A closer look
Autodrome of Morano sul Po: at a glance
There.Morano sul Po autodrome, also known as runway of Casale Monferrato because of its location near theCasale Monferrato of the Monferrato,[1] is a resigned automotive circuit located among the municipalities of Morano sul Po, Coniolo And Pontestura.
The route is almost entirely located in the territory of the Municipality of Pontestura, north of the Po river,[2] but reachable from the nearby town of Morano sul Po.
History
Inauguration · Years of activity · Crisis and closureExplore this chapter
Inauguration
After the due design and construction of the sports facility built at the end of the 60s of the 20th century, the official opening of the circuit took place on 19 March 1973:[3] On the occasion of the event, the Formula 1 driver Arturo Merzario, led by a Ferrari 312 B2, marked the record time of 1'01"100 at an average speed of 144,950 km/h.[1][4]
Years of activity
In the first years of activity, great prizes were held on the Morano circuit valid for the Italian Formula 3 season and the Ford Escort Mexico Challenge; moreover they ran there other minor formulas of the Italian Championships and some stages of the Giro d'Italia in editions 1973 and 1974.[5] By virtue of being in the northern area of Piemonte, within it were also played some motor championships of Switzerland, nation on whose ground the competitions had been banned from 1955.[6]
In 1974, a year after the inauguration, there was the best season in the history of the world circuit, where almost 100,000 spectators attended 17 races of various categories.[1][4] This event was the background for a possible extension of the cardrome of about 4 km aimed at hosting major competitive races, but due to swinging bureaucratic events, this project never saw light.[1]
The circuit is known for hosting some world-famous drivers such as Nelson Piquet, Riccardo Patrese, Lella Lombardi and Vittorio Brambilla.[6]
Crisis and closure
The first problems began in 1975 because of strong complaints from the local population annoyed by noise from the circuit.[7][2][8] Despite this, the activity of the autodrome continued immediately;[6] However, almost a year later the owners realized that the influx of spectators was almost halved compared to that present two years earlier.[1] This combination of factors, caused both by the lack of presence of the aspirants and by the increasingly persistent complaints, put on his knee the direction of the track, which was forced to close its doors in 1977.[9][10][11]
On August 18 of the same year, a ruspa broke into the track and demolished about 500 meters of asphalt: in this way it tried to prevent a possible reopening of the autodrome[1][4][6] and, secondly, this action was made necessary to discourage the use of the track for clandestine races.[without source]
In 1980, the circuit was once again paved in anticipation of a further reopening planned for the following year; a restaurant was also opened. Due to the scarcity of funds, however, the entire project went into smoke.[1] Since then, the circuit has been poured out under conditions of abandonment, with much of the road intruded by vegetation; the only way to access it is through a road also in bad conditions.[1][4][6]
Next Events
Description of the circuit
The Morano sul Po track winds for 2 460 meters long and 11 metres wide, near the river of the same name; despite the name of the circuit, in fact the...Explore this chapter
The Morano sul Po track winds for 2 460 meters long and 11 meters wide, near the river of the same name;[1] despite the name of the circuit, in fact the land plots belong to the municipality of Pontestura.[6] It was routed clockwise and consisted of 6 turns to the right and 2 left for a total of 8 curves.[1]
Notes
Explore this chapter
- ^ to b c d And f g h the j Abandoned track: Morano Sul Po, up albyphoto.it, 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2019 (archived fromoriginal url on 3 June 2019).
- ^ to b Franco Guarnero, Ordinance Comune di Pontestura, 26 July 1975, in The Monferrato, no. 31, Casale Monferrato, August 2, 1975, p. 1.
- ^ Luigi Angelino, First races on the Morano circuit. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday the official baptism, in The Monferrato, no. 11, Casale Monferrato, March 17, 1973, p. 11.
- ^ to b c d Marta Martiner Testa, Paolo and Daniele discovering the abandoned autodrome of Morano sul Po, up lanuovaprovincia.it, 28 September 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ Casale Monferrato, Circuito Monferrino, up gdecarli.it.
- ^ to b c d And f Samuel Prosino, The circuit of Morano sul Po: from glory to abandonment, up pilotsemotori.blogspot.com, 19 June 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ Autodromo: will he have to demolish? Pontestura She got tired of the noise., in The Monferrato, no. 11, Casale Monferrato, March 15, 1975, p. 1.
- ^ Luigi Angelino, Pontestura blocks the Swiss races for too much noise, in The Monferrato, no. 31, Casale Monferrato, August 2, 1975, p. 1.
- ^ Luigi Angelino, After the rink fell. The President of the Autodrome: "The plants will stay here", in The Monferrato, no. 62, Casale Monferrato, August 27, 1977, p. 1.
- ^ The real history of the autodrome, in The Monferrato, no. 93, Casale Monferrato, 13 December 1977, p. 4.
- ^ The track is born Piemonte start a hectic activity, in The Monferrato, no. 17, Casale Monferrato, February 28, 1978, p. 4.
- ^ Autodromo Morano Po, reopens the abandoned track in Piemonte, up newsauto.it, 10 October 2022.
- ^ Franca Nebbia, Hollywood is in Morano: filming at the autodrome for a movie about Enzo Ferrari, up lastampa.it, 20 October 2022.
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