8 replies to this topic

[Michael Ferner]

Last week Pablo Gamberini died, the Chilean racer who finished fourth in the 1962 Argentinian 500cc GP. He was born Jun 27 in 1936, so 26 years old at the time. In 1984, a Pablo Gamberini from Chile raced an MBA in a couple of European 125cc GPs without success, and again in 1986 - same man? He would have been in his late forties, then, so not impossible, but I can't find anything in the obituaries mentioning anything past 1962; well, at least not with my limited language skills. There's a Pablo Gamberini hijo/junior racing karts these days, but if it was him racing in the eighties, that would make him again pretty old for a karter in the 2010s! Maybe there are three generations at work, here? Anyone know anything about the Gamberini who raced in the eighties?

[Michael Ferner]

Ah, yes, and there's a also a third place finish in the 1983 "International 3 Hours of Chile" on a Yamaha TZ350, shared with Alejandro Bergmann, my friend Mr. Google tells me.

[Michael Ferner]

Okay, I may have found something...
 
https://familiamonre...gspot.com/2017/
 

Nivel VI                1.7.1.03.16.1.- Pablo Juan Luís Corazón de María Gamberini Monreal, (1936-

Nacido en Santiago el 27.06.1936. Estudió en la Escuola  Italiana, en el Instituto Nacional, Liceo Lastarria, egresando en 1954. Empresario en el sector de helados. Fábrica de Helados Tiber, la fábrica con 40 funcionarios produce 100.000 paletas por día.

En 1957 comienza a correr en motos. En 1960 fue nominado el mejor deportista del año. Campeón de Chile y Sud Americano en 500 cc velocidad

Casó en Santiago  con Julia Bonnemaison. 

 

Well, that's obviously the 1962 PG. Amongst his children is listed:

 

1.7.1.03.16.1.3.- Pablo Gamberini Bonnemaison, nacido en Santiago el 18.08.1963.

Casó con Cecilia Fuentes.

Con sucesión:

Nivel VIII

1.7.1.03.16.1.3.1.-Bárbara Garcés Fuentes

1.7.1.03.16.1.3.2.-Bastian Garcés Fuentes

1.7.1.03.16.1.3.3.-Pablo Gamberini Fuentes

 

 

Gamberini Fuentes appears to be the name of the kart racer, so it would be the grandchild of the 1962 PG, and the "middle" PG would have been old enough to race in the eighties - good. However, there's also a nephew, born the same year:

 

Nivel VII              1.7.1.03.16.2.2.- Paolo Massardo Gamberini, nacido en Santiago el 10.11.1963.

 

 

Could still be any one of three persons.   

[Michael Ferner]

All right, I think I can make sense of it: for a 48-year-old ice cream manufacturer, it doesn't seem likely to go to Europe and compete on a dinky bike in a couple races just because he raced successfully two decades earlier, so it can't really have been Gamberini Monreal. There's really no evidence he continued his career even only past the mid-sixties.

 

It could have been the nephew, but he is likely to have competed under the name of Massardo, not Gamberini unless he wanted to attract attention to the fact that he was related to his famous uncle - not impossible, but what are the chances?

 

No, it has to have been Gamberini Bonnemaison. As the father of Gamberini Fuentes, it also makes more sense in that the racing genes run in the family. Until further evidence surfaces, I consider this solved. Thanks for listening to my soliloquy ; as you were.

 

Isn't the internet an exceedingly fine thing?

[ensign14]

With a name like Gamberini, he was only a prawn in the game.

[serafini]

Probably Chile's finest rider of the 1960s Pablo Gamberini was of Italian stock. His father Luigi came from Imola.

His first big win was the prestigious 100 Miles of Cordoba in 1960, held in the Parque Sarmiento, beating Ippolito (of Venemotos fame) by 4 seconds.

He rode a special Gilera Saturno which had been built by the factory in 1953 for Alfredo Milani - featuring an electron crankcase, rev counter in the tank, with Gilera works mechanic Rpberto Sbalchiero looking after the bike. He shared the South American title that year with Chiche Caldarella.

Masetti recommended him to Gilera but apart from sitting on the quattro in the arcore workshop post 1966 nothing came of the proposal 

After the 1962 Argentinian GP he bought Arthur Wheeler's leathers and crash helmet. He won national titles at 175, 250 and 500 cc.

His brother Juan also raced succesfully; likewise his brother in law Guillermo Carter who won 13 national titles.

His son Pablo did indeed race in Europe in the mid 1980s

[Michael Ferner]

Many thanks, serafini! (may I call you Teodoro?  )

 

Do you know of any sites (or books maybe) giving information about South American motorcycle racing? In trying to ramp up my motorcycle data base I wasn't able to find much so far, also about (South) Africa   .

[serafini]

The Informoto (Buenos Aires motorcycle magazine's website has a few details including  a reference to a book about Caldarella etc

[serafini]

One of Gamberini's rivals in Chile died on 31 January: Pietro Morales, aged 89.

 

Morales won the national 500 cc title in 1956, 1957 and 1958.

 

He hosted Umberto Masetti when he first arrived to live in Santiago in 1962

 

He should not be confused with Patricio Morales (no relation) who was also a friend of Masetti - the pair raced works 50 cc and 125 cc Suzukis in (probably) 1963 in Chile and Peru.