14 replies to this topic

[Allen Brown]

... appeared in a handful of F1 races in 1961 in an old ex-F2 Cooper-Climax. At the GP von Wien, the first race at which he appears, he is given the honour of No 1 on the entry list.

But who was he?

Allen

[Tim Murray]

Wiki biography (in Italian) :

http://it.wikipedia....i/Mennato_Boffa

[Allen Brown]

Aha! It would have helped if I'd spelled Mennato right!

Thanks Tim.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Tim Murray
Wiki biography (in Italian) :

http://it.wikipedia....i/Mennato_Boffa

Wiki biography (in Italian) :http://it.wikipedia....i/Mennato_Boffa through Babelfish Wiki biography (in English) :

23 Decembers 1929 - Naples, 28 september 1996) have been an Italian automotive pilot. It gained numerous contests in Italy and all' foreign country, mainly to flying of Maserati cars the Sport.

Biography [modification] The debuts [modification] Been born to Vitulano 23 December 1929, it came declared all' single registrar's office 4 January 1930. It was approached the world of the race in 1938, when father carried to the Carmine with oneself to see it the Great Prize of Posillipo to Naples. In 1953 it participated to the official tests of a contest in climb, the Catania-Etna. To edge of its Fiat 1100 R with which it had oed for job in Sicily, obtained the better time than class but it was not satisfied of its comparison confronted with the crono recorded from the Italian champion Gino De Sanctis, than second it guided un' analogous car. After two years it discovered, reading Car Italian, that De Sanctis always had been to elaborated flying of a 1100 with which had, between the other optimal performances, also established the launch record on the km in approximately 153 km/h, while its with difficulty caught up the 110 km/h! The Wednesday precedence the Great Prize of Posillipo of 1955, acquired from the father of Cesar Fiorio a Nozzle Aurelia B20 with which it toed make one's debut in track nell' within of a social contest. To Posillipo it by far obtained the faster turn in contest, but collezionò also a consisting number of testacoda own in the curve from loved he more, the curve Askaris. The controlled following monday l' Aurelia you discover that it had a posterior shock-absorber completely detached.

[modification] Plate Florio 1956: here in which conditions it was the B20 di Mennato Boffa quickly after to have concluded the race. Plate Florio 1956: here in which conditions it was the B20 di Mennato Boffa quickly after to have concluded the race. In 1956 and 1957 the race with the ill-famed one, for via of the dangerousness nell' to be capacity to the limit, Maserati 1500 Sports. It picked 28 victories and it never did not scratch not even a mudguard for a its error, also having had a tremendous crash to the Turn of Sardinia because of a misunderstanding while it was gotten ready to exceed Kind Franc. After a short parenthesis from official pilot Ferrari (race the Turn of Sardinia and the Great Prize of Posillipo of 1957 with the Ferrari Testarossa 2000 CC), were to the guide of the bolidi of the Tridente from 1958 till 1961 and in occasion of its return nell' year 1964. At first it piloted a dated A6GCS, then it passed to flying of a new Bird Cage, always of 2000 cc. The Italian Championship was adjudicated then Sport in the 1960/61 and after 3 years of stop, to re-enters sporadic in 1964. For being preciser also in 1958 for number of points conquered, it would have had to be the Italian Champion but he did not catch up the minimum of contests to dispute and thus the Title went to Germans. In 1960 third party in the European Championship of the Mountain reached and in 1961 he was Vice European Champion behind the Porsche Sport, imbattibili on deep dissestati compounds and. In 1961 it disputed also three contests, seppur not valid for the world-wide championship, in Formula 1 to the guide of the Cooper Climax 1500 cc with which years before, Jack Brabham had adjudicated the World-wide one. [1] It left then in before row to the G.P of Vienna, reaching fifth the goal, was classified ninth to the GP of Siracusa, while problems to the car plagued its loved G.P of Posillipo. The car was sent in England and from it would have made return much later because of problems with l' there; company person in charge of the repair.

Biography [modification] The debuts [modification] Been born to Vitulano 23 December 1929, it came declared all' single registrar's office 4 January 1930. It was approached the world of the race in 1938, when father carried to the Carmine with oneself to see it the Great Prize of Posillipo to Naples. In 1953 it participated to the official tests of a contest in climb, the Catania-Etna. To edge of its Fiat 1100 R with which it had oed for job in Sicily, obtained the better time than class but it was not satisfied of its comparison confronted with the crono recorded from the Italian champion Gino De Sanctis, than second it guided un' analogous car. The return [modification] Mennato Boffa in 1979 returned to attempt in track and climb. To the guide of the Rhythm 1150 cc Gr.2 picked most numerous affirmations in climb and circuit. It also participated to some contests with l' Osella 2000 Bmw, with which it obtained also good result between 1979 and 1980. For being able to be competitive it had to try tantissimo and to be able to decide of the full support of a prestigious team. Boffa could not be dedicated to full time all' motoring because it was taken care of the conduction of un' important its company in the field of the autoricambi. September 1996 is died to Naples the 28.

[Paolo]

One of Mennato Boffa's sons, Vito, was a racer too, competing in several categories up to Italian F3, in the late 80's.

[D-Type]

To me, the name 'Boffa' always triggers memories of a highly enthusiastic report by DSJ in Motor Sport in 1959-61 of Boffa's drive in a 2 litre WRE*-Maserati to win one of the Italian road races - possibly the Circuit of Mugello. Jenks seemed to think it was Boffa's drive of his life. I don't remember the details, just Jenks's enthusiasm.

*WRE = World Racing Enterprises, an Italian 9very) low volume sports car maker.

[Allen Brown]

The bit in the biography about the Cooper is interesting. Whether it was the car in which Brabham won the championship or a car of the same type is hard for me to tell from the various translation tools (and my trusty English-Italian dictionary). Whichever it is, it would make it a 1959 T51.

One 1959 ex-works car is unexplained in 1961, the one the CT Atkins team had acquired for the 1960 season. It's possible it could be that one.

Allen

[fines]

Originally posted by Paolo
One of Mennato Boffa's sons, Vito, was a racer too, competing in several categories up to Italian F3, in the late 80's.

Yes! He even scored a point in F3 in 1987 (Vallelunga, Sep 27).

[alessandro silva]

Boffa's Cooper was a 1958 T45.

Boffa was so big that he could not pursue a single-seat career in the early 60s cars.
He had been, since about 1957, and would be, until 1964, the fastest 2l Maserati sportscar driver in the country, which was no small feat then. The drive for which he is better known abroad was a third place in the 1961 Pescara 4hrs, a World Championship round for makes, obtained without codriver in his 2L birdcage Maserati.

The Wikipedia articles about him are astonishingly stupid.

[Allen Brown]

Hi Alessandro

How do you know it was a T45?

Thanks

Allen

[alessandro silva]

There were three T45s with Climax engine in Italy at the beginning of 1961. Pirocchi had one, which he dropped by mid-season for a T51 with Maserati engine, one belonged to Scuderia Serenissima, which if I remember correctly, also got a Maserati engine, and Boffa's.
Two of the Italian T45s with Climax engine appeared at the Coppa Italia at Vallelunga at the end of the season entered by Scuderia Sant Ambroeus driven by Buticchi and de Sanctis, although Buticchi's car might have had a Maserati engine.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Thanks all , especially 275 GTB 4 for the translation !

[Roman]

Attilio Menato Boffa... in hill-climbs...

[David McKinney]

Looks as if that site combines the result of Menato Boffa and Attilio Buffa

[ERault]

As I am (like everyone else, I gather) reading my 60s Motorsport DVD set, I find in DSJ report from the 1961 Siracusa GP that Boffa's car was "a scruffy old green F2 Cooper-Climax". Not sure that helps, though...