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 a teammate of drivers like Robert Manzon and Froilán González.

Gino in Lancia D24 at 1954 Mille Miglia

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 Luigi Segre and other successful drivers, including 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]
YearDateRaceEntrantCarTeammate(s)Result
1947June 29VareseFiat 1100
July 20Coppa d' Oro delle DolomitiRevelli Monaco
Testadoro
10th
August 24Circuito di SenigalliaFiat7th
1948April 4Targa FlorioDNF
May 2Mille MigliaFiatRocco MottoDNF
May 9VercelliNardi-Danese8th
July 11Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti6th
1949April 24Mille MigliaFiat 1100 CabrioletLuigi Segre63rd
July 17Coppa d' Oro delle DolomitiNardi-DaneseDNF
August 21Circuito de Senigallia6th
1950April 23Mille MigliaFiat 1100 ELuigi Segre59th
June 11Premio di AperturaNardi-Danese6th
August 20Pergusa Grand PrixAbarth 11001st
October 8ModenaNardi-Danese4th
1951April 29Mille MigliaLanciaLancia AureliaLuigi Maggio7th
August 116 Hours of Pescara3rd
1952March 9Giro di SiciliaEmilio Giletti3rd
May 4Mille Miglia"Paltrinieri"DNF
June 1Prix de Monte CarloScuderia Lancianone4th
June 1524 Hours of Le Mans"Ippocampo"6th
June 29Targa Florio2nd
July 13Coppa d' Oro delle DolomitiDNF
1953April 12Giro di SiciliaScuderia Lancia"S. Ramella"2nd
April 26Mille Miglia"Margutti"DNF
May 14Targa FlorioScuderia LanciaLancia D20none4th
May 31Coppa della ToscanaLancia AureliaLuigi Maggio2nd
June 1424 Hours of Le MansLancia D20Felice Bonetto
Froilán González
DNF
June 28Giro dell'UmbriaLancia AureliaLuigi Maggio3rd
July 12Coppa d' Oro delle DolomitiScuderia LanciaLancia D23noneDNF
1954March 712 Hours of SebringLancia 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 PrixMaserati A6GCS4th
May 29SupercortemaggioreMaseratiMaserati 300SFranco BordoniDNF
June 2Coppa Delle Sei OreLancia Aurelia
June 5Mugello Grand PrixMaserati A6GCS10th
June 1224 Hours of Le MansOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 300SLuigi MussoDNF
July 10Coppa d' Oro delle DolomitiMaserati A6GCSDNF

References

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