Gino Valenzano
# Gino Valenzano

Luigi "Gino" Valenzano (April 24, 1920, Asti - May 28, 2011) was an Italian racing driver. He entered 39 races between 1947 and 1955 in Abarths, Maseratis and Lancias as a teammate of drivers like Robert Manzon and Froilán González.

## Early life

As a young man. Valenzano was fascinated by airplanes and air travel, so he studied at the Academy of Caserta. However, he was called back to Turin after his father's sudden death. During World War II Gino and his brother Piero had to leave Turin because of their relation to Pietro Badoglio, so they lived in Rome for a while, until they were sold out to soldiers, who deported the brothers to Mauthausen. May 5, 1945 they were liberated by the Americans.

## Racing career

Valenzano started competing in hillclimbs in his own build single seater and received later a BMW-engined single seater designed by Enrico Nardi. He was soon noticed by Carlo Abarth, who hired him as works driver for Abarth. There he met Gianni Lancia, son of Vincenzo, with whom he went to the Liceo classico Massimo d'Azeglio as a child. Lancia let him try out an Aurelia B20 and Valenzano decided to compete in professional racing with that car and later the Lancia D20 and D24. He competed in Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Among his teammates were Luigi Segre and other successful drivers, including Alberto Ascari, Luigi Villoresi, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Musso. In 1955 Lancia withdrew as a team from professional racing, so Valenzano switched to Maserati and drove six more races. However, this would be his last season, because his brother Piero died during the Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti on July 10, 1955.

### Complete results

Gino Valenzano racing results :

| Year | Date | Race | Entrant | Car | Teammate(s) | Result |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1947 | June 29 | Varese | | Fiat 1100 | | |
| 1947 | July 20 | Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti | | Revelli Monaco Testadoro | | 10th |
| 1947 | August 24 | Circuito di Senigallia | | Fiat | | 7th |
| 1948 | April 4 | Targa Florio | | | | DNF |
| 1948 | May 2 | Mille Miglia | | Fiat | Rocco Motto | DNF |
| 1948 | May 9 | Vercelli | | Nardi-Danese | | 8th |
| 1948 | July 11 | Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti | | Nardi-Danese | | 6th |
| 1949 | April 24 | Mille Miglia | | Fiat 1100 Cabriolet | Luigi Segre | 63rd |
| 1949 | July 17 | Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti | | Nardi-Danese | | DNF |
| 1949 | August 21 | Circuito de Senigallia | | Nardi-Danese | | 6th |
| 1950 | April 23 | Mille Miglia | | Fiat 1100 E | Luigi Segre | 59th |
| 1950 | June 11 | Premio di Apertura | | Nardi-Danese | | 6th |
| 1950 | August 20 | Pergusa Grand Prix | | Abarth 1100 | | 1st |
| 1950 | October 8 | Modena | | Nardi-Danese | | 4th |
| 1951 | April 29 | Mille Miglia | Lancia | Lancia Aurelia | Luigi Maggio | 7th |
| 1951 | August 11 | 6 Hours of Pescara | | Lancia Aurelia | | 3rd |
| 1952 | March 9 | Giro di Sicilia | | Lancia Aurelia | Emilio Giletti | 3rd |
| 1952 | May 4 | Mille Miglia | | Lancia Aurelia | "Paltrinieri" | DNF |
| 1952 | June 1 | Prix de Monte Carlo | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia Aurelia | none | 4th |
| 1952 | June 15 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia Aurelia | "Ippocampo" | 6th |
| 1952 | June 29 | Targa Florio | | Lancia Aurelia | | 2nd |
| 1952 | July 13 | Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti | | Lancia Aurelia | | DNF |
| 1953 | April 12 | Giro di Sicilia | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia Aurelia | "S. Ramella" | 2nd |
| 1953 | April 26 | Mille Miglia | | Lancia Aurelia | "Margutti" | DNF |
| 1953 | May 14 | Targa Florio | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D20 | none | 4th |
| 1953 | May 31 | Coppa della Toscana | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia Aurelia | Luigi Maggio | 2nd |
| 1953 | June 14 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D20 | Felice Bonetto Froilán González | DNF |
| 1953 | June 28 | Giro dell'Umbria | | Lancia Aurelia | Luigi Maggio | 3rd |
| 1953 | July 12 | Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D23 | none | DNF |
| 1954 | March 7 | 12 Hours of Sebring | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D24 | Profirio Rubirosa | 2nd |
| 1954 | May 2 | Mille Miglia | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D24 | none | DNF |
| 1954 | September 11 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D24 | Robert Manzon Eugenio Castellotti | 3rd |
| 1955 | March 13 | 12 Hours of Sebring | Maserati Co. & B. S. Cunningham | Maserati 300S | Cesare Perdisa | 4th |
| 1955 | May 15 | Bari Grand Prix | | Maserati A6GCS | | 4th |
| 1955 | May 29 | Supercortemaggiore | Maserati | Maserati 300S | Franco Bordoni | DNF |
| 1955 | June 2 | Coppa Delle Sei Ore | | Lancia Aurelia | | |
| 1955 | June 5 | Mugello Grand Prix | | Maserati A6GCS | | 10th |
| 1955 | June 12 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 300S | Luigi Musso | DNF |
| 1955 | July 10 | Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti | | Maserati A6GCS | | DNF |
