In Cortina d’Ampezzo the VIII edition of the 2021 Winter Race

If you think that the fastest always wins in motor racing, you are wrong. In fact, around the end of the 70s, the so-called ones began to take hold regularity competitions, you have certainly heard of the more famous Mille Miglia. Challenge of courage and passion, engineering precision. Driver and co-driver in the role of navigator, they enter into absolute symbiosis coordinated with the car with which they are racing to the hundredth of a second, because this is the unit of measurement used by the race judges to evaluate the best crew.

But, in addition to the historical One thousand miles created in 1926 or at the Nuvolari Grand Prix in Mantua, the Winter Race, now in its eighth edition just ended this year. Despite his young age, it is already a prestigious name that pilots want in their palmares. It was the ardent who created it Rossella Labate, a past (21 years to be exact) as a journalist in the editorial office of Auto d’Epoca, 8 years of engagement as a navigator for Alfa Romeo in regularity races, and an boundless passion for this world: “How do you see my hair he’s grizzled, I’ve lived this world for thirty years ”, he smiles. “From Belluno my passion was born in the 70s when my father took me to the Duran pass to see Miki Biasion and the great champions of those years “.

“The latent passion, the work as a journalist in the sector, the many events followed, led me to decide to compete by participating in ten Mille Miglias, one of which with Gianna Nannini in 2003 and with Jane Sage, sporting director of the Formula 1 Renault team, I experienced the speed car tour on a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SVB. In my small palmares they also appear two awards: a victory at the Argentine Mille Miglia with Luciano Viario aboard the legendary Giulietta Sprint fast of ’57 and a cup of ladies at the Italian Mille Miglia in 2012.

And so Labate said to herself ‘why not have one my race? ‘. So it was, with success recognized by the top drivers involved, so much so as to avoid the doubt that unfortunately still lurks behind any project signed by women, especially in the world of motors; indeed, the tocco of a woman it is what displaces and is often lacking in such appointments.

And therefore, after the recently concluded Alpine Ski World Championships, the Winter Race 2021 has also come to an end. There “Super Classic ACISPORT” reserved for cars built by 1976, one of the most iconic vintage car races in the winter calendar, in total safety and in compliance with anti Covid protocols, allowed the 50 participants to cover the 400 kilometers in the two daytime stages along the suggestive passes (of which 6 above 2000 meters) in the Dolomite frame, since 2009 among the UNESCO natural heritage of humanity.

Gianmario Fontanella with his wife Annamaria Covelli, of the Classic Team ASD stable, won the top step of the Winte Race podium for the third time, winning the prestigious “Laureato” watch from the Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux (Platinum Sponsor of the event), which this year celebrates its 230th Anniversary. Second place went to team mate Sergio Sisti, sailed by Anna Gualandi, on a 1937 Lancia Aprilia, and third overall for the Piona-Battagliola team on a 1935 Fiat 508 S. At the same time, in a separate race, twenty modern Porsches competed in the V Porsche Winte Race, the competition dedicated to a maximum of thirty German cars selected by the organization and built from 1977 to the present day.

Attilio Facconi, car and racing historian, author of the recent publication “On the Streets of the Mille Miglia” (2020 edition), he enthuses: “In addition to the high quality samples, the Winter Race is an important race because preserves the history of cars. Pre-war cars (without load-bearing bodywork) and several from the 1950s, when the car was in its infancy, took part. In addition to their beauty, you can also admire the great technological evolution of this world. And then there was the participation of young crews, children of parents who owned vintage cars. A highly spectacular race along the Dolomite passes that with the snow offered something incomparable like the snow wall at Passo Giau ”, he comments excitedly.

“Coming soon, who knows, maybe we’ll have one Summer Race with which to compete even in summer along Sicily or Sardinia… the passion never ends! ”, anticipates Rossella Labate.