Detour #131: The Targa Florio route, Sicily, Italy
Photo Maserati
Sudhir “Banzai” Matai goes in search of Vito Corleone as he follows the route of one of the world’s oldest road races.
Sicily is well-known for a few reasons. Its delicious olives, its beautiful coastline, an unfortunate association with organised crime and, most importantly for driving enthusiasts, being home to one of the oldest motor races in the world: the Targa Florio.
The ‘football’ to Italy’s ‘boot’ is a quick flight over from mainland Europe. Once you land on the largest island in the Mediterranean you’ll need a car as I observe no widespread public transport or rail system over the mountainous landscape.
My Sicilian base is the coastal town of Sciacca on the southern side of the island, but the reasons for my visit lie to the North. On the road at dawn, long before the locals rise, I head for the geographical centre of Sicily. There are motorways, of sorts, but venture off the Strade Statali (SS), and there are myriad passes to explore on verdant hills.
First stop for the day is the Autodromo di Pergusa, named after the lake which it encircles, Sicily's only permanent full-length racetrack. The circuit used to host a non-championship round of Formula 1 known as the Mediterranean Grand Prix. The track is characterised by flat out sections punctuated by chicanes and I see upwards of 275 km/h at some points of the circuit in the Ferrari 488 Pista I score a shotgun ride in.
Andrenaline flowing freely I head North East from Enna to find the birthplace of The Godfather himself… Vito Andolini. Time constraints, and a delectable “main course” later in the day means I opt for the faster SS121 and SS118 to find the hometown of Sicily’s most (in)famous son. Young Vito hailed from Corleone, a tiny mountainside village but there isn’t much to see/do short of a snap with the city’s name board.
My hunger is satiated in the port town of Termini Imerese, enjoying a view of the water, before heading to the Museo del Motorismo Siciliano e della Targa Florio for a quick Pit Stop. After drinking in the atmosphere of old racecars I spend the afternoon on the roads used when the Targo Florio last took place, a route known as the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie.
There were various iterations of the ‘circuit’ used between 1906 and its eventual demise in 1977. The longest was over 1,000km and circled the island. The most recent, Piccolo, is 72km and has somewhere between 800-900 corners - it makes the Nordschleife seem like child’s play. Almost all roads used for the race are still accessible to the public.
The course runs in an anti-clockwise direction with the SS120 making up the eastern section as racers make their way to Caltavuturo. Endless switchbacks and sheer drops mean that my pace in my cheapie rental car is slow. I can’t imagine racing mega-power sportscars from the 1960/70 on these narrow and less than perfectly surfaced roads - though I do long for something with RWD, more power and grip.
I dive onto the SP24 and then the SP9 on the way to Collesano. Crumbling blacktop is as much of a hazard as the occasional slow-moving tractor and Nonno on his bicycle. How did anyone race these roads in a Ferrari 512S where even a Miata would feel hemmed in?
The stop in Collesano brings with it the chance to fuel up with unleaded and caffeine, and draws many curious looks from the locals towards the “brown man” who must be lost…
The SP9 wends its way down through Sant’Agata (no, not that one) and down to Campofelice. The six-km long Buonfornello straight would have provided a much-needed respite for the pilots, as it does for me.
I skip the full lap, as the day’s driving has taken its toll, and head for my overnight stop. In the race drivers would head inland back on the SS113. They’d do 11 laps for a full race distance.
The drivers who competed and won at events such as the Targio Florio were, indeed, cut from a different cloth.
