Gino Valenzano

Luigi "Gino" Valenzano (April 24, 1920, Asti - May 28, 2011) was an Italian racing driver. He entered 39 races between 1947 and 1955 in Abarths, Maseratis and Lancias as teammate of drivers like Robert Manzon and Froilán González.

Early life

As a young man. Valenzano was fascinated by airplanes and air travel, so he studied at the Academy of Caserta. However, he was called back to Turin after his father's sudden death. During World War II Gino and his brother Piero had to leave Turin because of their relation to Pietro Badoglio, so they lived in Rome for a while, until they were sold out to soldiers, who deported the brothers to Mauthausen. May 5, 1945 they were liberated by the Americans.[1][2][3][4]

Racing career

Valenzano started competing in hillclimbs in his own build single seater and received later a BMW-engined single seater designed by Enrico Nardi. He was soon noticed by Carlo Abarth, who hired him as works driver for Abarth. There he met Gianni Lancia, son of Vincenzo, with whom he went to the Liceo classico Massimo d'Azeglio as a child. Lancia let him try out an Aurelia B20 and Valenzano decided to compete in professional racing with that car and later the Lancia D20 and D24. He competed in Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Among his teammates were successful drivers like Alberto Ascari, Luigi Villoresi, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Musso. In 1955 Lancia withdrew as a team from professional racing, so Valenzano switched to Maserati and drove six more races. However, this would be his last season, because his brother Piero died during the Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti on July 10, 1955.[5][6][7][8]

Complete results

Gino Valenzano racing results[9]
Year Date Race Entrant Car Teammate(s) Result
1947 June 29 Varese Fiat 1100
July 20 Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti Revelli Monaco
Testadoro 		10th
August 24 Circuito di Senigallia Fiat 7th
1948 April 4 Targa Florio DNF
May 2 Mille Miglia Fiat Rocco Motto DNF
May 9 Vercelli Nardi-Danese 8th
July 11Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti6th
1949April 24Mille MigliaFiat 1100 CabrioletLuigi Segre63rd
July 17Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti Nardi-Danese DNF
August 21Circuito de Senigallia6th
1950April 23Mille MigliaFiat 1100 ELuigi Segre59th
June 11Premio di AperturaNardi-Danese 6th
August 20Pergusa Grand PrixAbarth 11001st
October 8ModenaNardi-Danese4th
1951April 29Mille MigliaLancia Lancia AureliaLuigi Maggio7th
August 116 Hours of Pescara 3rd
1952March 9Giro di SiciliaEmilio Giletti3rd
May 4Mille Miglia"Paltrinieri"DNF
June 1Prix de Monte Carlo Scuderia Lancianone4th
June 1524 Hours of Le Mans"Ippocampo"6th
June 29Targa Florio 2nd
July 13Coppa d' Oro delle DolomitiDNF
1953April 12Giro di SiciliaScuderia Lancia"S. Ramella"2nd
April 26Mille Miglia "Margutti"DNF
May 14Targa Florio Scuderia LanciaLancia D20none4th
May 31Coppa della ToscanaLancia AureliaLuigi Maggio2nd
June 1424 Hours of Le MansLancia D20Felice Bonetto
Froilán González		DNF
June 28Giro dell'Umbria Lancia AureliaLuigi Maggio3rd
July 12Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti Scuderia LanciaLancia D23noneDNF
1954March 712 Hours of Sebring Lancia D24Profirio Rubirosa2nd
May 2Mille MiglianoneDNF
September 11RAC Tourist TrophyRobert Manzon
Eugenio Castellotti		3rd
1955March 1312 Hours of SebringMaserati Co. &
B. S. Cunningham		Maserati 300SCesare Perdisa4th
May 15Bari Grand Prix Maserati A6GCS 4th
May 29SupercortemaggioreMaseratiMaserati 300SFranco BordoniDNF
June 2Coppa Delle Sei Ore Lancia Aurelia
June 5Mugello Grand Prix Maserati A6GCS 10th
June 1224 Hours of Le MansOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 300SLuigi MussoDNF
July 10Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti Maserati A6GCS DNF

References

  1. ↑ http://www.paddock.it/article/e-morto-gino-valenzano-campione-gentleman-degli-anni-cinquanta
  2. ↑ http://www.ultimissimeauto.com/e-morto-gino-valenzano/
  3. ↑ http://www.registroaurelia.com/gino_valenzano.php
  4. ↑ http://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/formula1/formula1/articoli/60800/gino-valenzano-un-grande-italiano.shtml
  5. ↑ http://www.registroaurelia.com/gino_valenzano.php
  6. ↑ http://www.paddock.it/article/e-morto-gino-valenzano-campione-gentleman-degli-anni-cinquanta
  7. ↑ http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/obituaries/gino-valenzano-rip
  8. ↑ http://www.ultimissimeauto.com/e-morto-gino-valenzano/
  9. ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Gino-Valenzano-I.html
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