Argentina 1934; what happened to motor racing?

It may be that I simply cannot find the right sources but I know very little about races held in Argentina in 1934. Was there a severe economic slowdown or serious political upheaval during this year that prevented races taking place? There were half a dozen races, at least, in 1933 and double that number in 1935 but in 1934 I can only find reference to two races.

The first of these was the XVII Gran Premio Nacional held in two stages on 24/25 February. This was the last in the series for solely two-seater "racing cars" and was won by Emilio Karstulovic in his SSK in front of Ricardo Caru in a 4.7 Fiat (the car that won the III Grande Premio de Rio de Janeiro at Gavea in 1935?) and Ernesto Blanco's very successful REO Spl.

Thereafter a race (date unknown) was organised by the Sportivo Palermo in Buenos Aires, won by Blanco. Was that it?

Any light that can be shed will be much appreciated.

John

There was apparently an official ban on racing on public roads. The Gran Premio Nácional was run in relatively short stages, and would today be called a rally rather than a race. I don’t have any record of your Palermo race (which would have taken place in a park, rather than on open roads) though there were apparently a couple of fuerza limitada races in Córdoba province, at Serrano and Canals. Biggest circuit event for Argentine drivers in 1934 was in fact the Circuito de Gavea in Brazil, for which 16 drivers from the more southerly republic filed entries.
A lot of Argentine races from 1935 onwards were held on park circuits, though the road-racing ban seems to have been lifted (or ignored) for others, eg the Rafaela 500. But, as you know, racing machinery was now banned from the Gran Premio

Chris Jones' "Road Race" has....

Overall, 1933 was a bad year. A month after the farcical Gran Premio, at the Arrecifes event on 5 March, Mingo Bucci was critically injured in a crash, and died two days later. This led to a ban on racing in Buenos Aires province in 1934, forcing the Gran Premio to move north into the Chaco, where it was run over almost dead straight roads from Santa Fe to Resistencia and back. Power was the critical factor, and it was a big Mercedes-Benz driven by Chilean Emilio Karstulovic that won at 70.84 mph, beating Ricardo Caron (Fiat) and Blanco in his trusty REO.

Thanks David and Gerr

Although I was aware of the ban on racing on public roads in the Buenos Aires Province during 1934, following the death of the popular Domingo Bucci, I am still a little confused as to why "major" road races were not held in the rest of the country. You would have thought the BA ban would have resulted in enhanced entries elsewhere. Perhaps the ban was more extensive?

There was some political problems in Argentina in 1934 but serious enough to distrupt motor-racing?

As for the races held at Canals and Serrano in 1934, as mentioned by David, I would very much appreciate the dates.

The only Carrera de Canals I have in my records was held on 9 Dec 1933 when Fernando Nery won in his De Soto Spl ahead of Pedro Bardin in his similar car. Bardin also raced on occasion as "Happy Crash" which probably did not inspire his riding mechanic with confidence. In this race Ernesto Tornqvist finished 4th in an Alvis. Tornqvist was later the Temporada correspondent for "The Motor" and raced for Amedee Gordini as "Emart".

As for Serrano, the Club Recreativo y Sportiva Serrano ran a "limitidada" race on the El Guanaco circuit on 18 Aug 1935 with Luis Brosutti winning with a Whippet (car not dog!). This was a "regional" race and had probably been run in previous years.

The only known major race run in 1934 was the Gran Premio Nacional, held as usual on the flat pampas roads.

In 1935 the AC Argentina organised a GP Internacional, a high-speed regularity trial (just the once) in six stages over a distance three times that of a normal GP Nacional. Some of the now-classic type of enclosed cars made their first appearance in this "race" and two Plymouth Coupes finished first and second.
Mountain roads made up part of the course and these Turismo Carretera races developed into their own specialised form of racing.

However, the Moto Club Argentina ran their version of a Gran Premio Nacional on 17-18 May 1935 again using the fast roads from Rosario (Santa Fe province) to Resistencia (Chaco Province) as in 1934. Sometimes this race gets included in the GP Nacional listings. It was won by Osvaldo Parmiggiani from Juan Zerba Balbi, both
in Ford V8 Specials, with Eleuterio Donzino third in the "Bucci", Domingo's famous Hudson racer.

John

Sorry John, I don't have anything but passing references to those two Córdoba races, though I do have a note that Armando Serafín was winner of one (or both), mount unknown.

23 dec 1934 CUIDAD DE CASILDA (1x)
210 km

1. Vittorio Girola - Rugby 2h47
2. Jose Gambini - Rugby
3. Jose Lasagno


20 april 1935 Cuidad de Parana (Entre Rios) (1x)
Park Urquiza
2,800 km x 25 R - 70 km

1. Vittorio Coppoli Bugatti GP 2L 0h56'42"
2. Osvaldo Permigiani - Ford 0h58'09
3. Riccardo Caru - Fiat
4. Pedro Castro - Fiat
5. Franasco Cullighan - Ford
6. Eugenio Zaffaroni - Ford
7. Alberto Tornquist - Alvis
NC Victorio Rosa - Fiat
NC Forres Greene - Sunbeam


28 april 1935 GP de Cordoba
Park Sarmiento


1. Eleuterio Donzino - Hudson