9 replies to this topic

[O Volante]

Still puzzling around with Brazilian single-seater races in the late 1950s/early 1960s: who knows a little more about a race said to be held in Rio de Janeiro on 24 September 1960, won by Ciro Cayres driving a Maserati-Chevrolet 250F, followed by Uruguayan Alberico Passadore (Ferrari-Corvette). Apparently a Meccanica Nacional race - but which race track? And what was the name of the race?
Many thanks in advance!

[Bino Mk II]

O Volante :

I know that the race is in the " Barra da Tijuca " circuit.
It's a Mecanica Nacional race.
The name of the race is " Circuito da Barra da Tijuca "


Bino Mk II

[David McKinney]

What then was the name of the January race on the same circuit?

[Bino Mk II]

David :

In January/17/1960, the name of the race in the Barra da Tijuca Circuit is " GP Cidade do Rio de Janeiro ".

Source: www.bandeiraquadriculada.com.br/Eugenio%20Martins.htm

17/01/1960 - GP Cidade do Rio de Janeiro - Barra da Tijuca/RJ - DKW Vemag - 4º Lugar na geral e 2º na Turismo até 1300.


Bino Mk II

[O Volante]

Bino,

many thanks; that's very interesting

However - do you know more about this particular race? (more finishers tec.)

And another question is - at least for me - how MN races were held at the Barra circuit? Apparently the MN scene was much more active down at Interlagos ... as can be seen from Sr. Peraltas homepage, or is this only an impression of people in far away Britain and Germany?

[Bino Mk II]

O Volante :

I don't know others results about this race, I'm sorry.

The drivers of Rio de Janeiro don't have cars of Mecanica Nacional , they raced in the early 60's
with Touring Cars or Sportscars. The Mecanica Nacional cars were drived with São Paulo's drivers.

I really don't know why this race happened in Barra da Tijuca circuit. I suppose that this race where the only race of Mecanica Nacional raced in Rio de Janeiro in the 60's.


Bino Mk II

[O Volante]

Many thanks, Bino!
Yes, you are surely right, the Cariocas didn't care for MN cars - it was either modified Brazilian touring cars or full blooded European sports-cars in that time.

But I have at least one more MN outing at Barra da Tijuca, and that was at the opening of the track on 28 September 1958, billed as Inauguracao da Barra da Tijuca or simply 1° Circuito da Barra da Tijuca. If my record is correct, the winner was Chico Landi with a Ferrari-Corvette; there is a picture of the car with race #82 in Paulo Scali's Landi book. Apparently this was a separate race from the sports-car race won by Fritz d'Orey with his 750 Monza Ferrari, because Scali mentions also that Chico started with a Porsche Sports-car at that event. Do you know more about the results of these two races (or one race)?

Finally there is in one report about the International sports-car race at Barra da Tijuca in November 1960 a hint that MN cars were also raced - but it's possible that this is a mix-up with the race in September ... So you are sure about the date September 24, 1960, and this was the 2° Circuito da Barra da Tijuca?

Finally on MN at Rio de Janeiro, in the earlier 1950s MN were apparently racing at Boa Vista. Unfortunately, I have not yet got Paulo Scali's latest book on Brazilian racing, which may shed also a little more light in this ...

[humphries]

O.V.

I think I can help a little.

Two race meetings (only?) were held on the Barra da Tijuca circuit in 1960.

One was on 7th Nov, 1960. This was titled I Circuito do Estado da Guanabara. This International sports car race was won by Mario Cabral, the Portuguese GP driver, with a Maserati 300S in front of Da Silva Ramos, the Brazilian GP driver, and Daniel Magalhaes in Porsches.

An MN race was held, whether run concurrently I'm not sure but I don't think so, but it was won by Ciro Cayres, with the Uruguayan driver Alberico Passadore second and Rogerio Perusi third. This might be the 24 Sept race wrongly dated.

On 18 Jan 1960 the V Circuito da Tijuca was held, titled the I Gran Premio Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, (just to confuse everybody) and this was a combined MN/Sports car race won by Ciro Cayres with Jesus Iglesias and then Carlos Davila next. This race was over 35 laps and a supporting race over 25 laps was also held for Touring cars, as referred to by Bino.

John

[Bino Mk II]

O Volante :

Results of the races raced in Barra da Tijuca Circuit, in september/28/1958:

First Race : Touring cars -

1 - Mario Cesar de Camargo Filho - DKW (Disq)
2 - Severino Silva - Borgward TS
3 - Caio Graco - DKW
4 - José Carlos - Volkswagen
5 - Gabriel Novaes - Volkswagen

The winner is disqualyfied after the race.

Second race - Mecânica Nacional -

1 - Francisco Landi - Ferrari-Corvette
2 - Fritz D'Orey - Ferrari-Corvette
3 - Nelson Bastos - Maserati-Corvette
4 - Luiz Valente - Duchen-Especial
5 - Antonio Versa - Maserati-Corvette
6 - Waldemar Santilli - Eclipse-Cadillac
7 - Naim Honsi - Honsi-Especial
DNF - Luiz Américo Margarido - Talbot-Cadillac


Third race - Sportcars -

1 - Henrique Casini - Maserati 300 S
2 - José Gimenez Lopes - Ferrari 250 TR
3 - Vitor Levi - Maserati
4 - Mario Olivetti - Ferrari
DNF - Celso Lara Barberis - Ferrari 250 TR
DNF - Pinheiro Pires - Maserati 300 S

Sources :

www.bandeiraquadriculada.com.br/
Circuitos de Rua (Street Circuits) - 1908/1958 - Paulo Scali - 2005 - Imagens da Terra Editora


Bino Mk II

[O Volante]

Many thanks, humphries, many thanks Bino!

Well, I've put the various pieces together, and tend to think for the time being we can accept the following:

1° Circuito da Barra da Tijuca/Inauguracao
28 September 1958
- Touring cars: Severino Silva, Borgward TS
- Mecanica Nacional: Chico Landi, Ferrari-Corvette
- Sports cars: Henrique Casini, Maserati 300S

2° Circuito da Barra da Tijuca
16 November 1958 (this is an alternative date I have for d'Orey's victory)
- Touring cars: ?
- Mecanica Nacional: ?
- Sports cars: Fritz d'Orey, Ferrari 750 Monza

5° Circuito da Barra da Tijuca/1° Grande Premio Cidade do Rio de Janeiro
18 January 1960
- Touring cars: ?
- Mecanica Nacional & Sports cars: Ciro Cayres, ?

1° Circuito do Estado da Guanabara
7 November 1960
- Touring cars: ?
- Mecanica Nacional: Ciro Cayres, Maserati-Corvette 250F
- Sports cars: Mario Cabral, Maserati 300S

A few observations:
- If the info on the 2nd and the 5th race here is correct, two other events probably held in 1959 are missing
- The names for the 1960 races are no surprise:
-- Surely there have been other Grande Premios Cidade do Rio de Janeiro before, at the Gávea and possibly also at the Boa Vista circuit.
-- In 1960 Brasilia became the new capital of Brasil and Rio de Janeiro remained only the capital of the new Guanabara state, which comprises Rio de Janeiro and its neighboring regions
-- Guanabara is also featuring strongly in the denomination of later races at Barra da Tijuca
- By now, I'm rather suspect about the date of "24 September 1960" - seems to be an error! The date 18 January is full in line with the fact that the 1960 Brazilian round for the Internationl Torneiro Triangular took place a week earlier at Sao Paulo's Interlagos track. So no surprise to have an Argentine driver second, and an Uruguayan third. On the other hand, to have an "International" driver from Uruguay finishing two times second at the same track behind the same local driver in two month seems rather unlikely.

Comments, corrections, additions - would love to know more
Many thanks in advance