Jump to content


Photo

'Gimax' (Carlo Franchi)


  • Please log in to reply
64 replies to this topic

#1 Tomoko

Tomoko
  • New Member

  • 15 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 11 October 2000 - 13:16

I'd like to know anything about GIMAX. I know he might not be a great driver but my friend told me "he was funny" and so on... but I really don't know why. Could you tell me something about him, please?

Advertisement

#2 Darren Galpin

Darren Galpin
  • Member

  • 2,316 posts
  • Joined: April 00

Posted 11 October 2000 - 13:24

'Gimax' (Carlo Franchi) (I)

b 14/4/1957


1978 - DNQ Italian GP (Team Surtees)

#3 Darren Galpin

Darren Galpin
  • Member

  • 2,316 posts
  • Joined: April 00

Posted 13 October 2000 - 06:50


25 April 1974 Monza 1000 Km

Pos Car # Drivers Car Entrant Qualifying
21 33 Laurent Ferrier/Carlo Franchi Chevron Ford-Cosworth B23 Michel Dupont 129 laps Q18, 1:44.97


20 April 1975 Monza 1000 Km
10 21 Carlo Franchi/Giovanni Alberti Chevron Ford-Cosworth B21 Citta dei Mille 148 laps Q26, 1:43.54


25 April 1976 Monza 4 Hours
10 33 Stanislao Sterzel/Carlo Franchi March-BMW 75S Stanislao Sterzel 124 laps Q18, 1:46.88


23 May 1976 Imola 500 Km
8 40 Carlo Franchi/Stanislao Sterzel March-BMW 75S Sesto Corse 89 laps Q10, 1:49.34


27 Jun 1976 Enna 4 Hrs
3 32 Stanislao Sterzel/Carlo Franchi March-BMW 75S Stanislao Sterzel 92 laps Q8, 1:45.21


20 Mar 1977 Mugello 6 Hrs
DNA 19 Enrico Grasso/Carlo Franchi Porsche 911S Sesto Corse


25 April 1977 Monza 500 Km
DNF 32 Giovanni Anzeloni/Carlo Franchi Lola-BMW T296 Giovanni Anzeloni Q9, 1:51.93


29 May 1977 Vallelunga 400 Km
DNF 11 Carlo Franchi/Cosimo Turizio Osella-Armaroli PA5 10 laps/brakes Q4, 1:13.1


4 Sep 1977 Imola 250 Km
DNA 29 Carlo Franchi March-BMW 75S Sesto Corse


18 Mar 1979 Mugello 6 Hrs
8 23 Carlo Franchi/Gianfranco Palazzoli/Giorgio Pianta Osella-BMW PA7 Carlo Franchi 114 laps Q3, 1:56.67


13 Apr 1980 Mugello 6 Hrs
3 11 Carlo Franchi/Marcello M.Gallo Osella-BMW PA7 Marcello M.Gallo 173 laps (1st in class), Q7, 1:55.67


27 Apr 1980 Monza 6 Hrs
9 48 Carlo Franchi/Marcello M.Gallo Osella-BMW PA8 Carlo Franchi 166 laps (1st in class), Q6, 1:48.9


7 Sep 1980 Vallelunga 6 Hrs
6 43 Claudio Francisci/Carlo Franchi Osella-BMW PA8 Escolette 262 laps Q3, 1:12.54


12 Apr 1981 Mugello 6 Hrs
14 15 Carlo Franchi/Luigi Moreschi Osella-BMW PA9 Carlo Franchi 139 laps Q2, 1:53.9


26 Apr 1981 Monza 1000 Km
3 44 Carlo Franchi/Luigi Moreschi Osella-BMW PA9 Carlo Franchi 171 laps Q6, 1:51.53


28 Jun 1981 Enna Coppa Florio
3 6 Carlo Franchi/Luigi Moreschi Osella-BMW PA9 Carlo Franchi 194 laps Q4, 1:39.37


18 Apr 1982 Monza 1000 Km
DNS 62 Carlo Facetti/Carlo Franchi/Martino Finotto Osella-BMW PA9-82 Jolly Club Q8, 1:45.99


19 Sep 1982 Mugello 1000 Km
DNF 11 Carlo Franchi/Sandro Cinotti/Giuseppe Piazzi Osella-BMW PA9 Jolly Club accident Q8, 1:55.15


10 Apr 1983 Monza 1000 Km
14 106 Carlo Facetti/Martino Finotto/Carlo Franchi Osella Carma-Giannini PA9-82 Jolly Club 133 laps (1st in class) Q20, 1:45.86
DNF 105 Carlo Franchi Osella-BMW PA9 Carlo Franchi 14 laps (3rd Gp6)


16 Oct 1983 Imola 1000 Km
8 57 Carlo Franchi/Oscar Larrauri Dallara Lancia LC1 Eugenio Bersini 165 laps Q12, 1:49.71


23 Oct 1983 Mugello 1000 Km
7 57 Carlo Franchi/Oscar Larrauri Dallara Lancia LC1 Eugenio Bersini 169 laps Q10, 1:54.76


23 Apr 1984 Mugello 1000 Km
DNF 131 Vittorio Coggiola/Carlo Franchi/Gianni Mussato Porsche 935 [9307700906] Vittorio Coggiola 60 laps/engine Q20, 1:51.97



1980 - J218th, 6 pts
1981 - J28th, 49 pts





There were two Gimax's, Gimax Jr and Gimax. Gimax Jr was Carlo Franchi Jr, and Gimax was Carlo Franchi. Perhaps this is the source of confusion with birthdates - perhaps Gimax was born in 1935, and Gimax Jr was born on 14/4/1957 (or 1967).


#4 Tomoko

Tomoko
  • New Member

  • 15 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 13 October 2000 - 08:39

Thank you for your effort, Darren! I really, really appreciate you.

What a amazing father + son...

#5 Barry Lake

Barry Lake
  • Member

  • 2,169 posts
  • Joined: February 00

Posted 13 October 2000 - 16:30

I am trying to make this all add up.
I had Carlo Franchi listed as being born in 1938 and being killed in 1967.
Darren's listed birth date of 1935 also might be correct, I probably got 1938 by subtracting his reported age at time of death.
Therefore, if this is correct, the sports car race results listed would have to be for Franchi Jnr.
But, if Jnr was born 1957 he would only have been 17 at the time of that first sports car race.
And, taking 1935 as Snr's birth date, he would have been only 22 when Jnr was born. Jnr would have been 10 when Snr was killed (at age 32).
Hmmm... Does anyone have further information?

Ah! Wait a minute. I just realised Darren's date for Jnr's birth has been mixed up with Snr's death (if my info is correct) 14 March 1967. So perhaps we don't know when Jnr was born.

#6 fines

fines
  • Member

  • 9,647 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 13 October 2000 - 18:14

You got me confused!

I always thought it was Gimax Snr. who did some F3 racing in the sixties, Sports Cars and the odd F1 appearance in the seventies, with Gimax Jnr. showing up in British F3000 in the nineties :confused:?

#7 Francis

Francis
  • Member

  • 42 posts
  • Joined: June 00

Posted 13 October 2000 - 18:36

Barry,

I wonder if you are mixing up two pseudonymed Italian drivers.

'Geki' (Giacomo Russo) who was born 23/10/1937 and killed in an F3 race at Caserta on 18/6/1967. He competed in the Italian GP 1964-66, in the last two years as a third Team Lotus entry.

'Gimax' (Carlo Franchi) who was born around 1935 and competed almost exclusively in Italian sports car events throughout the 1970's and 80's.



#8 TonyKaye

TonyKaye
  • Member

  • 172 posts
  • Joined: October 00

Posted 13 October 2000 - 18:41

I don't know if this helps, but Carlo Franchi was a regular Formula Junior competitor in 1963 and 1964. He drove a Wainer and not surprisingly achieved little success, his best placing being 7th at Monza in '63. He competed very occasionally in F3 from 1965 to 1971 and was never a force to be reckoned with. He hardly ever ventured beyond Italy and was hampered by almost always driving Italian cars, mostly DeSanctis, but sometimes BWA or Foglietti, at a time when British cars were the vehicles of choice.
How this all fits in with the father/son thing I don't know, nor with his death in 1967.
Anyway, if this helps at all you can thank ME. If it doesn't, you can blame Paul Sheldon, because that's where I obtained the information!

#9 Barry Lake

Barry Lake
  • Member

  • 2,169 posts
  • Joined: February 00

Posted 14 October 2000 - 12:56

Francis
No I am not getting Gimax confused with Geki. I was well aware of the latter, having followed F3 racing when he was active. I also had his birth and death dates listed correctly (the same as your dates).
But I am not familiar with Gimax other than that I had a date and a place for his demise listed (but no mention of where I originally found this information) and I assume that the birth date, being a year only (no month or day) was probably calculated from his reported age at the time of death.
As it turns out, Darren has a different year (1935 to my 1938).
I had never heard of a second Gimax until Darren's mention of it in this thread.
But if Gimax (Carlo Franchi) was killed in 1967, then there obviously is a second Carlo Franchi who scored the sports car results listed here by Darren.
Tony Kaye's information that the original Carlo Franchi raced in F3 through to 1971 confuses the issue on his supposed passing in 1967.
I think we have just enough (mis)information here to confuse all of us.

You don't suppose Carlo Franchi and Fritz d'Orey are both sitting at computers somewhere, reading this and are slightly miffed that we are reporting them as deceased, when they actually are as alive as all the rest of us?

Getting back to Geki, I seem to remember there being tragic circumstances to his death (more than usual, that is). Was it something about a spectator bridge collapsing, or something like that?

#10 rainern

rainern
  • Member

  • 64 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 14 October 2000 - 13:54

The GPDB of 1997 states Gimax was born in 1938.My own records says he was born April the 14th, 1937. Seems to be some confusion....

He didn´t die in the 1960s either because he was at Monza in 1978 trying to qualify a TS20 from Team Surtees for the Italian GP.

Seems now there IS some confusion and mix-ups with his son because my records states Junior was born April 14th, 1967...would be a strange co-incidence...
Junior drove F3 in the late 1980s and my last record of him was in the British F3000 series of 1991.

Rounds 2-5 in a Terropol entered Lola T90/50-Cosworth/Mader
Rounds 1, 6-10 in a CoBRa Motorsport Reynard 90D-Cosworth/Nicholson McLaren

My last records of Seniors wherabouts is Italian Gr6 racing in 1985.

Rainer




#11 Tomoko

Tomoko
  • New Member

  • 15 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 14 October 2000 - 14:02

One of my friend told me that "GIMAX" was born on 1/1/1938, so the person who entered F1 once might be him, not his son or who else...If the first Carlo Franchi raced in mid 80s, it's amazing - he's already over 50yo. Not many drivers can't continue racing until his 50s.

And I found the website of Audisio & Benvenuto Racing which "GIMAX" joined for a year, so maybe I can ask it to them... well I should try...


#12 rainern

rainern
  • Member

  • 64 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 14 October 2000 - 14:07

Click on link below for a picture of Gimax exiting the Parabolica at Monza in 1978.

http://w1.859.telia....ax-ita-TS20.jpg

You should be used to racing grandfathers Tomoko....
Former japanese GP-driver Kazuyoshi Hoshino and his compatriot Kunimitsu Takahashi also continued at a very high level until very advanced ages....:)

Rainer


#13 Barry Lake

Barry Lake
  • Member

  • 2,169 posts
  • Joined: February 00

Posted 14 October 2000 - 14:23

I found my source for the date of the supposed demise of Carlo Franchi. It is an American book.
It is beginning to look like they have seen the birth date of Carlo Jnr and mistakenly entered it as the date of Carlo Snr's death.
I now have the feeling the 1967 date is Jnr's date of birth and that, quite probably, both Snr and Jnr are alive and well.

Tomoko's friend might know the answer.

By the way, Tomoko, it is good to see someone from Japan on the forum. It is now truly international. Has anyone listed the various countries represented here?


#14 Tomoko

Tomoko
  • New Member

  • 15 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 14 October 2000 - 15:12

Haha! I e-mailed to Italian team right now! I hope they will give us an answer =)

Well Rainer,I visit that 8W site so many times and it's a great help for my interests all the time!
Yes, I'm actually familliar with those racing grandfathers like Kazuyoshi Hoshino,Kunimitsu Takahashi and Masahiro Hasemi, the only Japanese who recorded fastest lap....and one of them is Masanori Sekiya, 1995 Le Mans winner, announced his retirement from racing yesterday. He will be the manager of Toyota team next year.

And Barry, is Japanese so particular on the forum??? I know a lot of people interested in "old F1" but they don't understand English a lot. I think I write strangely broken English but please try to understand what I write!


#15 Ray Bell

Ray Bell
  • Member

  • 79,955 posts
  • Joined: December 99

Posted 15 October 2000 - 12:06

'Strangely broken' is definitely better than none, Tomoko, so please keep coming back with more...
Hasemi, fastest at Mt Fuji in 1976... we remember.

#16 Barry Lake

Barry Lake
  • Member

  • 2,169 posts
  • Joined: February 00

Posted 15 October 2000 - 12:23

Tomoko
Yes I think it is important to have at least one Japanese person on this forum. You would have access to information none of the rest of us would have.

I don't see very much wrong with your English.
All of us on this forum COULD converse in Japanese, but you might not learn very much.

By the way, I notice you have not provided any information on yourself. It would be interesting to know something of your background, and your interests.

#17 jarama

jarama
  • Member

  • 1,129 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 15 October 2000 - 13:01

I think there was something strange 'bout this FL.

The best register was given to Masahiro Hasemi, but this was on the wet, with 1'18"23. At about half race, rain stopped and the times were improving, aproaching to the PP register -the poleman was Mario Andretti with 1'12"77- according to Michèle Dubosc, then chronometrist -dunno if this word exists in english- in the Equipe Ligier-Gitanes. Jacques Laffite was the first in changing from wets to slicks, and subsequently -always according to M.Dubosc- set the FL.

The team complained to the CSI, whose secretary, Yvon Leon, wrote to the organisers. They chequed his registers, saw his mistake and asked for apologies... but never was officially corrected.

This is extracted from one letter sended by the well-known Gérard "Jabby" Crombac and published in one issue of the spanish edition of F1Racing magazine.

#18 Tomoko

Tomoko
  • New Member

  • 15 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 15 October 2000 - 14:41

I recently know that Hasemi matter - but please be patient about the failure - keep it as the Japanese record because it's OFFICIAL! Still, no other Japanese made it after him. Poor Japanese, we need a lot of great talent!! (and Honda and Toyota engine???)

I really don't believe there is quite a few Japanese... well I should be proud I'm the Japanese pioneer of this forum and maybe the first Japanese girl member =) I'm sure I'll visit this forum a lot because I will help my friends who don't understand English a lot.

And I added my profile too. Please see it =)

#19 jarama

jarama
  • Member

  • 1,129 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 15 October 2000 - 16:25

By the way, Tomoko, don't worry about your english. Mine is a lot poorer than yours, but so we can also share our interest in car racing with friends of all four corners of the world.

Advertisement

#20 Darren Galpin

Darren Galpin
  • Member

  • 2,316 posts
  • Joined: April 00

Posted 16 October 2000 - 07:19

Let me shed some light on where I got my information from.....


The Sportscar results I posted for Gimax above come from "Time and Two Seats" by Janos Wimpffen, and are definitely for Gimax (Carlo Franchi). The book listed the existence of a Gimax Jr (Carlo Franchi Jr), but did not give any results for this driver, indicating that Gimax Jr did not take part in sportscar races, at least World Championship rounds. Gimax also tried to qualify a Surtees TS20, as mentioned by myself and Rainer, so he was definitely around in 1978 and 1984.

From these discussions, it would seem that
a) Gimax was born in 1938.
b) Gimax Jr was born in 14/4/1967

I believe that the 14/4/1957 was invented by David Hayhoe when I wrote to him and pointed out that the date of birth given in his Grand Prix Data Book version 2 meant that Gimax raced the Surtees aged 11, and he tried to reconcile his figures.

#21 Boniver

Boniver
  • Member

  • 589 posts
  • Joined: October 00

Posted 18 October 2000 - 13:10

Autosprint F1 Italie

Info of « Gimax »

GP It 78 – Gimax wil start with the nr 38 ATS Penske
But take the nr 18 Durex Surtees (from Keegan)

Through the crass of Petterson and Brambilla in the GP she have now attention for Gimax

But it was the same Gimax who race in 1978
- Monza G6 classe
- Vallelunga G6
- Florio G6
And was in 1978 8st in Campionato Italiano

Boniver



#22 Boniver

Boniver
  • Member

  • 589 posts
  • Joined: October 00

Posted 30 October 2000 - 21:42

Autosprint anno 1979 (Italie)

Campionato Italiano Sport « GIMAX »
Osella PA7 BMW (groep 6)

Born in Milan

Foto for Gimax : he look 40 a 45 yaers OLD

Gimax hope to start with Williams FW06 formule 1 in the Gran Premio « Dino Ferrari »



#23 fines

fines
  • Member

  • 9,647 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 30 October 2000 - 22:53

He did (Giacomo Agostini entry) and retired, running dead last for 32 laps!

#24 Darren Galpin

Darren Galpin
  • Member

  • 2,316 posts
  • Joined: April 00

Posted 18 March 2002 - 08:19

Time to drag this old chestnut up again.

I've had an a couple of e-mails from someone who says that it was Gimax Jr who "competed" in the 1978 Italian GP, rather than Gimax Sr. Here are extracts from the two e-mails stating the case:


The second driver I'd like to turn your attention at
is "Gimax Jnr.". You had made a classical mistake by
mixing "Gimax Snr." and "Gimax Jnr.". According to
your site, it was "Gimax Snr." who didn't qualify at
the Italian GP in 1978, but it was his son in fact.
All the list of "Gimax Snr."'s sportscar racing career
is related to Jnr., too. Son's career at Italian F3
and British F3000 can be found also at "Motorsport
People". This time it's all right, "Gimax Jnr." really
participated in F3 and F3000 in the end of 1980s, and
I've got some information about him.



And now let's resume our discussion on Gimax Jr. and
Sr., too. A quote from Russian "Formula 1" magazine
which I consider to be quite reliable source of
information: "Carlo borrowed his father's racing
pseudonym "Gimax", that's why they are mixed up
frequently. About 50 per cent of Formula 1 reference
books say now that it was Gimax Sr. who participated
in Italian GP in 1978". This is the only source I have
at my disposal as both French "L'encyclopedie de la
Formule 1" and "Races and Racing Cars" by Artem Atoyan
which I've looked through didn't give me any
information on Gimax. So I shouldn't get my way if any
evidences of opposite point of view would be received
by me from you or someone else.

At all events, Gimax Jr.'s career in other motorsport
series is not touched in this discussion. I have got
the following facts:
1979 British AXF Aurora F1 series, 2 pts, 19th
1980 British AXF Aurora F1 series, 3 pts, 14th
(Non-championship table at
http://www.fortuneci...e/54/index1.htm
contains this information)
1982 Italian F3, 0 pts
1987 Italian F3 in Astofer team, 2 pts, 17th
1988 Italian F3 in Astofer team, 5 pts, 12th
1990 Italian F3 in Durango team, 5 pts, 16th
British F3000, 6th Brands Hatch & Silverstone, 2
pts, 16th overall
1991 British F3000, 3rd Oulton Park, 7 pts, 10th
overall
(These bits of information can be found at
http://www.clarinet.fi/~spitkane and at British F3000
section of your site)

That's all I know about Gimax Jr., and the information
on his father is even less than that. The only fact I
have on him are some participations in Italian F2 in
1965. You can find this at
http://user.tninet.s...1w/F2_Index.htm.



Can someone give evidence either way???? I had hoped that we had solved this problem forever last time out..........

#25 Doug Nye

Doug Nye
  • Member

  • 11,512 posts
  • Joined: February 02

Posted 18 March 2002 - 08:38

May I weigh in with very misty - and probably wrongly-filed - memory of some British Aurora F1 meeting at Thruxton (perhaps???) at which 'Gimax' drove?????

I recall the helmeted figure rising from the cockpit in the pits, stepping out of the car and then removing his helmet. He then pulled off his balaclava to reveal a shiny bald head. Without changing his expression he then rummaged around inside the balaclava, pulled out a wig, and carefully rearranged it on top of his head...

He was not a young man.

DCN

#26 Rainer Nyberg

Rainer Nyberg
  • Member

  • 1,768 posts
  • Joined: October 00

Posted 18 March 2002 - 10:40

Isn´t Eddie Jordan in fact also shiny bald? I mean under his trendy wig?

#27 Doug Nye

Doug Nye
  • Member

  • 11,512 posts
  • Joined: February 02

Posted 18 March 2002 - 22:51

Which one? Allegedly he has several. Also allegedly, when one came unstuck while EJ was swimming at a team boat party one of his staff was sufficiently unwise to notice.

After he had loudly pointed out the small furry 'ferret' apparently basking on the surface in the sun - and roared with laughter - he was fired...allegedly.

But it is said that EJ takes a dim view, unlike those of us who are sufficiently well-balanced to be own-up baldellados...which of course also means those of us who are sufficiently well-balanced not to have the dynamism and drive to create and maintain a Formula 1 team...

DCN

#28 Geza Sury

Geza Sury
  • Member

  • 942 posts
  • Joined: March 01

Posted 19 March 2002 - 07:27

Originally posted by Doug Nye
May I weigh in with very misty - and probably wrongly-filed - memory of some British Aurora F1 meeting at Thruxton (perhaps???) at which 'Gimax' drove?????
DCN

Doug, it could be the Rivet Supply Trophy held at Thruxton either in 1979 or 80. Both occasions Gimax drove a Williams FW06. In 1979 he retired on lap 52 of 75 having wore out his brakes and in 1980 he pulled out after just one lap with driver fatigue (on the first lap??? Strange isn't it?).

#29 Darren Galpin

Darren Galpin
  • Member

  • 2,316 posts
  • Joined: April 00

Posted 19 March 2002 - 08:03

Can anyone though prove one way or the other which of them drove at the Italian GP?

#30 2F-001

2F-001
  • Member

  • 4,237 posts
  • Joined: November 01

Posted 19 March 2002 - 11:05

Well I can't - I'm beginning to get lost with this (!), but doesn't it have to be the father?
The ''possible'' birth date for Junior of '57 (attributed here to Hayhoe?) is surely just the latest date that reconciles jnr. doing the Ital. GP without tripping over the accepted stats for youngest starters? But even, then, he'd have been mentioned in lists and discussions of youngest starters before now.Anything earlier, as someone hinted before, pushes Senior's birthdate towards the earlier estimates or an increasingly unlikely age for his fatherhood. Are any of the dates certain? Forgive me, I'm losing the plot here... would be interesting to know for sure which one I saw racing though!

But more importantly, can anyone confirm whether or not Eddie Jordan wears a wig? This is valuable dinner-party or pint-earning information!!

#31 fines

fines
  • Member

  • 9,647 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 19 March 2002 - 22:13

Originally posted by Boniver
Autosprint anno 1979 (Italie)

Campionato Italiano Sport « GIMAX »
Osella PA7 BMW (groep 6)

Born in Milan

Foto for Gimax : he look 40 a 45 yaers OLD

Junior? :p

#32 Leif Snellman

Leif Snellman
  • Member

  • 1,135 posts
  • Joined: February 00

Posted 20 March 2002 - 18:12

Originally posted by Rainer Nyberg
Isn´t Eddie Jordan in fact also shiny bald? I mean under his trendy wig?

Rainer,
According to rumours, that was just what Heinz-Harald Frentzen decided to investigate :lol: - one minute before he was sacked!!

#33 Stefan Ornerdal

Stefan Ornerdal
  • Member

  • 578 posts
  • Joined: January 01

Posted 30 April 2002 - 11:01

I have to bring this thread up again... have we really solved this problem? When did senior stopped racing and when did junior start?
A mail-friend of mine is convinced that it was junior who appeared at Italy 1978.

Stefan

#34 Rainer Nyberg

Rainer Nyberg
  • Member

  • 1,768 posts
  • Joined: October 00

Posted 30 April 2002 - 11:55

Junior was barely in his teens in '78, so it is quite unlikely that he could have driven then, except for possibly karts.

Unless there are three generations of 'Gimax' ?

#35 Paolo

Paolo
  • Member

  • 1,677 posts
  • Joined: May 00

Posted 07 May 2002 - 10:09

I remember in mid 80's Gimax (former F2 and Sports racer, with , I believe, a failed attempt to qualify in F1 in the late 70's) and Gimax Jr (his son) raced together in Italian F3.
Son had a new Dallara, father had an old Martini (he was just racing for fun).
Neither achieved much, but I looked with a lot of simpathy to this 50 something man racing in F3.

In 1982-83 Gimax raced a turbocharged gr6 in Italian Sports Championship.
There was much hassle, because he was the only one racing with a turbo car, and was winning everything. Many other drivers didn't think it was fair...

#36 fines

fines
  • Member

  • 9,647 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 07 May 2002 - 15:51

So that settles it. The F1 "Gimax" was, of course, the senior.

#37 Alexey Rogachev

Alexey Rogachev
  • Member

  • 908 posts
  • Joined: May 02

Posted 10 May 2002 - 06:44

You know, I'm not sure that it was Senior. But I'm not sure that it was Junior, too! Son's and father's careers seem to me to be really impossible to find out who was who in F3, in F1, and in Aurora AFX. So we need any new reliable information to make this "Gimax conundrum" (as Darren Galpin says) clear!

#38 fines

fines
  • Member

  • 9,647 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 10 May 2002 - 13:05

I never saw a problem there until you lot came along here :D Gimax Sr. was always entered as "Gimax" and Gimax Jr. as "Gimax Jr."! Where's the problem???

#39 Darren Galpin

Darren Galpin
  • Member

  • 2,316 posts
  • Joined: April 00

Posted 10 May 2002 - 13:13

The problem is that when recording the results, not everyone remembered to write down the Jr bit of the name..........

Advertisement

#40 Stefan Ornerdal

Stefan Ornerdal
  • Member

  • 578 posts
  • Joined: January 01

Posted 04 February 2003 - 17:05

Anyone who knows if Carlo Franchi Sr also used the pseudonym "Miro Gay" in 1963? Or "Miro"?

Stefan

#41 fausto

fausto
  • Member

  • 528 posts
  • Joined: November 04

Posted 29 April 2005 - 07:45

Can absolutely confirm that it was "Gimax" senior who tried to qualify in the '78 Italian GP, "Gimax Jr." being his son......if I'm not wrong a second son also tried racing, les successfully than Jr.

#42 Arjan de Roos

Arjan de Roos
  • Member

  • 2,583 posts
  • Joined: July 02

Posted 29 April 2005 - 12:18

As Darren stated already 5 years ago... This link gives a reasonable career path, albeit that Gimax was racing in his 'best' years:
http://www.silhouet....vers/gimax.html

Lainate (birthplace) is to the east of Milan.

Jr was also not that early rise as teamdan states (F3000 at 34!):

" "Gimax Jr" (Carlo Franchi Jr)
b 14/4/1957
Son of Gimax (Carlo Franchi).
1991 - British F3000: Entered rounds 2-5 in a Terropol Lola T90/50-Cosworth/Mader, and rounds 1,6-10 in a CoBRa Motorsport Reynard 90D-Cosworth/Nicholson McLaren.
Also drove in Italian F3 in 1980's."

http://www.teamdan.com/people/g.html

Still a question where the name Gimax came from and why? There are several companies listed in Italy as Gimax. And where are they (Sr & Jr) today??

#43 fausto

fausto
  • Member

  • 528 posts
  • Joined: November 04

Posted 29 April 2005 - 13:28

"Gimax" comes from the initial letters of Carlo Franchi sons, Gigi (Gi) and Massimo (Max for short)...

Carlo Franchi is an agent for Fassi Gru (cranes), one of his sponsors, sells cranes, trucks etc..., he's still in business, his company premises can be seen by the "Autostrada dei Laghi", between Milan and Arese.......

#44 Valda

Valda
  • Member

  • 38 posts
  • Joined: July 05

Posted 04 July 2005 - 20:09

Originally posted by rainern
Click on link below for a picture of Gimax exiting the Parabolica at Monza in 1978.

http://w1.859.telia....ax-ita-TS20.jpg

You should be used to racing grandfathers Tomoko....
Former japanese GP-driver Kazuyoshi Hoshino and his compatriot Kunimitsu Takahashi also continued at a very high level until very advanced ages....:)

Rainer


Can anybody repost this picture, please?

Thanks alot
Zdenek

#45 Fiorentina 1

Fiorentina 1
  • Member

  • 312 posts
  • Joined: December 04

Posted 05 July 2005 - 05:29

I think Gimax JR also tested a Champcar around 1991-92 for Antonio Ferrari's team (Euromotor Sport). They tried to put a deal together, but the funding wasn't around. JR was indeed in his early 30's then, so he was not trying to qualify for the 78 Italian GP.....It was indeed his father.

#46 Paolo

Paolo
  • Member

  • 1,677 posts
  • Joined: May 00

Posted 06 July 2005 - 09:47

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos

" "Gimax Jr" (Carlo Franchi Jr)
b 14/4/1957
Son of Gimax (Carlo Franchi).
1991 - British F3000: Entered rounds 2-5 in a Terropol Lola T90/50-Cosworth/Mader, and rounds 1,6-10 in a CoBRa Motorsport Reynard 90D-Cosworth/Nicholson McLaren.
Also drove in Italian F3 in 1980's."

http://www.teamdan.com/people/g.html


I don't know the first name of Gimax jr, but doubt it is Carlo.
Italian law doesn't allow the same name for father and son.

#47 Pedro Rodriquez

Pedro Rodriquez
  • Member

  • 35 posts
  • Joined: July 05

Posted 29 July 2005 - 19:41

According to my sources, Gimax was born 1.January 1938 in Lainate, Italy. His real name is Carlo Virginio Franchi. It was Gimax who tried to qualify the Surtees TS20 at Monza in 1978.

Gimax jr. was born in 1967, and raced Aurora, F3000 etc.

Here is a picture of Gimax:

Posted Image

#48 edelweiss

edelweiss
  • Member

  • 127 posts
  • Joined: July 05

Posted 30 July 2005 - 06:49

Originally posted by Valda
Can anybody repost this picture, please? Thanks alot, Zdenek

At your service.
Posted Image

#49 Valda

Valda
  • Member

  • 38 posts
  • Joined: July 05

Posted 02 August 2005 - 12:59

Originally posted by edelweiss
At your service.
Posted Image


Thanks alot
Zdenek

#50 Gabrci

Gabrci
  • Member

  • 648 posts
  • Joined: December 07

Posted 23 April 2008 - 10:12

As I've never seen his signature anywhere on the net, I thought someone may be interested in what his autograph looks like:

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Thanks a lot for the portrait, that's pretty much the only photo on the Net that shows what he looks like.