Another Lurani Thriller at Monza

A breathtaking dice in both heats of the Formula Junior FIA Lurani Trophy ended with Italian Pierre Tonetti  (Brabham BT6) just 0.1s ahead of Swiss ace Urs Eberhardt (Lotus 27) and Emanuele Benedini (Brabham BT6) in Race 1, with a 0.2s difference in Race 2 between Tonetti and Benedini, after Urs twice spun his chances away to finish 5th.  Best placed UK drivers were Scotsman John Fyda (Lotus 22) just ahead of Robin Longdon (Lola 5A).  The Championship lead remains a dead heat on points between HFO driver, Dan Collins (Lotus 18) and Brendan Roberts (Lola Mk2), after erstwhile contender Sir John Chisholm (Gemini Mk3A) lost his oil pressure in practice.

Well oversubscribed at closing date, a few unfortunate withdrawals included Mike Hibberd (Lotus 27) and Rudolf Ernst (Lotus 22) after the familiar Hibberd Team transporter has been vandalised while parked in the workshop yard  - fortunately the race cars had already been safely removed.  Hans-Jörgen Krag (Lola Mk3) was unable to get his replacement engine in time, but at least there was still a Mk3 in the paddock, albeit in Formula One guise, with David Pratley ‘s car parked next to his Mk2, rebuilt after its unfortunate US foray last year.

With no Madunina  series, and only Lurani FJ races in Italy, the Italians were pleased to be back, but sadly lacking in track time, but we were delighted to welcome both Leo Bartoli, in the front engined Moroni-FIAT 03 that he worked on in his youth before becoming Formula Monza Champion and dabbling in contemporary F3.  It was also good to see Conti Manfredo Rossi, and his charming lady, debuting the ex-Michael Schryver, Richard Hein Lotus 22.

Free practice was a real portent of the weekend, with Urs Eberhardt, returnee Emanuele Benedini and Pierre Tonetti all on 2 min 13s, with the two Branca’s of Marzatico and Bruno Ferrari next up – Philipp Buhofer was in cousin Marc’s Lola 5A, ex Joos Tollenaar, while his is repaired after hitting the wall at Lausitz, just ahead of Manfredo Rossi, James Claridge, getting used to treaded tyres again after a couple of outings in Tim Barrington’s F2, and Marcus Mussa, certainly off the pace this year.  John Chisholm was not having a great Monza! – someone had not filled up the new engine with oil, and one lap was enough to bring proceedings to a halt for the weekend, and with the 2nd HGPCA race rescheduled to the end of Sunday, he would have to miss that too in his Lotus 18-Climax, to catch his flight home.  Fabio D’Alberti was well up after a year’s lay off, with a welcome return for Peter Strauss, reacclimatising himself to Colonel Bob’s Brabham BT6. At the tail of the field, Gilbert Lenoir stuck in first gear as he started his first lap, but one lap of Monza at slow speed in an air cooled was enough for the first of his three Panhard motors.  It was a treat to see the porpoise nosed Wainer of Francesco Liberatore, still sporting its number 30 from Monaco 2006, but 3 years hibernation had done it no favours, and two slops laps, punctuated by a pit visit were all that could be managed.

Both Jeremy Deeley (ex-Oskar Christen Cooper T52) and Paul Smeeth (Lotus 22) were without their FIA HTPs, but at least Jeremy had an MSA letter to say that the papers had been lodged; Paul however had only his HVIF, and was fortunate to be allowed to run at all, albeit with no points or positions, after every driver had to sign a waiver, so it was 37 cars for qualifying practice, save Chisholm, and Maurizio Piantelli who had blown his Stanguellini’s FIAT motor at home on Thursday.

Further down the field both Michael Gans, in the blue 1959 Stanguellini ex-Henri Grandsire, and John Dowson (Elva 200) were in trouble with their motors and, albeit precautionarily, would play no further part in the proceedings, while in the most part lack of useage amongst the Italians wreaked havoc with Del Conte (smoking engine in the Wainer – in Carlo’s case, over use!  And a rebuilt badly needed), Liberatore, Bartoli and D’Alberti and Achille Minoia, though Achille in the early De Sanctis would live to fight another day.  David Pratley was also in trouble, stopping the oil pump drive on the Mk2 Lola, and Gilbert Lenoir continued the weekend’s consumption of Panhard engines!

The Formula Juniors were safely under cover when the heavens opened for a major Monza rainstorm – David Pratley could be seen on his Lola wheel marooned with inadequate footwear, amidst several inches of flood water!  Sadly that was the night of Robin Longdon’s birthday party in the Parabolica trailer park, but the hardy made it to enjoy a serious spread prepared by Sue, all washed down with a potent fruit punch.  Amid the storm, Patrick Morin arrived to camp in Brain Jolliffe’s trailer; Andrew Hibberd and Rudolf were there too, as Andrew was helping with Rudolf’s 18 F1 ex UDT.

The first FJ race was 11 o’clock on Saturday, with the field reduced to 33 cars, Rossi, D’Alberti and Lenoir all posting early retirement though Gilbert’s problem this time was only a broken linkeage.  It was to prove a great battle up front with Tonetti heading Benedini and Urs – Tonetti’s lead soon disappeared with a spin back to 11th, after being tapped by Benedini at the chicane, but Tonetti braced himself to make a formidable challenge, and he was soon back ahead of Longdon, Claridge, Mussa and Buhofer and after Fyda and Rossi – Rossi slowed and toured in, Fyda was disposed of, and a lap later both Ferrari and then Marzatico, so battle was joined again with the leaders – an incredible performance – with Tonetti on his tail, Urs displaced Benedini and the tripartite battle continued to the flag with just 0.1s, in each case, separating Tonetti from Eberhardt from Benedini.  Less than 2s behind, Marzatico said that he preferred to stay clear of the 3 leaders and their frenetic dice (!!), although he did share the podium with Tonetti and Eberhardt after Benedini was called before the stewards after the lap 2 incident, but Benedini was reinstated in the results, and received only an admonishment and no penalty.  Peter Strauss had been well up ahead of James Hicks (Caravelle III), for the first half of the race, but a mid race spin lost him nearly a minute and 6 places.  Jan Göckmann also had a delay going on straight at the chicane in the futuristic Gemini MkIV, but managed to retake both Duncan and David Pratley, himself suffering a broken off – subsequently missing! – exhaust pipe, while Duncan dislodged something in the motor department, going over the curve, and took a couple of laps to get going properly again thus failing to made any inroad on David.  James Claridge’s race came to a premature end when he spun and unwittingly switched off the petrol pump.
Results were delayed for a couple of hours after a protest by Daniele Salodini, with backing from Tazio Taraschi, against the suspension of Jason Wright’s Stanguellini.  On this occasion, unlike Dijon 2008, this was overturned through lack of evidence.  Saturday evening was the Formula Junior party, and over 50 gathered, as last year, at the St Georges Restaurant in the middle of the Monza Park for a thoroughly enjoyable evening – 5 tables enabled the nationalities to be jumbled up, and both food and camaraderie were at their best, including a birthday rendering for little Lisa Mastropietro, granddaughter of Leo Bartoli, on her 2nd Birthday; Lisa is said still to be clutching the ‘pilota futura’ teddy bear everywhere she goes!!

Fortunately there was no need to be up early on Sunday morning as FJ’s Race 2 was no scheduled till the latest permitted hour, 4 o’clock, no doubt as retribution for the early departure of cars in 2008.
Anyway for reasons unexplained, the preceding HFO race was very late starting, and then further delayed when Joachin Folch in pole position stalled on the grid and caused a restart.  Luckily for the later F2 and HGPCA cars, the scheduled Group C Race 2 was cancelled when the field, reportedly sunk to but 3 running cars.
So it was after 4.30 when the Lurani cars were formally unleashed, with Peter Anstiss also missing, a leaky petrol tank and an impending flight home both apposite.  Poor Achille Minoia struggled round the warming up lap only for the petrol pump to fail before the Parabolica, and again both Lenoir and Rossi had but short outings: for the rest however, there were battles in store.

Benedini led the familiar three car dice, but Urs lost it at the Parabolica first time round, with Smeeth in the “phantom number” 22 waltzing in sympathy into the kitty litter – permanently in his case. Benedini led the first couple of laps before Tonetti took control with Urs catching up, on lap 6 taking Bruno Ferrari, but not before Bruno had set fastest lap of the race with an incredible section T3 time some 4 secs faster than his norm, no doubt slip streaming Urs up to and out of the Parabolica, Urs losing it again on the penultimate lap, to end up fifth, just ahead of James Claridge, with Tonetti the winner, only 0.2s ahead of Benedini, from Marzatico and Ferrari.  This time Jan Göckmann kept the MkIV Gemini on the Island, with the clutchless Peter Strauss, starting from the pitlane, just ahead of a storming Jason Wright, the leading front engined runner, with Brendan Roberts slowing down and touring round for the last 3 laps, while Franco Beolchi in the Apache kept Salodini firmly in his rear view mirrors.  Good performances came from Patrizia Sbardolini, now really getting the hang of the rear engined Merlyn, and enjoying it more than last year’s Taraschi, and Jeremy Deeley, really motoring the T52 Cooper as none have done for many a year.  It was good to see Dietrich Merkel going well and reliably with the smart white Britannia, after all his recent troubles with the Lola Mk2.

This time the results were out in a flash, and steward Michel Ferry of the ACM and GB’s Rod Parkin were untroubled with further protests, so the prize giving was soon underway, while the HGPCA cars, including Paul Smeeth in his 18, David Pratley (Mk3 Lola) and Steve Russell in his new Cooper-Maserati, lined up for their final race.

Bar the protest, it had been a jolly weekend, and we look forward to having 2 or even 3 races in Italy in 2010.  In the meantime the European Historic Hill Climb Championship, with its underutilized Formula Junior Classes, has events in Italy in August, and will make a great substitute for the OldTimer GP, to which we are giving a miss this year in favour of the Eifelrennen.

DCPR