MOTOR SHOW RACING LEGEND AT THE 2009 BOLOGNA MOTOR SHOW.
THE SPORTING PASSION THAT HAS GONE DOWN IN HISTORY
In the run-up to the Mille Miglia, which – as the press has reported over recent days – in May will once again pass through the historical centre of Bologna, the 2009 Bologna Motor Show (set to be held at BolognaFiere from 4 to 8 December) is paying homage to the history of motor sport with Motor Show Racing Legend, an exhibition area dedicated to passion for sport on two or four wheels.
Orchestrated under the patronage of ACI-CSAI (The Italian Motor Sport Commission), Assomotoracing (The Cultural Association on the History and Technical Aspects of Motor Racing) and FMI (The Italian Motorcycling Federation) Motor Show Racing Legend offers a trip through the history of the Formula 1, Rally and Granturismo cars that have blazed a trail on tracks around the world. A part of Pavilion 25 will be given over to showcasing these unique, rare racing cars, taken from the most prestigious Italian collections, with a focus on the differences in design and technical features that have marked out each era in the history of motor sport.
Car lovers will also be able to enjoy a rich programme of vintage races, scheduled to take place alongside the modern-day races in the MotorSport Arena: 4 December will see the staging of the Historic Challenge; on 6 December, it will be the turn of Formula Legend; and on 7 and 8 December, the legendary Group A cars, which made such an impact on the history of rally driving in the 1980s, will hit the track.
During the course of the Motor Show, visitors will also have the opportunity to learn in more detail about the history and technical aspects of motor sport through a series of themed conferences that will spotlight companies, technicians, famous personalities and collectors. Among the events that have already been confirmed there are a number of technical sessions on the use of special materials: we'll discuss magnesium with Maurizio Nordio, President of the Sinergitec Consortium, who – in partnership with Assomotoracing's Magnesium Study Centre – will provide information on this material, highlighting the experience of Parilla, a well-established name in the sector of two-wheelers and karts, on which a host of archive material and photographs will also be available.
Marco Giachi, co-ordinator of Assomotoracing's Study Centre, will chair the round-table session, using modern simulation tools to encapsulate some of the most important moments in the history of racing aerodynamics.
The technical evolution of Grand Prix and other racing cars will be the focus of the session led by Tazio Taraschi and Gabriele Fabbri with the support of the Risalto agency. The conference will also benefit from the input of Professor Andrea Curani and other high-profile speakers.
The session conceived by Francesco Amante and Scuderia Bologna will be closely linked to the Emilia Romagna region and will be dedicated to the key figures in the history of Bolognese motor sport. The session, entitled “History of Post-War Motor Sport in Bologna” will provide an outline of an area that has got motor racing in its blood, covering aspects such as its road races and hill climbs, its minor contests and rally-driving competitions, the history of the Imola Autodrome, and the events at which the local drivers, technicians and mechanics have taken centre stage.
Last but not least, there will be a session dedicated to those who conserve and safeguard the heritage of motor sport. “Building a World”, the conference led by Museimpresa Vice President Marco Montemaggi, will look at how passion for motor sport can become a bona fide mission in life. In what will be a first for Italy, some of the leading collectors from Emilia Romagna and throughout Europe will explain how they started to build up their extraordinary collections.