Lost Road Races: A History of the Mugello GP street circuit

Mugello

During the 20th century, Italy hosted more grand road races than any other country. The Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and Giro di Sicilia were by far the most famous, but the Mugello GP was no less daunting a challenge.

Whereas the Mille and Giro were more akin to rallies in that contestants followed a set route just once, the Targa Florio and Mugello GP comprised a small number of laps around a mammoth road course.

Early Days

The first Mugello GP was held on 21st June 1914. It took place along 66 kilometres of dusty Tuscan roads that weaved through the Apennine mountains. The circuit started in Scarperia, ran up to Firenzuola, through the Futa pass via San Piero and back to Scarperia.

Organised as a regularity event for its inaugural year, victory went to Eugenio Silvani aboard a Diatto.

However, the most popular contestant was Fernando Minoia who ignored the time limit and drove flat out to finish 18 minutes early.

Despite a promising debut running, the onset of World War 1 just a few weeks later meant there was no repeat until 1920.

Throughout the 1920s, the Mugello GP became an important event and attracted many of the top Italian drivers. Giuseppe Campari won for Alfa Romeo in 1920 and 1921 followed by Alfieri Maserati in 1922 (driving an Isotta-Fraschini). A young Enzo Ferrari took a class win for Alfa Romeo in 1923.

Local hero Emilio Materassi scored victories in 1925 and 1926 (driving an Italona) and then again in 1928 (this time in a Talbot). However, in light of competition from other, more popular events, the 1929 edition looked set to be the last.

1955

1955 unexpectedly saw a one-off revival that used a reduced 19 kilometre version of the circuit.

It drew a fine entry and was won by Umberto Maglioli driving a works Ferrari 750 Monza.

Unfortunately though, 1955 proved a false dawn; it would be another nine years before the Mugello GP underwent a true renaissance.

It was the disappearance of events like the Mille Miglia that ultimately convinced local organisers to reinstate the competition. With a dearth of road races on the calendar, the classic 66 kilometre circuit was brought back to life.

Revival

The Mugello GP returned to the calendar in 1964, precisely 50 years after that inaugural 1914 contest. Over the next seven years, it attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators.

The 1964 event was an enormous success. An excellent selection of machinery was entered to contest five laps of the 66 kilometre course.

Gianni Bulgari emerged victorious in his Porsche 904 GTS.

World Championship Status

The FIA were so impressed that they made the event part of the World Sportscar Championship for 1965, 1966 and 1967.

With top ranked status, the Mugello GP attracted a phenomenal line-up of cars and drivers. Factory teams from Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Porsche, Abarth and Ferrari all ran at Mugello during these halcyon days.

Mario Casoni / Antonio Nicodemi won in 1965 (Ferrari 250 LM). Gerhard Koch / Jochen Neerpasch were then victorious in 1966 (Porsche 906) and Udo Schutz / Gerhard Mitter took the laurels in 1967 (Porsche 910).

However, the 1967 event was marred by the death of Gunther Klass on the first day of official practice.

Driving for Scuderia Ferrari, Klass was out in the Group 7 Dino training car when, 22 kilometres round the course, he left the road through a bumpy kink and hit a tree sideways at around 60mph.

The impact practically split the car in two and poor Gunther Klass died of his injuries shortly after being put in the medical helicopter.

Considering the circuit’s perilous layout, it was miraculous that Gunther Klass proved the only competitor fatality during this second era of competition. His death did cause the Mugello GP to lose its World Championship credentials from 1968 though.

Later Years

The 1968 event was won by Lucien Bianchi, Nino Vaccarella and Nanni Galli in an Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2.

Arturo Merzario then single-handedly drove a works Abarth 2000 SP to victory in 1969.

The incident that finally brought about the demise of Mugello GP occurred in the build up to the 1970 race. While illegally testing, works Alfa Romeo driver, Spartaco Dini, ploughed into a crowd of people in the village of Firenzuola.

A seven month old baby was killed and four other people were seriously injured.

Dini was jailed for two months and fled Italy upon his release.

The race went on as scheduled and, for the second year in succession, was won by Merzario in a works Abarth 2000 SP.

Ironically, the 1970 event had been made a round of the European 2-litre Sports Car Championship, but it was the final time this spectacular road race was held.

To replace it, the permanent 5.2km Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello circuit was opened on the outskirts of Scarperia in 1974.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed