THE GRAND PRIX BORDINO

THE GRAND PRIX BORDINO Victory for Achille Varzi on the new Bugatti

ACHILLE VARZI, the champion of Italy, driving one of the new Bugatti racers with the 2,300 c.c. double overhead camshaft engine won the seventh race over the Circuit of Alexandria, now known as the Grand Prix Bordino, which was run on Sunday, 26th April. Two other Bugattis driven by Minozzi and von Morgen were second and third with Count Castelbarco on a Maserati fourth, while in the 1,100 c.c. class victory went to Camotte on a Salmson.. The opening stages of the race witnessed a terrific duel between Varzi and his late team-mate, Tazio Nuvolari, on one of the new 2,300 c.c. straight-eight Alfa-Romeo racers, and the race thus gave a foretaste of the struggles which may be expected in the later events of the season.

Fifty Competitors.

The entry list was a good one, some fifty participants having been secured. Besides Varzi the better known Bug,attisti included von Morgen, Minozzi, Burggaller, d’Amoux and Prince Leiningen, while against them were matched half a dozen Maseratis, which included Fagioli, Count Castelbarco, Ghersi, and Toti among their drivers, a couple of Italas and the new Alfa-Romeo. ‘Whether or not the two chief champions would start was uncertain until the last minute, as Nuvolari’s Alfa was only entered on the eve of the race, and Varzi also only collected his car from Molsheim the day before the event, and proceeded to Alexandria by road.

As soon as the start was given Varzi shot to the front, with Nuvolari hot on his heels. It is interesting to note that both these drivers have won the Circuit of Alexandria on previous occasions, and curiously enough Varzi was driving an Alfa-Romeo when he proved victorious last year, while Nuvolari drove a Bugatti when he won in 1929. On this occasion the French machine appeared to be slightly the faster car of the two, but for the first ten rounds of the thirty-five which constituted the race, Nuvolari clung close to Varzi’s heels. Then when the French car had a lead of 33 seconds over its Italian rival Nuvolari disappeared from the race, and Varzi’s lead seemed secure. On the fifteenth lap Minozzi, driving one of the old type Bugatti racers worked his way up into second place and held it until the end of the race. In the 1,100 c.c. class only three cars finished and Camotte won fairly easily on the Salmson. The final result was as follows :

1. Varzi (Bugatti), 2h. 6m. 24 2/5 s. Average, 83.1 m.p.h. for 175 miles.

2. Minozzi (Bugatti), 2h. 8m. 46 1/5s.

3. von Morgen (Bugatti), 2h. 12m. is.

4. Count Castelbarco (Maserati), 2h. 12m. 15 3/5s.

5. Arcangeli (Alfa-Romeo), 2h. 17m. 7 4/5s.

6. Burggaller (Bugatti), 2h. 21m. 16 1/5s. . 7. Fagioli (Maserati), 2h. 21m. 37 2/5s. 1100 C.C. Cuss.

1. Camotte (Salmson), 2h. 31m. 34s.

2. Benoit (Amilcar).

3. Carnaveli (Rally).