MOUNTAIN LEGEND

[Music] [Applause] [Applause] e sicy island of Legend of mountains and the mafia an island of flowers and orange groves and abiding tradition but Sicily is also the home of the very last of the world's truly heroic motor races the legendary tarer Florio through spring over these Mountain Roads the names of past winners read like a role of honor of the sport dvo vzi vesi biondetti tarui moss and perhaps the greatest of them all Tao nalari May the 4th 1965 5 days to go and the Naples fery arrives at palmo on board the leading contenders for honors in the 49th tarer Florio Monte Carlo rally winner teimo marinan has this Healey 3000 there's an MG for Patty hopkirk and Andrew [Music] Hedges a prototype hey Sprite for Alton and Baker completes the BMC contingent porer always do well in the tiger a Sunbeam Tiger for Peter Harper and the Reverend Rupert Jones and of of course Ferrari are [Music] here soon the mountain roads reverberate to the sounds of unofficial practice for which most of the works teams have brought spare [Music] cars but for others a longsuffering tied heck must [Applause] [Music] serve a lot of rubber is Left Behind and there's some private dicing despite the fact that the roads are still open to normal traffic scrutineering is at Cha about 10 km beyond the start that's Rano Alona the Ford GT immaculately prepared for Bondurant and Whitmore attracts attention the regulations by the way demand a minimum turning Circle abart are well represented and of course the entry list is rich in assorted Alphas Peter Harper has trouble finding the tiger Splinter prooof label for the scrutineers but on the whole the proceedings are conducted with a in in [Applause] formality Paul Hawkins maran's Co driver is in prayerful mood but for teimo the prospect of his first Targer seems to please kuchi winner in 1964 with hushka van henin and from Britain well the face is familiar Mike parks of Ferrari checks Sprite development with Jeff hey and Joe Bonia hopes for his third [Music] win nobody is allowed to spoil the finish of the Ford with common paint and while the scrutineering goes on Tommy wisdom himself a tiger veteran has a word or two in finglish with Teo Mar now Teo you come to the tar Florio your first tarer Florio why have you come oh this lovely V well that's a jolly good answer now uh what do you think of the course oh this very nice score but very difficult at learn yes and you're pleased with the car not really very bumpy Circ it's very hard yes what about tis are using lot of tirs after every two laps I think we must change I say that's going to be hard work means you've got to go pretty quickly well Johnny good luck anyhow thank you it's Teemo who drives our camera around the 45 mile circuit from the start an easy climb to the Village of [Music] Chada BMC put their trust for the tarer in rally driver's hands so Teemo is an obvious choice he takes chero with discretion the roads are open now he's climbed to the heights above the village and the downhills stretched the Valley of the river Salito [Music] begins but what do other drivers think about this circuit with its 295 Corners every lap course it's important to just know what goes on around the next corner and uh you get all sorts of people uh going very quickly here it's a very deflating circuit I think it's good to come here once a year and get your balance uh sense of proportion correct otherwise um you might think you're a lot better than you are Graham Hill is to drive a prototype Porsche with Joe Bonia team manager vanon henin talks about it yes and unfortunately it's a little bit too new but it seems to be the fate of all manufacturers that they only get their cars their new cars ready the very last minute and so it happened with this car which has only been completed the night before we left so we don't know much about it we had some similar cars test driven but of course not on a on a circuit like this and not in conditions like [Music] here I always like the pure road races I used to love the Mia but of course that doesn't exist anymore how many times you've driven in the t uh six times this is my seventh time I say how many times have you won uh I won it twice and placings uh let's see now I finished actually out of the six times I've driven here I finished four times and I won it twice I finished second on and I finished third one how do you rate your chances this time well um I hope we win next Tommy wisdom speaks to Lovich Scotti Italian Victor of lamon 1963 compare with those other races which you've engaged in uh it's very interesting like race is uh it remain only this after the m is a I would say a race in in the street like Mia little Mia is I like very much this which is very very very hard because it's very stank F I don't know say yes fatiguing indeed that's the tarer Floria by now teimo is driving up to the heights by catura the highest part of the course and about 28 km out here he sweeps left down the road built specially by musolini for the tarer then it's down the side of the mountains to the IM [Music] [Music] Valley [Music] I think it's very much like a rally it's like a series of special stages in the Alps it's fabulous I'll enjoy it whether we finish high up or not it's it's good [Music] fun [Music] teemo's hammering hard and uh it's as well to remember that the roads aren't closed even when under pressure from a Works [Music] Ferrari it's I reckon it's the it's the toughest Grace in existence in the world for the motorc car and for the driver because uh the concentration which you require for for driving around this circuit is incredible there there's no relax no moment of relaxation whatsoever you've got to be absolutely 100% on the ball all the time I like the challenge the more difficult it is that the more I enjoy it we have a special set of gearbox ratios for the cars where first second third and fourth are all very close together for rushing around the mountains and then on the one 6 km straight we have a what's the equivalent of an overdrive top and you pop the thing into Top Gear to rush down there at something like uh 175 miles hour you're doing 175 on that one straight on the course it's 6 km of dead straight and we get out to and so to official practice Tommy wisdom is in the pits finding out what's what and telling the boys no doubt of his Jaguar experiences here in 1953 Lorenzo Bandini winner of LaMore in 1963 talks with his co-driver of that occasion ludovico scarfiotti this time Bandini is to share with Nino Bella scarfiotti with Mike parks and so practice [Music] begins Teemo demonstrates his particular recipe for saving the tires keep them [Music] [Applause] [Music] airborne [Music] practice times in the tarer have no effect on starting positions but most people try like M the pooie porer is the only practice casualty crashed by vianini without personal injury but it isn't the end of poi's race for he is to move in with class on another of The Works cars number 94 the new Porsche is causing bother neither Graham Hill nor Jo Bonia like its handling and opt to drive an 8 cylinder leaving number 182 to Colin Davis and ghard mitter Paul Hawkins puts up a good practice time in the big Healey but there's nobody to touch Sicilian born Nino Vella in the 275 P2 Ferrari he's a school master in palmo the popular hero local knowledge is a tremendous advantage on a circuit as long as this listen to his teammate Lovich scarfiotti yeah you know you know every day when we come here to do a bath in the sea go to do a lap in the T yes very very quick very very it's not easy to do the the same time yes not very easy to beat for Vella has just become the first man ever to better 40 minutes for the 45m piccolo madoni circuit and very hot work it seems to have been as race morning approaches the roadmen complete their token gestures the enthusiasts have decorated the circuit and the drivers have added some road signs of their own which can't be found in any Highway [Music] Cod posters urged the populace to good race Behavior to keep dogs indoors to sit inside the bends and here's one which could well be translated as lock up your daughters so to the dawn of race day and all around the circuit people are early [Music] awake at the grand stand the turn Styles click although most sensible Sicilian see the show for nothing the pre-art atmosphere comes up with the sun it's taret Florio [Applause] [Music] day the 59 cars line up in order of departure smallest first 30 seconds between each before them 10 laps 450 MI of one of the toughest racing circuits in the world there's Peter Harper in tigerish mood and Joe bon in the souvenir business the Marshall's late return delays the start due at 8: a.m. by 12 minutes Jeff Healey suitably addressed for the occasion gets the Sprite ready for alterate and there's Bandini debonaire as ever as the tension MS now the first car of the 1300cc GT class is on the line there's just 30 seconds to go it's the guod [Applause] [Music] Alpine the petrut poro Alpha TZ vilo in a Works aot Penny Hub in the mg [Music] [Applause] dennet due to lead the 1300 GT class on lap one and to crash on lap two the buella toara alpha another TZ bian Rono class and the Porsche 904 teimo [Music] minina Ferrari GTO pachio before the prototypes are away the early numbers are storming through Chada Awakening the early morning Village Echoes the kalash Cheta vilo abart is going great guns it passes 11 cars on the first [Music] la [Music] back at the pits the prototypes are on the line Alan in the Sprite Jania conin Davis the Ford vuran [Music] piloting back got it [Applause] [Music] now the big bangers are chasing the small cars hard and the race is really [Applause] [Music] on the Alpine of boru [Music] shenise pett is going well and uh really [Music] [Applause] [Music] trying 20 km out now down into the river valley and up the other side that's the ha manella abot moli is in Porsche number 176 196 is the works Ferrari of biscaldi up on the catura heights now and the multiple Echoes from the mountains add to the D you can hear a car 10 km up the [Music] road now trouble Begins the tetti Grana 275 LM buckles a wheel the car incidentally was homologated only in Italy this incident takes 15 minutes to sort out but it gets going again chenice isn't so lucky and his Works Alpine for him the race is over and coming up the only time you'll see number 112 the ulyses maresi GTO in mint [Music] condition 94 is the pooi cloud Porsche 904 [Music] again here's py hopk on his way up to Vivio pitzi 38 km out and here's teimo gishe in the third [Music] P2 kisano a typical sleepy Sicilian Village a week ago now just a part of a racing circuit [Music] in the tarer many drivers cloak themselves in anonymity believe it or not that Alpha is driven by Ben her and the [Music] [Applause] Tortoise onto the straight and it's almost the end of lap one a maroon is fired as each car nears the pit area it signs for the vilo abot first on the [Music] [Music] road moli sixth overall zarella in the lead kavis 10th scarfiotti [Music] second the Ford third vella's time 40 minutes 5 seconds from a standing start only 4.7 seconds outside vly mess's existing [Applause] record the Sicilians treat their motor racing in Gala fashion but they take it no less seriously for all that it's the big day out in the year and not even an angry Ferrari can cut the supply [Music] lines the circuit itself is a place for pedestrians as well as for cars and sitting on the outside of a Bend legs dangling means nothing to Luigi it's a picnic Fiesta and a roaring racing car doesn't stop you trumping your partner's Ace even the cilian dogs refuse to recognize that Mator racing is [Music] dangerous deo's GTO has been shunted already later he is to crash more [Music] seriously after a bad first lap Colin Davis is pushing hard and so is the Ford [Music] GT [Music] Vella is going even faster lap two takes him less than the magic 40 39.2 1 to be exact 39.3 seconds inside the previous [Music] [Applause] [Music] record there's that GTO again after modifications Vella in action [Music] manoli Gish as expected the big Healey is in the pits early the Scandinavian style gives the tire people gray hair we're told two L well don't change that that's one leave the front abely Okay two laps okay [Music] okay the Ferrari GTO is also in for a quick check on its for and after rebuilding scaat is still in second place but soon there's drama in the Ferrari pit when team manager droni learns that the car's steering has gone and it's a bit bent in [Music] consequence but the other three Works Ferraris are still going and Bandini has time to get his shoes right before Vella comes in at the end of the third lap [Music] Nino Vella has won his Co driver a lead of nearly five minutes and the Prancing horse of Moda has his hopes well [Music] up [Music] however here's the Tiger in a forp [Music] drift Rano Alan's rally technique has got him to third place in classs [Applause] [Music] a secondary pit area has been established on The High Ground Up by bio poit and a good thing too for some of the competitors among them the topet Grana Ferrari there are a few further modifications necessary for the ulyses maesi Ferrari but uh they don't take long and it's soon on its way again [Music] [Applause] the rubber hammers are much in demand at the pitzi pits that'ss the Blan sa Ferrari GTO receiving a spot of body bashing the Sicilian dust is being raised with a Vengeance now as the roads take their ferocious annual [Applause] [Music] pounding bandin holding on to the [Applause] [Music] lead moli is running fifth overall and as the cars become more and more mixed up lap charts are a problem for the enthusiasts the moli Porche comes in at the end of the fourth [Applause] left [Applause] as the cacti drows in the midday Sun the original entry of 59 becomes more and more [Music] depleted for many of the drivers the long walk back has already begun the tieta vilo abart is solidly in the lead in the smallest GT class and Bandini leads the race [Music] overall and in the tarer it isn't only the drivers who dice with [Music] death at times the circuit looks like bank holiday on the Brighton Road but the crowds there are over a quarter of a million around the cirage enjoy every [Music] second Sir John Whitmore third [Music] overall and the Sprite is still third in its class [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the beautiful fin tailed Alpine of Gracia is running second and the 1600 prototype class but it is soon to crash and Catch Fire 196 the biscaldi deserti GTP is fourth in-class so in the big prototypes it's Ferrari Ferrari Ford [Music] [Applause] Ferrari now the Sprite is having its own private war with the bent and battered Ferrari GTO [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] there's some hairy driving among the small GTS the abot number 26 still has it but the gilberti noar number 28 is trying hard and so is hopkirk in third [Applause] [Music] [Applause] place there can be no doubt about it paty is really enjoying his special stages in the Sicilian [Music] Al [Music] [Applause] [Music] half distance now John Whitmore holding the Ford GT in third place overall comes near to disaster when his wheel comes off on the straight and the hubnut can't be [Music] f eventually a spectator returns [Music] it and still bandini's Ferrari continues to set the pace with the Ford in trouble the malleoli Porsche is up to third place overall having limp back to the pits the Ford gets rapid attention Whitmore had found time to ring up the Press Box with a warning message it could only happen in the taret the car is past is okay but the incident puts it right out of the running for a major award and that's right make sure they stay on this time if that helmet transfer is worn backwards for luck it just isn't working but Bob Bondurant sets off determined as ever now padd's Drive ends as he hands the Valiant over to Andrew hedes this has been a considerable achievement for the almost standard is only 8 minutes behind the class leaders the very hot abots a position not acquired without a certain expenditure of the hot CK sweat I might have to slow up a little come in after two Anyway come in after two anyway going changing [Music] quick soon news comes that the abot lying second in the 1300 GT category has crashed and that the is now in second place but further drama here's the class leader with a broken throttle linkage at a time when every second cuts vilia displays understandable impatience as he sees his class lead disappearing second by [Applause] second [Music] but the delay is not quite long enough for hedges in the and the status quo is soon restored [Music] [Music] the hman Chella abot fourth overall spins but stays well ahead in the 1600 prototype class [Music] [Applause] [Music] now the Ford is going great guns in a desperate effort to regain lost time and the the 49th tarer Florio is still full of excitement and [Music] incident the chart experts are nightmare with cars all around the course and many of them on different PLS oh the noise it's all much too complicated for [Music] [Applause] [Music] Mama more bad news for Ferrari the bagetti gishe car is out on the course with ignition trouble and bagetti has had a long walk back to chera but there's nothing the matter with vanini as he Roars in to redeliver Nino's original lead with its pristine timing 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the field now led by the new Porsche driven by Davis and M boner and Hill must be kicking themselves [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so now it's Nino's turn again and barring accidents he must [Music] win now the hill Bon Porsche comes in 5 minutes late Graham had lost time earlier when a throttle linkage broke up by the pitzi pits B takes over and Graham looks far from happy but the Porche grip has tightened on the Ferraris and Von henin's cars now run second third and fifth [Music] overall [Music] [Applause] [Music] the Ford GT efforts are finally brought to nothing when Bondurant trying perhaps a fraction too hard ends up against a concrete roadpost but his is not the only disappointment the biscaldi deserti Ferrari second in the 3 l prototype class is as good as out with transmission trouble and the Porsche hold on the tarer Florio of 1965 strengthens still further on the ninth lap they are second third fourth and fifth the big Healey was running first in class but ignition trouble lost at time and now it's second the Sprite is being driven with typical determination and now the leader starts his 10th and final lap the day this MIT Porsche is second it becomes a matter of Sicilian [Applause] [Applause] honor Bonia is [Music] [Applause] four [Music] behind the leaders Scurry the class winners of the small GTS the abart is still first with the second the Reta staba GTO leads the 3 l GT class with the Healey still second and third in this class the ulyses maresi [Music] GTO the ha manella abart leads the Sprite in the 1600 prototype class and runs sixth overall but all the Sicilian interest is sented on Vella and the big red Ferrari as it rushes towards the finish cter vura for the last [Music] time [Music] [Applause] kisano for the last [Applause] [Music] time and onto the Coast Road 10 km to go and six of them straight so Vella and bendini win for Ferrari with Porsche second third fourth and [Music] fifth what a Triumph for the Sicilian born driver the Headmaster from palmo who now joins the great names of the tarer winners the Sicilians are so excited they nearly forget that Bandini also did something towards it but for Vella winning his own race in his own country this is a day to [Applause] [Music] remember for the winners The Laurels of perhaps the only real Road Race left in the world today and the 49th tarer Florio ends in the way that every Sicilian [Applause] dream but to the victors themselves the final word yes I I love tar Florio because it's the competition of my house okay and Lorenzo I like it too much Torio I much Bend so the chering and the tal die and the piccolo M second is just an order Road [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Again for