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05-08-09
I will try to give you some information about the Trento-Bondone (and I hope the result will be understandable!).
2009 saw the 59th edition of the event, six pre-war and the remaining from 1950 to date, with Mauro Nesti 8 times winner (5 times with a Lola 294 BMW) and frenchman Lionel Regal holding the record at the wheel of a Reynard-Mugen V8 (2007 edition: 9’40”16 = 106Km/h average speed).
The course is 17,3 Km with a 1.250 mt rise and 40 hairpins. Road surface is excellent and auxiliary Armco are expressly added in many dangerous points, so that safety conditions are very good even for modern single seaters requirements.
268 cars modern and historic attended the 2009 event which was dominated by works Osella FA30 Zytek of David Baldi (1st) and Simone Faggioli (3rd).
Local hero Christian Merli’s Lola B99 Cosworth was a brilliant 2nd. Past European Champion Faggioli could probably establish a new record –his time after 12Km was 6 seconds below Lionel Regal’s 2007 performance- but a slight collision lead to a slowly deflating front tyre which relentlessly slowed his pace.
About my experience I must admit that it was quite a tiring one: glorious sunny day meant perfect racing conditions, but also a very hot wait before start (delayed due to a crash when I was already cueing)....
....I didn’t feel perfectly at ease when green light turned on, and it was to 492’s credit the satisfying performance resulted. She really went well, confirming my impression of an “easy” even if very effective car....
....My feeling with the Lola needs to be increased in order to reach a more fluid drive, particularly in fast successions of mixed bends so common in hillclimb courses, but I hope that some more practice can give good results (and surely a lot of fun!).
LOLA HERITAGE SCRAPBOOK
05-08-09
Our good friend Paolo Borghi has sent an account of the Trento-Bondone Hillclimb which he participated in this year with his Lola T492.
I will try to give you some information about the Trento-Bondone (and I hope the result will be understandable!).
2009 saw the 59th edition of the event, six pre-war and the remaining from 1950 to date, with Mauro Nesti 8 times winner (5 times with a Lola 294 BMW) and frenchman Lionel Regal holding the record at the wheel of a Reynard-Mugen V8 (2007 edition: 9’40”16 = 106Km/h average speed).
The course is 17,3 Km with a 1.250 mt rise and 40 hairpins. Road surface is excellent and auxiliary Armco are expressly added in many dangerous points, so that safety conditions are very good even for modern single seaters requirements.
268 cars modern and historic attended the 2009 event which was dominated by works Osella FA30 Zytek of David Baldi (1st) and Simone Faggioli (3rd).
Local hero Christian Merli’s Lola B99 Cosworth was a brilliant 2nd. Past European Champion Faggioli could probably establish a new record –his time after 12Km was 6 seconds below Lionel Regal’s 2007 performance- but a slight collision lead to a slowly deflating front tyre which relentlessly slowed his pace.
About my experience I must admit that it was quite a tiring one: glorious sunny day meant perfect racing conditions, but also a very hot wait before start (delayed due to a crash when I was already cueing)....
....I didn’t feel perfectly at ease when green light turned on, and it was to 492’s credit the satisfying performance resulted. She really went well, confirming my impression of an “easy” even if very effective car....
....My feeling with the Lola needs to be increased in order to reach a more fluid drive, particularly in fast successions of mixed bends so common in hillclimb courses, but I hope that some more practice can give good results (and surely a lot of fun!).