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Gino Valenzano

Started by Nanni Dietrich , May 31 2011 13:52

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8 replies to this topic

#1 Nanni Dietrich

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Posted 31 May 2011 - 13:52

Gino Valenzano passed away on Saturday, 28 May 2011, at Turin, Italy. He was 91.

One of the real great, a talented driver and an immense gentleman.
I am honored to have met him once in my life, and I will take with me his memory for the rest of my life.
Several months ago he told me he was going to hospital for surgery.

He and his brother Piero spent 18 months of their lives in the infernal Mauthausen lager. Luckily they came back home at the end of World War II and returned to motorsport.
During his career Gino Valenzano had been a Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia and Abarth works driver.
In 1955 Piero Valenzano was killed during the Coppa delle Dolomiti, driving a Maserati, and Gino immediately quit racing.

He was the author of a terrible book "Combustibile Uomo", about his days at Mauthausen.

What a great loss.

Edited by Nanni Dietrich, 31 May 2011 - 15:15.

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#2 Eric Dunsdon

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Posted 31 May 2011 - 14:47

Thats sad news. But it was a long and successful life. I clearly remember listening to Raymond Baxter commentating on the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hour race when the Maserati that Gino was sharing with Luigi Musso stopped at the pits with gearbox problems while lying second with only four hours to go until the finish. I was willing the Maserati to re-start but sadly , it wasnt to be. Very dissapointing for a young Musso-Valenzano-Maserati fan.

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#3 Doug Nye

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Posted 31 May 2011 - 19:32

Nice tribute Nanni. How did The Valenzanos get into Mauthausen? Resistance figures?

DCN

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#4 alfredaustria

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Posted 31 May 2011 - 20:07

I got a nice signed photo from Gino Valenzano, which I want share with you. The photo shows him driving the Abarth at the "Gran Premio Pergusa" 1950. Gino won this race. (copyright Foto Contino, Roma)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

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#5 Gabrci

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Posted 31 May 2011 - 20:24

This is really sad. A great man, great driver and great member of the CIAPGP.

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#6 Tuboscocca

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Posted 01 June 2011 - 12:59

Nice tribute Nanni. How did The Valenzanos get into Mauthausen? Resistance figures?

DCN

Yes!!! Resistace!

see this from an Italian webpage:

Il mondo dei motori piange la scomparsa di Luigi Valenzano, per tutti Gino, specialista delle gare di durata tra la fine degli anni '40 e l'inizio degli anni '50. Una vita avventurosa la sua. Valenzano - nato ad Asti il 24 aprile del 1920 - era infatti un ufficiale dell'esercito italiano e dopo l'8 settembre entrò nella resistenza. Arrestato dai tedeschi con il fratello Piero nel 1943 venne deportato a Mauthausen e liberato dagli americani alla fine del conflitto.

Same fate as the Villoresi brothers??

Regards Michael

Edited by Tuboscocca, 01 June 2011 - 13:00.

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#7 alfredaustria

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Posted 01 June 2011 - 13:16

Gino Valenzano was one one of the 480 Italians who were deported from Rome on 4 Jan. 1944, passing through Dachau to Mauthausen. David Wingeate Pike wrote the book "Spaniards in the Holocaust - Mauthausen, Horror on the Danube".