It's really great to hear your stories Fritz, please keep them coming
Without us all individually posting confirming this, I can totally assure you we would all be privileged to hear much more.
I remember seeing a car my dad raced at Bonneyville. The safety device was a rope with knots in it, tied from the transmission tunnel to the opposite side (over the fuel cell). If the car went out of control, he was supposed to lean over and grab the rope! Those were certainly interesting days. I love hearing your stories and seeing the pictures of the cars. Please keep it up, and the continuing stories with your FF! John
Thank you and hope to meet you in Portugal in a Ferrari meeting with my FF. For the moment I am in Brasil with saudades da FF, but in May I will be back to my paradise: CASCAIS!!!!
I would be more than happy to welcome you, Mr. Fritz! If you're back to Portugal on the 11th of May, we have a gathering and private collection visit close to Lisbon (Mafra). Please take a look at the email I've sent with more details (a few days ago). It would be our pleasure to have you with us!
Dear Borsari was the very nice mechanic at both F1 races I drove with Fangio's Maserati loaned do Centro-Sud: 1959 GP of France and British GP at Aintree! And later at Ferrari. Goodbye Giulio Borsari, Ferrari's "capo meccanico" has turned off the engine. Mauro Forghieri recalls a story that explains who Borsari was, a true Ferrari man from 1963 until his retirement. An important piece of Ferrari history has silently passed away, yesterday Giulio Borsari turned off the engine for the last time, at the age of 88. He was known as "the chief mechanic", perhaps more knowledgeable than an engineer, he "baptised" generations of young mechanics starting at Ferrari's Reparto Corse (racing department), he had a solution to any problem, was a very charismatic man and never needed to raise his voice to keep the team together, Borsari was an example for young and old. "this is true" says Mauro Forghieri with an emotional tone of voice, "i will tell you a story that happened during the weekend of the German Gp, held at Hockenheim in 1970. Our drivers were Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni driving the Ferrari 312B, at the first free practice we found out the 12 cylinder boxer engine had problems with seized up bearings. Giulio was in charge of Jacky Ickx's car, you have to know, at that time the pit boxes were nothing like they are today, and the paddock was just a strip of grass, late that night Borsari told me to send all the mechanics to bed, but asked me to stay with him, i had no idea what he was up to. Then he showed me a piece of string and some sandpaper, and he began to open Jacky's engine, with precision and care he started to take the engine apart, piece by piece, and calmly explained to me how to sand the motor shaft to remove 2 tenths, but he was also very clear that i had to do it exactly right and that we could make no mistake, i was on one side he was on the other, it took us 4 hours... "When we were finished Giulio started to reassemble the engine with surgical precision, next day Jacky Ickx started from pole position. In the race 4 drivers were fighting for the lead, Ickx, Rindt, Regazzoni and Amon constantly overtook each other for positions, Clay was forced to retire due to engine problems, as was Amon, Jacky raced Rindt to the finish and continued to push him hard, in the end Rindt stayed ahead, clinching the win from Ickx by just 0.7 sec. That 2nd. place was as much Giulio's as it was Ickx's. Borsari had shown me one of his many secrets, like he did with all the young mechanics after they had gained his trust." Giulio Borsari was born in Montale in 1925, he began at Maserati and stayed with the trident untill after the war, he left in 1957 after having celebrated with Juan Manuel Fangio his fifth world title, shortly after the Modena based Maserati suspended all racing activity's. He received a call from Mimmo Dei, who practically begged him to work on his Scuderia Centro-Sud cars. Not long before he left for Maranello, where it only took him two years to become Ferrari's most respected Capo meccanico, the drivers trusted the bespectacled mechanic with their lives. Il Club Meccanici Anziani Formula Uno (Mechanical Elderly Club Formula One ) loses their leader, and Ferrari one of their legends, but Giulio Borsani leaves beautiful memories behind in Maranello and is a big part of Ferrari racing history. Riposa in Pace Signor Borsari. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Fritz, it is nice to read your stories here on FChat, we are lucky to have you with us. If by any chance you find yourself in São Paulo, let me know and we can go for a cafézinho. I was in Rio last Friday for work, but the weather wasn't so great, sadly. Beautiful city.
Thank you, I am the lucky one for being here. Sorry, I will not go to São Paulo and will soon go back home in Cascais.
There were quite a few sports racers and open wheel cars running Corvette small blocks back in the day. Woolworth heir Lance Reventlow's beautiful Scarab comes to mind. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I would be there too, if I could. I have some friends who have an apartment in Estoril, spent about 10 days there back in 2008 and it was spectacular. I want to return soon. Someone also told me the new racing circuit at Portimão is spectacular, and that there are a few historic racing meets there. Might make an interesting trip.
There is also the Historic Racing at Boavista, in the city of Porto. Seen here: Circuito da Boavista You can select English at the top right corner.
I visited Porto when I was there in 08, it is such a beautiful city! Another place I would like to return to as soon as I can.
Good idea!! Portimao Algarve Race Circuit/Track VIP Hospitality Suites for Hire www.portimaoracetrack.com I will soon go to the incredible south of Portugal and will try to drive my Ferrari FF there. Will tell you all how it goes...
Only just discovered this thread. Absolutely wonderful. When you have time Fritz, im sure i speak for others also, we would love to read and see more from your racing days. Did you meet or spend much time with Enzo?
Yes, between races we all lived in Modena. I for almost two years, 1959 and 1960 and met and talked many times with Commendatore Ferrari, the way everybody called him. Italy at that time was the center of races and Modena the capital. My friends were mainly Dan Gurney that arrived at the same time than me but didn't spoke Italian. As I studied two years in USA, first at Blair Academy and then at Wharton School, we became friends. We were all in the same hotel, the old Albergo Real-Fini in the center of Modena, in front of a beautiful piazza and a nice simple family restaurant. Phill Hill, Richie Ghinter, Dan and many others had lunch almost everyday there. Also the Commendatore who lived near by and I think owned it. Well, so many stories that I could tell... This was my Ferrari in 1959 in front of the old Albergo Real-Fini: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Amazing thread! What an honor to be able to participate in this with Sr. d'Orey. Incredible stories and pictures. The only place it doesn't bother me a bit hearing about Vette engined Ferraris. ;-) I feel privileged just to be in the same chat. Please keep the stories coming. Awesome!
Fritz you should write a book about all those magic years. I'm sure you have many stories to tell about races, Ferrari, the "Commendatore"
I used to travel to Estoril 3 - 4 times a year for 2-3weeks at a time very fond memories of Cascais ( nice painting of beach and bay in my hall at home too) , first trip on my own was 25 April 04 felt very strange driving over the 25th April bridge into Lisbonon the actual date to start a new chapter in my life ( for those that dont know it is called the 25th of april bridge recognising Portugal independence from Spain). That was when I was driving direct from Barcelona, and later took the trip from the UK but had to fly into Faro and take a 3hr drive up to Estoril to hotel San mamede. Heading south i would recommend staying on motorway until junction 10 (I think around grandola) then take old road down south which brings you at albufeira beautiful scenery passing all the cork trees stripped back bark with the different numbers for years left. And vice versa coming back, just the road from granadola upto sétubal was not the best and slow in comparison to the rest of the trip, and the full tip on the motorway is a bit boring after a while, admittedly it has been 3 years since I have been so roads could of improved since then. Happy days! Enjoy anyway. Even more so if you are taking the FF.
