Winter Marathon 2012 – 24th edition

Ezio and Francesca Salviato, father and daughter from Varese, added their names to the prestigious Winter Marathon roll of honour, also taking revenge on bad luck after having been forced to withdraw just a few hours before the start of the previous edition due to a mechanical failure on the same 1939 Lancia Aprilia with which they triumphed this year ahead of the other 158 crews at the start. Second and third place went to the official drivers of the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum: Alessandro Gamberini (1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta TI) finished ahead of Fabio Salvinelli (1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super). Among the participants was also Ivan Capelli, former Formula 1 driver, who raced with Gianni Lenzi as co-driver in a 1965 Volvo PV544 provided by the official manufacturer, finishing in an excellent 50th place overall.

After the first part of the race passed without any particular problems, following the short dinner break traditionally scheduled in Canazei, the heaviest snowfall ever remembered in the history of the event completely changed the scenery and the road conditions severely tested the crews, who had to tackle ten demanding trials while climbing in rapid succession the Pordoi, Campolongo, Gardena, Sella and Costalunga passes, before reaching the final time control in Folgarida exhausted but satisfied.

In the afternoon the event continued with the MotorStorica Trophy, once again won (after their success in 2011) by the Sandrolini-Venturi crew in a 1937 Citroën 11 Roadster. It was then time for the TAG Heuer Barozzi Trophy, where for the second consecutive year the Lancia Aprilia of Giuliano Canè (this year navigated by Gianmarco Rossi) took first place, ahead of the Porsche 356 C of Guido Barcella and Ombretta Ghidotti and the Innocenti Mini Cooper of Andrea Belometti and Federico Passi, who denied Salviato a place on the podium.