Lonato sold from the 24th to the 27th of October for the event organized by Parma Karting continuing the tradition of the oldest karting race in the world.
The 52nd Trofeo delle Industrie, scheduled from the 24th to the 27th of October at the South Garda Karting Circuit in Lonato, is a sold-out edition. Organized by Parma Motorsport, this record-breaking event will see approximately 320 drivers from 47 nations competing in the MINI, OKJ, KZ2, OKN, and OKNJ categories.
The oldest karting race in the world, once again included in the CIK-FIA calendar, promises to be a great sporting spectacle. Despite the passage of time, it remains highly relevant with the usual participation of manufacturers, top teams, and many international champions, including newly crowned World Champions, alongside many young talents.
For a long time the “Trofeo delle Industrie” has been the jewel in the crown of the international karting and this round became so important that in the Seventies it was used by the companies to present their products for the following year. This was a particularly lived event and one that was awaited by the whole karting world. It was also blessed with a rich money-prize made available by the karting constructors that take part to it, back then as still happens today.
The Overall Title for all categories has always been awarded to the driver scoring the best overall result. The Overall Trophy was named after Commendatore Carlo Fabi who was a huge fan of motorsport. After his departure, his famous – due to the motorsport success – sons Teo and Corrado kept this tradition alive and the trophy is still named “Memorial Carlo Fabi” today.
THE BEGINNING IN 1971
The first edition of the “Trofeo delle Industrie” was organized in 1971. It involved 4 rounds, that became 5 in 1974 and then 7 in 1984, 1985 and 1986 due to the high number of entered drivers. From 1987 it went down to 5 rounds again and then to 3 for several years and finally to 2. From 2009, due to the decommissioning of the Parma Kartdrome, the event started featuring only one round.
All the main drivers have been competing in the “Trofeo delle Industrie”, a lot of which have moved shortly after to professional motor-racing and to Formula 1. Among the main names winning the Absolute Trophy, the first winner back in 1971 was Gabriele Gorini, and then Corrado Fabi (1973, 100cc), Ivan Capelli (1978, 100 Cadets), Stefano Modena (1981, 100 Avenir), Giancarlo Fisichella (1990, 100 International) and Daniil Kvyat (2008, KF3).
THE PROTAGONIST OF 70s AND 80S
A lot of other drivers that came to the fore winning their category at the Trofeo delle Industrie have then moved on to an excellent career in motorsport or have become great karting interpreters. Successful debuts at this event were made by Beppe Gabbiani (from 1971), Eddy Cheever (1972), Riccardo Patrese (1972), Elio De Angelis (1973), Teo Fabi (1974), Andrea De Cesaris (1974), Paolo Barilla (1975 to 1978 and winner of a 24 Hours of Le Mans), Emanuele Pirro (1975), Roberto Ravaglia (1976), Gianni Morbidelli (1980), Gabriele Tarquini (1980), Antonio Tamburini (1981), Mike Wilson (1981), Roberto Colgiago (1982), Gianluca Beggio (1982), Alex Zanardi (1982), Emanuele Naspetti (1982), Vincenzo Sospiri (1982), Tamara Vidali (1982), Massimiliano Papis (1982), Luca Drudi (1982), Fabrizio Giovanardi (1983), Enrico Bertaggia (1983), Andrea Montermini (1985), Luca Badoer (1985) and Luca Rangoni (1986)
Some like the President to be of the Italian Karting Federation Oddino Domenichini and the FIK Advisor Giampaolo Melonaro have also been competing in the 1975 edition of the Trofeo delle Industrie.
Year 1988 was Jarno Trulli’s turn to claim the victory at the end of a good challenge with Giancarlo Fisichella, then Fabrizio De Simone (1988) and Gabriele Lancieri (1989), as the latter is currently a Federal School ACI Sport instructor.
At the beginning of 80s, other drivers have also been racing at the trophy before becoming important constructors like Roberto Robazzi, Albino Parolin, Jorn Haase, Michele Panigada, Roberto Ninzoli, Giuseppe Cavaciuti and Dino Chiesa, or future team managers like Dino Chiesa, Armando Filini, Pietro Sassi, Sandro Lorandi or Guido Cappellini, who became motorboating champion. Others owned circuits like Francesco Calzavara (owner of Jesolo’s track), Fabio Torsellini (Circuit of Siena), Marco Corberi (South Garda), Massimo Wiser (Pista Winner), Matteo Grassotto (Pista Friuli Venezia Giulia), Ennio Gandolfi (Cremona Circuit). A very good interpreter of the Trofeo delle Industrie was also Andrea Margutti (1988).
THREE F1 WORLD CHAMPIONS IN THE 90s
90s started with Giancarlo Fisichella winning the Overall Title of the 100 International in 1990. Andrea Belicchi won the Trophy in 1991, year that saw Tonio Liuzzi’s presence in 60 Mini and that of Ronnie Quintarelli. Some journalists also took part in those years at the Trofeo delle Industrie, such as Giovanni Paterlini, Maurizio Voltini and Alberto Sabbatini in 1991, who is Autosprint’s director, and Fulvio Cavicchi, who is the son of Carlo Cavicchi, Autosprint director first and then Quattroruote’s.
Among the main names of the 90s, Giorgio Pantano, Thomas Biagi, Alessandro Sferrella, Raffaele Giammaria (1993) from 2022 President of the Karting Commission ACI Sport, Fabio Francia (1993), Francesco Laudato who won the Trophy back in 1995, Fernando Alonso in 100 Junior (1995), Marco Ardigò and Stefano Fabi both in Mini (1995), Alessandro Balzan, Alberto Pianta, Alessandro Manetti (1996) and the several times winner Danilo Rossi (1996). Among the girls, Ketty D’Ambroso managed to shine in 1997 and before winning the 2004 edition of 100 ICA. During the same year he debuted in the 100cc Junior finishing fourth in the overall standings Stefano Fabi always podium in the following years.
The driver with the highest number of victories is Alessandro Piccini, who won it three times in a row in 1992, 1993 and 1994 in 125 International. Gianfranco Baroni also scored three wins in 1972, 1977 and 1980.
In 1998 Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton alternated at the victory of ICA Junior in the same year when Fernando Alonso won Formula A.
Edition 1999 of the Trofeo delle Industrie housed a good number of future F1 champions with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg competing in ICA, that were joined by Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastian Vettel in Junior and Robert Kubica in Formula A. Hamilton won the ICA Tournament while Vettel was third in Junior.
Among the protagonists of the Trofeo, four drivers went all the way to become Formula 1 World Champions: Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg.
In the nineties, the number of drivers partaking in this event became quite remarkable, with the record of 261 entered drivers in the first round of 1993, and a total of 718 drivers in the three races run in that year.
SEVERAL MORE CHAMPIONS IN YEARS 2000s
A lot of foreign drivers joined the race in 2000s. A total number of 19 foreign countries were represented in year 2000, while in 2002 the Trophy was run in two rounds and for the second year running the French driver Jeremy Iglesias came to the fore before becoming the World Champion later on in his career. In 2003 Jaime Alguersuari was at the start, while other champions made their debut in Mini before shining on the International karting scene as Felice Tiene, Flavio Camponeschi, Lorenzo Camplese, Mirko Torsellini, Kevin Ceccon and Robert Shwartzman.
Daniil Kvyat made his debut in Mini together with Antonio Giovinazzi in 2005, while Mini’s debut for Carlos Sainz Jr came in 2006. He ended third in the Trophy claiming fifth in final one ahead of Kvyat. Aaro Vainio got the win in 2007’s edition of the race in KF3, while in Mini Alex Palou made his debut in this year. The 2008 Overall Trophy went to Daniil Kvyat, who won KF3 ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi and Raffaele Marciello. Among the protagonists of 2008, Jordon Lennox-Lamb, who won the World Cup later on in his career before becoming team manager and Paolo Ippolito, who also become the World Champion.
The “Trofeo delle Industrie” relocated to Pomposa in 2009 and was run in one round only. The future team manager Devid De Luchi and the future World Champion Fabrizio Travisanutto were present in this edition. The race moved to Castelletto di Branduzzo in 2010 when the protagonists of Mini where Alessio and Leonardo Lorandi, that claimed strong results in international karting and motorsport before becoming team managers. The German Sophia Flörsch also competed in Mini.
From 2012 the race relocatedat the South Garda Karting circuit of Lonato. And the story continues…
The provisional program of the 52nd Trofeo delle Industrie.
Thursday, October 24th: Free practice, Sporting scrutineering.
Friday, October 25th: Qualifying practice, Heats.
Saturday, October 26th: Heats.
Sunday, October 27th: Second chance races, Prefinals, Finals with Live Streaming.
Info: https://www.trofeodelleindustrie.it/
Parma, October 21th, 2024
Press Office
Parma Motorsport
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