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NEWS
Happy 100th Birthday to Maserati
A special, one-off race is being organised to commemorate the centenary of motoring marque MaseratiMotor Racing Legends and the Maserati Club U.K. are set to celebrate Maserati’s 100th birthday in style, by organising a unique race between some classic Maserati masterpieces.
The historic race should be one of the largest gatherings of vintage Maseratis ever, and will honour the motorsport racing success the Italian car maker has enjoyed over the last century.
Maserati's long and illustrious history with motor racing dates all the way back to 1926, when Alfieri Maserati won the Targa Florio in a Tipo 26. Success continued when, in the following year, Maserati won the Italian constructors title and Emesto Maserati, Alfieri’s brother, took home the Italian driver’s title. The Italian auto maker continued to dominate much of the pre-war racing scene, securing multiple wins in Grand Prix racing and the Indy 500.
However, it wasn’t until after the war that Maserati really started to gain recognition. With two of the biggest drivers in motorsport history becoming closely associated with the brand. Sterling Moss won several races behind the wheel of a Maserati, but more famously the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1957 Formula One World Drivers’ Championship driving a 250F.
With financial troubles mounting, Maserati had to pull out of Formula One in 1960, however, the auto maker continued to participate in various other racing disciplines. Although finding moderate success in motor sport in the latter half of the 20th century, Maserati could never quite recapture the public’s imagination as the company did in the 1950s-1960s.
The special commemorative race is planned to be held on the Donington Park circuit, during this year’s Donington Historic Festival. Although limited to Maseratis and OSCA (another automotive company started by the Maserati brothers) vehicles built before 1966, it will ensure only cars from Maseratis golden era of racing are in attendance.
Michael O’Shea, Racing Co-Ordinator for the Maserati Club UK, said that “it is entirely appropriate that this celebration is held at Donington Park because Maseratis have been racing there since the circuit opened in the 1930s.”
Donington Historic Festival founder, Duncan Wiltshire, notes that it will be something special “to see a dedicated grid of historic models such as the 8CM, 250F, A6GCS and 300S out on a track.”
Vintage cars on a classic track, it’s sure to be a sight to behold. O’Shea continued, noting that “as more and more of these valuable cars are consigned to private collections and museums, this will be a rare opportunity to see a grid of cars from the 1930s to the 1960s.”
That is certainly true, this celebration is a once in a lifetime event.
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Written byTung Nguyen
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