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'Gimax' (Carlo Franchi)


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#51 fines

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Posted 23 April 2008 - 14:46

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Nice wig! :)

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#52 Thundersports

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Posted 12 July 2008 - 19:08

I'd like to add my bit! I was involved with British F3000 for the first 4 years and it was definently Gimax Jnr in the series and Snr in Aurora.

#53 Gabrci

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 15:06

I'm pleased to share some photos of this litte-known driver and even less-known man.

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#54 D-Type

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 15:33

I'm pleased to share some photos of this litte-known driver and even less-known man.
~


Are these 'Senior' or 'Junior' ?

#55 Gabrci

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 15:34

Are these 'Senior' or 'Junior' ?


All of them are of Gimax Senior.

#56 Gabrci

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 20:33

Ernesto Brambilla had a great 80th birthday party with some prominent guests: http://www.automotoc...ni-di-tino.html

 

Among them were Alberto Colombo, Carlo Facetti and a familiar face with a less dark wig than when we last saw him:

 

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#57 eldougo

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Posted 10 May 2014 - 01:49

Alberto Colombo never had to use a wig, he still got a good head of hair.I remember Gimax trying to qualify that sad weekend, when we lots Ronnie.



#58 Gabrci

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Posted 10 May 2014 - 08:32

Alberto Colombo never had to use a wig, he still got a good head of hair.I remember Gimax trying to qualify that sad weekend, when we lots Ronnie.

 

I'm not talking about Colombo :)



#59 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 06 February 2016 - 22:55

Great interview - albeit in Italian - with Gimax and Tino Brambilla - http://www.duemotori...o_con_Gimax.php

 

Gimax (like Tino) has had a recent stroke and is now wheelchair bound and wigless, but from the interview text still seems sprightly as possible. It also clears up - although I think this has been done already in his thread about the Gimax's - but apparently there are three of them! Carlo, Gigi (Gimax Jr) and Massimo (Max), who recently also raced as Max Gimax.



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#60 Thundersports

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 02:35

Gimax Jnr how old is he now? When he drove for Basile's F3000 team in the early 90s he was pretty tricky to track down.........

There a story to be told but some facts need to be established first.   ;)



#61 Gabrci

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 09:16

Great find, thanks Richard! 

 

@Thundersports: he seems active on FB so you can ask him if you wish. 



#62 LittleChris

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 21:23

Enjoyed that, thanks Richard. Interesting accusation regarding the engine at Goodwood........

What we need now is an interview with the mighty Tino ( & Pino if he's still about ) !

#63 nexfast

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 22:15

Great interview - albeit in Italian - with Gimax and Tino Brambilla - http://www.duemotori...o_con_Gimax.php

 

Gimax (like Tino) has had a recent stroke and is now wheelchair bound and wigless, but from the interview text still seems sprightly as possible. It also clears up - although I think this has been done already in his thread about the Gimax's - but apparently there are three of them! Carlo, Gigi (Gimax Jr) and Massimo (Max), who recently also raced as Max Gimax.

 

Interesting interview, Richard, thanks for sharing. It also confirms that Gimax Sr. was born in 1938, that he was the one entered in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix and that his son Gimax Jr is not Carlo Franchi Jr. but Gigi (Luigi?) Franchi, clarifying once and for all some of the doubts previously raised in this thread.



#64 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 14 January 2021 - 14:53

Gimax Sr has died after years of failing health https://www.sempione.../?cn-reloaded=1

#65 Gabrci

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 22:49

I am really sad to learn about his passing, although I had known from Gigi for a week or so that he was unwell and in the last few years he had been in a wheelchair. A thoroughly nice, friendly and likeable family who just love racing and a life very well lived.

 

A quote from Di Spiers' book 'I just made the tea' (this part is freely available in Google Books) which I think does a great job of getting the atmosphere across: 

 

'At Monza Rupert was replaced by a paying Italian driver called 'Gimax', which was a pseudonym he raced under. He was quite well known in Italy, apparently. He turned up on the first day of the Monza event with a suitcase and went into the back of the motorhome with our team management. When he flipped open the case it was absolutely full of US dollars. We thought we should leave them to it. As we stepped out of the motorhome Stu said to me, 'He's got a rug on, hasn't he,' and I have to admit that I'd noticed it as well. Anyway, all the financial transactions seemed to be in order and our new fully paid-up driver went out for the first practice session. Afterwards the group all came together to debrief on how the session had gone. 'Gimax' sat there with his fireproof balaclava on throughout the whole meeting, despite the fact it was so hot and stuffy everyone else was wilting in that small room. In the end John Surtees said, 'Look, will you take that thing off, as I can't stand looking at you in it for one minute longer.' Gimax' reluctantly agreed, but as he took off his balaclava his wig came off as well. You can imagine the scene. His drive was short lived and he didn't qualify for the race, probably because the team over-fuelled his car so it was too heavy to make the grid, but he had paid and that was that. '