim Robbins Special 4200
49 Ray Crawford Ray Crawford Maguire Mirror Glaze Special 4200
55 Maurice Trintignant Sclavi Inc Sclavi and Amos Special 4200
75 Johnny Thomson Racing Associates D-A Lubricant Special 4200
98 Troy Ruttman JC Agajanian Agajanian Special 4200

The Cars
The American cars all used the 4.2 litre, 4-cylinder double-overhead cam Offenhauser unit, usually offset to the left of the chassis in order to counteract the centrifugal force generated in the long left hand bends. The cars had beam axles at the front and rear, with torsion bars for suspension. Most used twin Monroe telescopic dampers on each corner in order to try an minimise the problems of the year before. The cars had two-speed gearboxes, and required push starts, and used Firestone tyres on Halibrand light-alloy wheels, the normal wire wheels used in Europe being unable to withstand the forces involved, as evidenced by Ascari at Indianapolis in 1952, when the wheel of his Ferrari collapsed.

Of the three Jaguars, two were 3.8 litre-engined D-types, and one was the 3442cc car which was used in the previous year's race. Jack Fairman raced a Lister-framed version, which had a single seater frame. However, this resulted in a 10mph drop in maximum speed as the bodywork of the standard D-type was of aerodynamic advantage.

Ferrari built a brand new V12 4.2-litre car for the race, with a quoted power output of just under 400bhp. The car had coil springs and a wishbone at the front, with a transverse leaf spring and de Dion axle at the rear. Ferrari still used wire wheels for this race, the wheels being made by Borrani. Although fitted with a five-speed gearbox, two of the gears were removed for the race.

The second factory Ferrari was a specially built frame using a 2880cc V6 Dino 296 sportscar engine. Coil springs were used all round, with a front wishbone and rear de Dion axle. The springs were completely encased in rubber in order to obtain the desired spring rate. Although it arrived at the circuit fitted with Englebert tyres, it qualified on Firestones.

The third Ferrari, that of Harry Schell, was entered by the North American Racing Team. This was an old GP car using an unsupercharged 4.2 litre V12 engine, and was modified by Chinetti. Driven in hill climbs by Carroll Shelby, the car had never been raced, although it did achieve 176mph during a Daytona Speed Week. It used a rear transverse leaf spring below a de Dion axle at the rear, and wishbones and transverse leaf springs at the front.

The Stirling Moss entry was the Eldorado-Maserati, gaudily painted white with a one-toothed cowboy on the side. The engine was a 4.2 litre V8 derived from a Maserati sportscar unit, and during practice the fuel injection was replaced by four twin-choke carburettors. The engine was offset to the left, with the transmission passing to the left of the drivers seat. Fuel was carried in the tail and to the left of the cockpit. It also had a two-speed gearbox, front wishbones and coil springs, rear transverse leaf springs and de Dion axle.


Qualifying

Pos No Driver Average
1 12 Luigi Musso 281.077 kph (N.B. Musso qualified Hawthorn's car)
2 9 Bob Veith 278.857
3 19 Juan Manuel Fangio 275.841
4 35 Eddie Sachs 275.841
5 26 Don Freeland 275.180
6 1 Jimmy Bryan 275.014
7 5 Jim Rathmann 274.521
8 75 Johnny Thomson 268.682
9 8 Rodger Ward 268.635
10 98 Troy Ruttman 268.578
11 10 Stirling Moss 264.553
12 49 Ray Crawford 263.641
13 24 Jimmy Reece 263.188
14 14 Phil Hill 259.468 (N.B. Took over Musso's car)
15 56 Maurice Trintignant 258.591
16 4 Masten Gregory 254.293
17 2 Jack Fairman 246.376
18 16 Harry Schell 245.586
19 6 Ivor Bueb 241.960

The Race - Heat 1
Race day was warm and sunny, but the sensational development was whether Juan Manuel Fangio would be able to take the start or not. When the spark plugs were being changed in the morning, it was discovered that one of the pistons was cracked. It was hoped that the start would be put back sufficiently for a new piston to be fitted, but despite a delay of 15 minutes, the task couldn't be completed. The car, without an engine, was wheeled out to its grid position, and then was wheeled straight back to the pits, thereby complying with the official rules. The World Champion would not be starting the race.

Starting with a rolling start, Musso took advantage of his three gears (starting in Hawthorn's car, Hawthorn not liking the circuit and suffering from a stomach upset) to jump into the lead, followed by Sachs, Bryan and Rathmann, and completed the first lap in 56s. Sachs passed Musso to lead at the end of lap two, before Musso again took the lead with a 54.8s lap. On lap five Sachs retook the lead again, and Bryan slipped past Musso two laps later. The Italian crowd were loving it, particularly as Musso was taking considerable amounts of the banking on full opposite lock.

By the eleventh lap, Rathmann was in the lead, which was where he was to stay, from Musso, Sachs, Bryan and Freeland. Musso and Sachs continued to dispute second place vigorously until on lap 20 a big hole appeared in the crankcase of Sachs' engine, a con-rod being thrown. Second place wasn't to last for long, as six laps later Musso brought the Ferrari into the pits, suffering from the methanol exhaust fumes. New tyres were put on the car, and Hawthorn took it back out in seventh place. Stirling Moss by this time had moved up to third.

At the end of lap 53, Bob Veith passed Moss for third, and shortly afterwards Ruttman rushed past both of them as he got a tow by tucking behind a car they were lapping. Unfortunately this move was wasted, as he then had to come in the pits for fuel (while the engine was still running!), and dropped to seventh. The finishing positions were Rathmann, Bryan, Veith, Moss, Thompson and Hawthorn.


Heat 1 - Prix Esso (63 laps)

Pos No Driver Average
1 5 Jim Rathmann 59m40.9s, 269.178kph
2 1 Jimmy Bryan 1h00m04.1s
3 9 Bob Veith 1h00m26.4s
4 10 Stirling Moss 1h00m35.1s
5 75 Johnny Thomson 61 laps
6 12 Luigi Musso/Mike Hawthorn 60 laps
7 98 Troy Ruttman 60 laps
8 24 Jimmy Reece 59 laps
9 56 Maurice Trintignant 59 laps
10 49 Ray Crawford 58 laps
11 2 Jack Fairman 57 laps
12 16 Harry Schell 56 laps
13 4 Masten Gregory 55 laps
14 6 Ivor Bueb 45 laps
R 8 Rodger Ward 20 laps/torsion bar
R 35 Eddie Sachs 20 laps/con-rod
R 14 Phil Hill 17 laps/magneto/fuel line
R 26 Don Freeland 17 laps/cam gear
DNS 19 Juan Manuel Fangio changing cracked piston for second race

Heat 2
There then followed an hour and a half break, during which time the mechanics welded various bits back together. The drivers would start the race in the finishing order of the previous race. Fangio still wasn't able to take the start, and Maurice Trintignant was replaced by a rookie driver by the name of AJ Foyt.

Rathmann led this race uninterrupted, from Bryan, Musso, Moss and Veith on lap 1. Schell's Ferrari very quickly retired, suffering from several mechanical maladies. Veith, Moss, Ruttmann and Bryan spent the next few laps swapping places, and on lap 19 Musso again brought the 4.2 litre Ferrari into the pits suffering from the fumes, but this time he handed over to Phil Hill, the 3-litre Ferrari he drove in the first race not starting the second. Hill would bring the car back into the pits on lap 40 for a tyre change.

Moss, now in 3rd, closed on Veith, while Bryan, followed closely by Ruttman, closed on Moss, and there followed a very close battle between the four drivers from lap 31 until lap 56, the cars slipstreaming past each other on the long straights. On lap 57 though, Moss began to loose revs due to the failure of one of his two magnetos (the engine having two spark plugs per cylinder), and he dropped back into fourth at the finish. As Ruttman crossed the finishing line, Fairman hoved into view in a cloud of smoke - a piston had gone on the last lap.


Heat 2 - Prix Mobil (63 laps)

Pos No Driver Average
1 5 Jim Rathmann 1h00m18.5s, 266.388kph
2 9 Bob Veith 1h00m35.3s
3 1 Jimmy Bryan 1h01m00.9s
4 98 Troy Ruttman 1h01m02.2s
5 10 Stirling Moss 62 laps
6 56 AJ Foyt 61 laps (replaced Trintignant)
7 24 Jimmy Reece 60 laps
8 49 Ray Crawford 60 laps
9 12 Luigi Musso/Phil Hill 60 laps
10 2 Jack Fairman 57 laps
11 6 Ivor Bueb 51 laps
R 8 Rodger Ward 31 laps
R 4 Masten Gregory rear body frame
R 16 Harry Schell 12 laps/mechanicals
R 75 Johnny Thomson 1 lap/crankshaft
R 26 Don Freeland ?
DNS 19 Juan Manuel Fangio changing cracked piston for third race
DNS 35 Eddie Sachs
DNS 14 Phil Hill

Heat 3
Fangio finally appeared on the grid for the last race, but for a long time his car wasn't with him, and people began to wonder whether in fact he would drive someone else's car. Moss had a large plaster on his forehead, but he put on his helmet and goggles and climbed into his car. Hawthorn climbed into his car, and eventually Fangio's mount was wheeled out. It wouldn't be for long though, as at the end of lap one Fangio wheeled around with his fuel pump adrift, and was out of the race.

Rathmann again led from lap one, with the two Jaguars bringing up the rear. Moss had been the last off the grid, courtesy of being unable to move off in first gear and having to use top instead, and this was to presage an impressive comeback. He passed Hawthorn for sixth on lap 14, and Crawford for fifth on lap 20. He then set about catching young AJ Foyt at two seconds a lap.

Veith suddenly lost a wheel on lap 29, the car snaking around before coming safely to rest, moving Moss up into fourth place behind Rathmann, Bryan and Foyt. By now the Ferrari fumes were overcoming Hawthorn, and he brought the car in to hand over to Hill, some 24 laps after taking over. On the 41st lap though, Moss disappeared. The steering on his Eldorado-Maserati failed when he was flat out on the banking. He hit the guardrail at the top, knocking a couple of posts down before coming to rest at the bottom of the banking unharmed. It was a lucky escape. The order was then Rathmann, Bryan, Hill (who had passed Crawford on the 58th lap) and Crawford. Rathmann held this position to the finish.


Heat 3 - Prix Shell (63 laps)

Pos No Driver Average
1 5 Jim Rathmann 59m37.9s, 269.404kph
2 1 Jimmy Bryan 1h00m04.6s
3 12 Mike Hawthorn/Phil Hill 60 laps
4 49 Ray Crawford 60 laps
5 24 Jimmy Reece 59 laps
6 6 Ivor Bueb 52 laps
R 56 AJ Foyt 54 laps/crankshaft
R 4 Masten Gregory 44 laps
R 10 Stirling Moss 40 laps/accident
R 9 Bob Veith 28 laps/wheel
R 98 Troy Ruttman 12 laps/fuel line
R 19 Juan Manuel Fangio 1 lap/fuel pump

Overall
The times were then aggregated to give an overall result, the clear winner being Jim Rathmann. Unfortunately though, the Automobile Club of Milan had made a financial loss on the race, and it was never held again.


Aggregate result (189 laps)

Pos No Driver Average
1 5 Jim Rathmann 2h59m37.3, 189 laps, 166.72mph
2 1 Jimmy Bryan 3h01m09.6, 189 laps
3 12 Mike Hawthorn/Luigi Musso/Phil Hill 3h01m00.0, 180 laps
4 49 Ray Crawford 3h01m26.4, 178 laps
5 24 Jimmy Reece 3h01m50.2, 178 laps
6 56 AJ Foyt/Maurice Trintignant 2h55m58.8, 174 laps
7 10 Stirling Moss 2h40m59.2, 164 laps
8 9 Bob Veith 2h27m23.0, 153 laps
9 6 Ivor Bueb 3h01m25.8, 148 laps
10 98 Troy Ruttman 2h13m07.9, 135 laps
11 2 Jack Fairman 2h00m13.7, 114 laps
12 4 Masten Gregory 2h00m11.1, 99 laps
13 16 Harry Schell 1h18m33.2, 71 laps
14 75 Johnny Thomson 1h05m25.8, 65 laps
15 8 Rodger Ward 51 laps
16 35 Eddie Sachs 20 laps
17 26 Don Freeland 17 laps?
18 14 Phil Hill 17 laps
19 19 Juan Manuel Fangio 1 lap

[sundance76]

[quote="sundance76"]
Ho un articolo di Ruoteclassiche su questa gara. Appena lo trovo lo posto.
[/quote]

Con un ritardo di due anni.. 

[sundance76]

..... e per coincidenza, ieri questo blog ha messo a disposizione un grandissimo numero di articoli anch'essi dedicati alla 500 miglia di Monza '57:

http://laletterascarlatta.blogspot.it/2012/10/americani-monza.html

[330tr]

Due video agggressivamente polemici sulle Monzanapolis 1957 e 1958.
In effetti possono vagamente farci intuire perché l'esperimento non ebbe successo e seguito...


http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot/485089051-jimmy-bryan-race-of-two-worlds-steep-turn-stirling-moss

http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot/714285361-race-of-two-worlds-stirling-moss-autodromo-nazionale-monza-racing-car

Si nota una anche una interessante polemica sul prezzo eccessivo della nuova fiat 500, cosa che si legge da più parti es qui (Il prezzo di listino fu di 490.000 lire. Il lancio della nuova 500 fu un vero insuccesso. Il prezzo era troppo alto se confrontato a quello della Fiat 600. Quest’ultima costava 640.000 lire ma vantava un motore 4 cilindri e la possibilità di trasportare abbastanza comodamente 4 persone. in quegl’anni di boom economico era consuetudine fare ricorso a cambiali e la differenza di prezzo tra le due macchine non appariva insormontabile.)

[sundance76]

"Aggressivamente polemici": hai proprio ragione!

Materiale stupendo, grazie mille!!