ARTICLE DATED 24/06/2007

Circuit of the Castle, stop after half-hour
The historical commemoration has been stopped by the umpire: drivers race too fast.

TERAMO. The first of the two days dedicated to the historical commemoration of the Castle's Circuit, in the works for yesterday afternoon, lasted just 30 minutes. In fact after the first half-hour of free tests, three of the drivers competitors (At the check they have been arrived in number of 54 instead of 57) among which Bruno Patriarca, have committed breaches of the rules during the race course in order to oblige the race manager to call off the parade for safety reasons. And to think all started in the better way possible! Along more than three kilometres of the course you breathe a festive and anticipation air and there is a ring of public that, careless of the hot weather of the early afternoon, increases from minute to minute. Anyway, for many people from Teramo of a certain age, this is the occasion to relive the emotion to see again after than 46 years so many cars, which had been protagonists of the various editions from 1949 to 1961, while for many children it is “a first time” to memorize. Moreover, as token of how much the event is emotionally felt, many people, particularly in the area of Via Cavour and Via del Castello, hung their own balcony with flags and banners. Before the arrival of cars to Piazza Garibaldi (departure meeting place), the band group “Bellante Band” parades along the whole circuit, it functioning as “forerunner” to the cars. In the meantime, the organizers provide for going through final touches on the course till when “in dribs and drabs” (that is a way to say :one by one) you hears the roars of the cars which place theirselves in single file along the Corso San Giorgio. There we are! At 16 o'clock the “gems” of the various categories which are present (that are: Sport Classe 750cc.; Corsa F3 Classe 500cc; Corsa FJunior Classe 1100cc and extra cars ) start under the banner, placed at the beginning of Viale Bovio, with a programme that scheduled a stop every thirty minutes (in three stops till 18,30) in order to enable the public traffic flow. However something doesn't go well because after first laps and first rides in Piazza Garibaldi ( where some cars arrives with a “gung ho” (that is: too high enthusiasm) from Via del Castello) the race managers interrupt the race. Why? Some cars have broken the rules of the road code for speeding , considering that it isn't a competitive race but only an evocative parade and without time classifications. In particular way, three cars get under report: the Alfa 2000 Spider, the Stanguellini 1100 Sport and even the Baby Junior of Bruno Patriarca. First two, after a careful assessment of the race back judge, this morning could regularly participate to the parade, while, the experienced driver and constructor native of Montorio al Vomano (who is among the promoters of the event) has been disqualified, therefore, except surprise-news, today, he will be not present at the starting line of hours 9. Just after the suspension of the race and the disqualification suffered by him, Bruno Patriarca remarks angrily the verdict and pronounces “fire” words: «It's a farce, the course had to be closed, cause I found a number of cars going against the race direction and nobody take responsibilities. It is an unacceptable disqualification cause I'm used to race in a real way and not in this one!». This last phrase rises on a polemic of a few minutes with the pit boss and the sole empire who remind to Patriarca that the “race” it is not a competition but rather a parade. To the allegation to have not closed the course, the councillor responsible for Sport of Teramo, Giorgio Di Giovangiacomo, who was present at the finish line, replies:«Today's date, though being Saturday, the course has been closed every half hour, so, it is an allegation without basis. It is tomorrow that the course will be closed and there will be not accesses, this thanks to the traffic officers' work. Rather,» Di Giovangiacomo ends his remarks: «I ask drivers to go slowly and to be careful». But, yesterday the race has been interrupted, it making delusion to many present people and ending with the sad go back of the cars to the paddock which have been escorted by the traffic officers' relay.
Gaetano Lombardino.


TERAMO. This morning from 9 o’clock is scheduled the official closure of the circuit to the traffic until 11 o’clock. The starting of the parade is gone before a caravan of Bmw cars of the “salone automobilistico Di Patrizio” (that is: Di Patrizio autoshow). At the and of commemoration, round about 13 o’clock, nearby the Carino Gambacorta Hall of the Bank of Teramo, where even today there are exhibition and the Heidfeld’s Bmw, it will take place prize giving. Yesterday, in the evening, at the Green Park restaurant in San Nicolò a Tordino, it took place a “soirée” with the musical group “Neri per Caso” as guests of honour. Today, from 13,30, at the Carpaccio restaurant in Teramo, it’s the time of Beppe Lentini’s burlesque. Solidarity is devolved upon a lottery about which the proceeds go to the Civil Protection for the purchase of an aid means. As prize: a Bmw Cabrio, a Rover 2000 Tc and a Bianchi “Mosquito” motor-cycle dated 1950. Moreover, it will be awarded also who will have best decorated its own balcony.