Race report – 1935 XXVI Targa Florio

GLORY AND GRIEF BENEATH THE SICILIAN SUN: THE 1935 XXVI TARGA FLORIO!

Cerda, Sicily, 28 April 1935 — The nineteenth round of the Golden Era Championship was settled today upon the seventy-two kilometres of the daunting Piccolo Madonie circuit, a winding labyrinth of mountainous dust and sun-bleached masonry that proved more of a graveyard for machines than a racing track. Under the brilliant Italian sky, the local lizards were startled from their slumber by the roar of twenty-one magnificent motor-cars, all attempting to conquer a terrain so twisty it makes the Nürburgring look like a common boulevard. In a trial against the clock that lasted over three gruelling hours, the victory was snatched by a man who seemed to defy both the laws of physics and the scenery of the Mediterranean.

The Staggered Start and Early Catastrophes

The proceedings commenced with a gentlemanly staggered start, sending the intrepid pilots off at one-minute intervals. Evadne Cleo, in her diminutive 1926 Amilcar, was the first to brave the mountains, but her morning soon soured as a front-left puncture and a stubborn engine left her stranded before the first coastal stretch was reached. She was quickly overtaken by the thundering machine of Alejandro Lopez, whose aggressive pursuit ended prematurely after only one lap. FJQ Megías also found the Sicilian scenery far too magnetic, suffering a front-right puncture and severe damage to his steering that ultimately forced him into the retirement roll.

A truly bizarre mechanical malady befell the championship’s own Vesa Tolonen, who had quite a few incidents early in the race, effectively ending his race before it had truly begun. Kent LeFredge, operating a revival Alfa Romeo purportedly laden with “medical supplies,” also met a tragic end when his machine introduced itself to a solid object with such finality that the gearbox simply surrendered the ghost.

The Middle Order and Mechanical Fragility

Even though the temperature didn’t rose to a blistering intensity, the cooling systems of these temperamental steeds began to fail. Anssi Hyytiäinen, despite starting nineteenth and driving with his usual terrifying velocity, found his Bugatti’s temperatures soaring to ninety-five degrees before a mechanical failure ended his charge on the second lap. He was joined in the shade by Teofil Lubomirski, who suffered a litany of woes including fuel tank and cooling issues, and Rimzil Galimzyanov, both of whom retired after two laps of valiant struggle. The comte de La Boulle de Terre, driving the number six machine, offered a spirited effort but succumbed to the attrition after a single lap, as did the two Andreas—Papasodaro and Silvini—whose machines could not withstand the mountain’s relentless pounding.

Lenloon, piloting an Alfa Romeo 8C, provided the spectators with some entertainment by attempting to drift the heavy sports car through the mountain hairpins, a high-risk strategy that resulted in his retirement after one lap. Not present at the roll call were Drik Crozet, Renaud Ledu, David Czemmel, and Trevor Fall, all of whom remained in the paddock, perhaps wisely deciding that the repair bills from Sicily were not worth the glory.

Peltonen’s Charge and the Final Duel

The undisputed hero of the day was Markus Peltonen, who started from the very tail of the grid in twenty-third position. Despite early damage to his supercharger that made the machine sound like a banshee in a wind tunnel, Peltonen tore through the field with a pace that left the local announcers breathless. He overtook Alex Lesueur on the coastal straight with such over-speed that Lesueur appeared to be parked for a picnic, and Peltonen never looked back, securing the victory with a staggering time of two hours and four minutes.

Behind him, a heart-stopping battle for the final podium spots developed between Eetu Nurmi, Kari Uotila, and Daniel Withoeft. Nurmi, driving a clean and measured race, secured second place to give the TissiTuning team a dominant one-two finish. Kari Uotila, however, faced a dramatic finale; while hounding Withoeft’s “Ferrari-red” Alfa Romeo, Uotila suffered a rear puncture in the closing miles. In a display of pure Finnish grit, Uotila refused to stop, wrestling the three-wheeled Bugatti across the line to narrowly claim third place ahead of the frustrated Withoeft.

Max Kamiński and Heru Lah—the latter handling a monstrous Auto Union with the precision of a watchmaker—secured fifth and sixth places through sheer persistence. Ville Korkiakoski rounded out the finishers in seventh, having adopted a strategy of “cruising for survival” that avoided the mechanical carnage claiming his rivals. Alex Lesueur brought his machine home in eighth to conclude the list of survivors. As the sun sets over Cerda, the repair bills are being calculated in the thousands, and while many are nursing bruised egos and empty wallets, Markus Peltonen stands alone as the Master of the Madonie.

Yet unofficial Results — 1935 XXVI Targa Florio:

1. Markus Peltonen (Alfa Romeo P3) — 124:08.924 (3 laps)
2. Eetu Nurmi (Alfa Romeo P3) — 125:26.866 (3 laps)
3. Kari Uotila (Bugatti T59) — 130:24.244 (3 laps)
4. Daniel Withoeft (Alfa Romeo P3) — 131:16.356 (3 laps)
5. Max Kamiński (Delage 15S8) — 131:35.226 (3 laps)
6. Heru Lah (Auto Union Type A) — 132:45.800 (3 laps)
7. Ville Korkiakoski (Alfa Romeo 8C) — 134:41.132 (3 laps)
8. Alex Lesueur (Bugatti T39a) — 150:02.954 (3 laps)
9. Rimzil Galimzyanov 91:07.781 2 laps DNF
10. Teofil Lubomirski 93:38.553 2 laps DNF
11. Anssi Hyytiäinen 41:24.536 1 lap DNF
12. comte de La Boulle de Terre 43:40.938 1 lap DNF
13. Andrea Papasodaro 45:29.910 1 lap DNF
14. Andrea Silvini 46:08.236 1 lap DNF
15. Lenloon 48:22.514 1 lap DNF
16. Alejandro Lopez 53:20.389 1 lap DNF
17. Evadne Cleo DNF –
18. Kent LeFredge DNF –
19. Ruy Lázaro DNF –
20. Vesa Tolonen DNF –
21. FJQ Megías DNF –
22. Drik Crozet DNS –
23. Renaud Ledu DNS –
24. David Czemmel DNS –
25. Trevor Fall DNS –

The broadcast of the race