Motorsport

Mille Miglia, the most beautiful race in the world told in a nutshell

History and curiosities about the Mille Miglia, the car race that has turned into a race for vintage cars, without losing its charm. An evocative competition, which takes place between Brescia and Rome, along a path of about 1600 kilometers through central Italy.

Mille Miglia is perhaps one of the most evocative names in motoring, especially in Italy . It entered the common language as a symbol of a race with epic contours , a race that perfectly mixes sporting spirit, passion for engines and extravagance. Not surprisingly, the Mille Miglia is considered one of the most beautiful races in the world and every year attracts hundreds of drivers and enthusiasts from all over the world. But how was this famous appointment born? How has it evolved over the years? What curiosities does it hide?

The history of the Mille Miglia: yesterday and today

The best thing to do to tell the story of the Mille Miglia is to start from its history , which is one of its characterizing elements. The life of this car race can be divided into two major phases: that of the actual race and that of the historical re-enactment . The first phase goes from 1927 , the date of the debut edition , to 1957 (with two pauses, in 1939 and between 1941 and 1946). In recent years the Mille Miglia is characterized as a long distance car race , which begins and ends in Brescia , crossing along the route of about 1600 kilometers (equivalent to 100 imperial miles) most of central Italy, up to Rome . The idea to organize it was born from a protest linked to the failure to assign the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix to the city of Brescia, which instead went to Monza and its Autodromo Nazionale . A disappointment from which a fantastic story was born. The second life of the Mille Miglia , on the other hand, began in 1977 and continues today. The event has turned into a historical regularity race in stages , which sees fascinating vintage cars parade along a route that traces the original idea and goes from Brescia to Rome and back. The goal is to complete it within a set time, without anticipating or delaying.

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7 things to know about the Mille Miglia

Even from this brief historical note it is possible to intuit the uniqueness of the Mille Miglia, which from a simple car race was able to transform itself into a myth. To get to know her even better, here are seven things you absolutely must know.

Who invented it

The creators of the Mille Miglia were Giovanni Canestrini, Franco Mazzotti, Aymo Maggi and Renzo Castagneto , nicknamed “the four musketeers”. Of this poker of aces, however, the most active promoter of the race was certainly Castagneto, then president of the Automobile Club Italia of Brescia.

Where does it start and where does it come from

As mentioned, the Mille Miglia starts in Brescia , where the finish line is also set. For the Lombard city, the race is a historical symbol of great value, an event around which the whole city colors and comes alive. The beating heart of the entire event, since the very first years, has been Piazza Vittoria .

What is the race course

The Mille Miglia route undergoes small changes with each edition, touching different locations in central Italy. The immovable fixed points, however, are the length, which must be around 1600 kilometres , that is, a thousand imperial miles, and the passage through Rome .

Which historic cars can participate

Only historic cars produced before 1957 and of which at least one example took part in or was registered in the original Mille Miglia can participate in the current version of the Mille Miglia.

How many cars participate

There is no minimum or maximum number of participants allowed . The record number of cars present at the start was recorded in 2017, during the race celebrating the 90th anniversary of the first edition of the Mille Miglia.

How and what to win

Since it is a regularity race, the first prize goes to the person who deviates the least from the established travel time. Arriving early or late, in fact, involves the assignment of penalties. Whoever collects the fewest penalties is the winner and is awarded the first prize, symbolic but very prestigious: a cup that faithfully reproduces that of the classic Mille Miglia .

When the Mille Miglia 2022 will take place

The 2022 edition of the Mille Miglia will be number 40 since the race was reborn as a historic car race. The competition will take place from 15 to 18 June . In first stage , the competitors will depart from Brescia and arrive in Cervia – Milano Marittima; in the second stage they will cross central Italy, passing through San Marino and Norcia and arriving in Rome; in the third , instead, they will go up north through Tuscany, until reaching Parma; finally, in the fourth they will compete in some tests on the Varano de' Melegari circuit, to then reach the Autodromo Nazionale Monza via Salsomaggiore and Pavia.

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Karting, the sport that shapes future drivers

Karting races are often a training ground in which the young generation of motoring is trained, destined to become great drivers of cars or motorcycles. On board the go-karts, inside a kart track, you can experiment and increase your skills on the track. Karting, however, is not the younger brother of Formula 1, but a full-fledged motorsport, with its championships and adrenaline-pumping challenges. There is one thing that unites the racing past of many great Formula 1 champions, from Senna to Verstappen, and that is karting . Racing on go-karts , in fact, is the first approach that aspiring drivers have with the track and with speed. The kart track is a kind of gym that you can start attending at a young age (you can start at 6). For this reason, karting is much more than a race aboard curious "machines", but a real sport , with its rules and its international competitions, and above all with great competitive value. So it's worth getting to know him a little better.

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What is karting: characteristics and history of a sport with a long tradition

According to the basic definition, karting is that specialty of motorsport which is raced with karts , i.e. small motor vehicles , of which there are several variants. The characterizing element, therefore, is the means used, which has a very particular aspect. The first go-kart prototype dates back to 1956 and is the work of Art Ingels , American racing car builder and Kurtis Kraft technician. In his intentions, that machine was to be just a pastime for his little son. Instead, it turned out to be a powerful intuition, capable of writing unforgettable pages in the world of engines. In fact, as early as 1957, the first real karts were developed in California: compact vehicles, with minimal ground clearance and no suspension, a flexible chassis, rear-wheel drive and an engine with limited power, which however still made them capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h. And the first official karting competition was held in 1959, in Nassau.

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Karting in Italy

Despite its American origins, karting boasts a long and glorious tradition in Italy , where it arrived in 1957 and where today there are numerous kart tracks . The first exhibition of a kart took place on the track of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza , while the production of these vehicles in Italy is closely linked to the name of Nicolò Donà delle Rose , a pioneer in the sector. Over the years, then, “made in Italy” drivers and teams have distinguished themselves for their successes on the track at an international level. To realise this, just look at the golden books of single-speed and shifter karting competitions.

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Kart types and race categories

The aforementioned distinction between single-speed karts and shifter karts is a first example of how different types of karts exist. Differences that are also reflected in the competitions and the age of the drivers who can drive the various vehicles. Another fundamental distinction is that relating to the engines , which can be:

• 4 times;
• 2 stroke 100 cm³ racing;
• 2 stroke 125 cm³ racing family KF;
• 2 stroke 125 cm³ KZ family;
• 125 cm³ TAG family.

Also very important is the weight (vehicle + driver), which is linked to the driving age and the racing category, as highlighted in the following table.

National and international karting competitions

The number of karting categories means that there are many different karting competitions, both nationally and internationally. On a global scale, however, the most coveted titles remain without a doubt those offered by the FIA karting division , which go under the acronym FIA Karting World Championship (single race). Similar speech for the European panorama, dominated by the FIA karting European Championship (tournament with several races in different countries of the old continent). In Italy, however, the most important trophy is organised and promoted by the ACI and is called the Italian ACI Karting Championship , organised into 8 different classes (some with 3 races, others with 5).

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