Mille Miglia 2017

[neelyrc]

The 90th anniversary running of the Mille Miglia is now underway in Italy having started from Brescia on Thursday afternoon with overnights scheduled for Padova, Rome and Parma and ending in Brescia on Sunday afternoon.  Mercedes-Benz entered ten cars from their collection including a 1928 710 SSK, a gaggle of varied 300SLs and one 1955 190SL, all driven by MB notables.  Toto Wolff and Aldo Costa describe here the 1952 300SL W 194 Prototype they are crewing: 

www.mercedesamgf1.com

MB are also sponsoring the Mercedes Benz Mille Miglia Challenge running just ahead of the classic cars  and consisting of 27 Privately entered cars.  All are 2006 and later machines except for one 190SL and one 230 SL.

I will try to post a few pictures from the Parma overnight stop after the weekend.

[Garry]

Ralph,

I believe Tom our 2017 PUB (V) host from Virginia is driving in this years rally in a 50’s Lancia that he purchased last year just prior to the Pagoda Group Italian Tour.

[neelyrc]

Garry, yes Tom is number 444 on the starting list.

http://www.1000miglia.it/attach/Content/Interna/2421/o/2017_05_11_ordine.pdf

I will try to see Tom for a few minutes at the Parma stop this weekend.

[neelyrc]

After a grueling all day run from Rome to Parma here is Tom and his co-driver Steve Young (also a member here) in Piazza Duomo after completing the third leg of the Mille Miglia just after mid-night.

Later this morning the intrepid duo are shown in the gardens of Palazzo Ducale just before entering the starters que for the final leg to Brescia.  The third picture shows them in the starters que seconds before departure with Steve at the wheel.

Tom's car is a 1957 Lancia Appia GTZ.  According to Tom and Steve they are pleased with overall performance and are optimistic about their final standings in the time charts.

[kampala]

Ralph,

Good stuff.  Thanks reporting from the ground.

[Tom]

It was a thrill to see Ralph in Parma at 1:00 am upon our arrival and again the next day at the start.  Steve Brooks and I finished 125 and the second all-American team to finish.  Grueling 4-day event but a memory I will always cherish.

Many thanks to Ralph for coming out to cheer us on!

[Peter van Es]

Well done, great effort Tom and Steve... and what a beautiful and rare car that is!

[Garry]

Well done Tom,

Another item ticked off the bucket list. I am envious and it must have been a fantastic time.

Garry

[neelyrc]

Mille Miglia wrap-up:

A few days ago I posted a few pictures of Tom and Steve in Parma with Tom's car.  The Flickr album below includes all the pictures I took at the arrival of the cars from Rome on the third leg and the assembly for departure for Brescia the next morning for the final leg.
 
https://www.flickr.com/gp/151042062@N04/gc6aL4

In most of the pictures you can see the official numbers on the cars.  Mille Miglia cars are 1 - 460 and 1M -10M,  Ferrari Tribute cars are 501 - 598 and Mercedes Challenge cars are 701 - 727.

You can determine the details of the cars and crews by looking up their numbers in the attached participant lists.

Mille Miglia:  http://www.1000miglia.it/attach/Content/Interna/2421/o/2017_05_11_ordine.pdf

Ferrari Tribute:  http://www.ferraritribute.1000miglia.it/The-Event/2017-Edition/Provisional-starting-list/

Mercedes Challenge:  http://www.mercedesbenzchallenge.1000miglia.it/index.php/en/registration/item/download/233_8fbee3ebac3b66b0814569b5e5437315.html

Enjoy!!