A Snippet of Italian Motorcycle History
The birth of the Lario circuit dates back to 1921.
The sports archives have catalogued an immense material: the names of those who discovered it, those who first ran it, those who promoted it, those who made it famous, those who won it... The classic race lasted for years. Then came the crisis, and from 1932 to 1933, while people continued to speak nostalgically of the Lario circuit, the race was abandoned. In 1934, after motorcycling managed to recover, the race resumed for another two years. It was then abandoned again in 1935, but its popularity was immense, and in 1938 the superb competition was reborn. Only the war would put an end to the exciting Lario competitions.
Will it rise again? Fans firmly hope so, because if there's a motorcycle race that can rival the British Tourist Trophy, which is the most important in the world, it's the Lario race.
1921: Amedeo Ruggeri.
Rain on the eve of and during the race. Roads in terrible condition, a small crowd, 25 competitors.
Naturally, the most popular riders of the moment were not lacking. The passes were quick, and after three laps (halfway through the race), the race report that day tells us that the duel continued uncertainly between the Harley-Davidsons and the Indians for the overall lead. Amedeo Ruggeri, on a Harley-Davidson, was in fact followed by Miro Maffeis, half a minute behind, and two minutes behind Domenico Malvisi. On the fourth lap, the race ended for the 350 class, and Fergnani, on a Garelli, who had ridden with admirable consistency, finished ahead of the second-place finisher, Rampini.
In the 500cc class, Ernesto Vailati, riding a Sunbeam, had been slowed down at the start by faulty carburetion. However, the rider had tenaciously pursued the leader in the displacement class, Acerboni, and the stopwatches would show that his pursuer was gaining ground. The battle for the class victory continued in an electrifying fashion. At the end of the fifth lap, Acerboni was overtaken by his rival, while in the large-displacement class, Miro Maffeis managed to gain a small advantage over Ruggeri. Will Maffeis hold out? Will Ruggeri catch up? Or will Malvisi surprise us? These are the questions the crowd is asking.
The 750cc class has already had its winner: Fiaccadori riding a Frera, who overtook Primo Moretti.
The small crowd was gripped by anxiety, but then Ruggeri arrived to put an end to the wait. The match was decided in his favor by just ten seconds.
1922: Ernesto Vailati.
In 1922, the crowds turned out in greater numbers than expected. At the second Lario circuit, the 1,000 and 750 cc displacements were abolished; only the 500 and 350 cc machines would compete for the resounding victory on the most enchanting course known.
Ernesto Vailati and Ernesto Gnesa, two true aces, won the victory, greatly improving on the previous year's times. The overall victory and the fastest lap of the day went to Ernesto Vailati, in a Sunbeam, who, repeating his class victory from 1921, finished ahead of Gatti, Battaglia, Premoli, etc.
Ernesto Gnesa's success was no less significant, standing out from a small group of highly competitive and renowned drivers. The "Garellian" was followed in the standings by Miro Maffeis; further behind was Damiano Rogai. Then: Platé, Fieschi, Self, and Sassi finished, in that order. The fastest lap in the 350cc category was also set by Gnesa on a Garelli.
1923: Valentino Gatti.
In 1923, the Lario circuit was opened for the first time to competitors in the 250cc class. Valentino Gatti, taking the overall course lead to a new leap, led Moto Guzzi to victory, and Pietro Ghersi, with the all-Italian machine from Mandello Lario, set the fastest lap.
For the first time, overall victory smiled on an Italian machine on the Lario circuit. Gatti was followed in the 500cc standings by Poletti, Pietro Ghersi, Cavedini, and others, while in the 350cc class, Achille Varzi, who placed second overall, achieved a new coveted victory for Garelli. Ten minutes behind the "crack" of Galliate (who also set the fastest lap), Erminio Visioli finished. Isacco Mariani finishes: third.
Miro Maffeis's victory over Maffeis was a stunning one: in the 250cc class; Visioli, Bavassano, and others completed the finishing order in the quarter-liter class.
1924: Pietro Ghersi.
Victory did not escape Pietro Ghersi in the fourth edition of the Lario circuit. Further enhancing the Moto Guzzi rider's brilliant performance was his fastest lap. The Ligurian rider's class allowed him to successfully attack existing records, but the manner in which Pietro Ghersi managed to lower them was truly thrilling, and the gap between his best lap average and his average lap time for the total mileage was minimal.
In the 350cc class, victory was also achieved in 1924 by the Varzi family, but it was not Achille who achieved it, but his brother Angelo (Sunbeam), who improved the times for the 350cc both over the entire 219km course and over the lap.
1925: Amedeo Ruggeri.
In 1925, the upward trend of the Lario circuit continued. Amedeo Ruggeri won on a Guzzi 500 after Pietro Ghersi, already dominating the race from one end of the field to the other, was forced to retire.
However, after Ghersi, Ruggeri was certainly the best that day. In the 350 class, Nuvolari landed victorious for the first time on the Lario circuit, breaking the engine capacity records and finishing second overall ahead of Bianchi.
Nino Bianchi, in the 250 class, scored a great victory for the Ariel brand, giving a new boost to the class records.
1926: Pietro Ghersi.
The crowd at the sixth Lario circuit was even larger than in previous years. For the first time, that year, the Industrial Grand Prix was held on the classic course, and alongside the 250, 350, and 500 cc engines, the 175cc class riders also lined up.
Ghersi, Nuvolari, Prini, and Manetti, respectively on Guzzi 500, Bianchi 350, Guzzi 250, and Ancora 175, were the protagonists of one of the most memorable battles in the annals of motorcycling. Records were shattered; the progress of racing technology could not have been more significant. Mario Ghersi, with the 350 Bianchi, set the fastest lap in the displacement class.
1927: Luigi Arcangeli.
Words couldn't describe the 1927 crowd outcry: immense! Luigi Arcangeli, 1 "Lion of Romagna," won with the Sunbeam 500 after a fierce race, after a furious chase, after giving it his all.
Second overall was Guido Corti, on a Guzzi, just a few seconds behind; Third overall, and first in the 350 class, the fiery Nuvolari, 37" behind Arcangeli.
In the 350 class, Bianchi's success could not have been more dazzling, and, as in 1926, the "Frecce Azzurre" took the lion's share, taking the top three places with Nuvolari, Moretti and Marchi.
Another victory for Prini, on a Guzzi, in the 250 class, and a magnificent race by Tonino Benelli in the 175 class, who, however, had a fierce rival in Nino Bianchi on Bianchi, who, as long as he was in the race, held the lead, also setting the fastest lap time.
In the lightweight motorcycles, the records were greatly improved.
1928: Achille Varzi. In 1928, the Bianchi 350, thanks to Achille Varzi, took overall victory, beating the 500 cc class.
Source Bolgna Musei Storia e Memoria
