Epic battle Indy 
Chronicle of a legendary Grand Prix of Argentina, as it appeared in the magazine El Grafico 1798 Issue January 1954.
just moments ago that ended the race for the Grand Prix of Argentina and we are now feverishly typing on the machine because the note is long and time is short. We do not know when that will have taken final decision on the protest claiming team Ferrari Juan Manuel Fangio softening because the stop at his place of replenishment for changing tires and get the mask of celluloid, so necessary to run the rain would have helped more employees than those stipulated by the international regulations.
We in the ears a number of explanations: on one hand, the claim, on the other, the explanation in the sense that the engineer himself Lugo had to take a mechanic pulls on the nervousness of the situation, went to work to exceed the number also would have increased the Balcarce who reached the mask.
The final decision will be taken when the magazine is in a machine, but this does not prevent us to make a brief comment. The regulation says in its second article that "complies with the provisions of the International Sporting Code of the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile and its attachments to the Sporting Regulations Driver of Argentina." That is the hard point regulation. If it should disqualify the winner of the event, which would be more painful, because the feat of Juan Manuel Fangio was wonderful and the transgression that may have occurred did not influence at all in his magnificent victory. It would be an unforeseen accident, without malice, without any intention, without the slightest premeditation because Juan Manuel did not go to the top because they have reduced drive train exprofeso who preceded him at the time that hit home the unforgettable, as show the numbers are unassailable.
Fangio stopped once the turn 61. Farina take time, as Gonzalez gradually lost terrain tires provided no ancorizados, essential in these cases. In the 55 lap clocked Farina 1h47m06s7/10; to 60 1h59m57s6/10. For those five circuits 12m50s9/10 employment. At 65, in full battle for the lead Fangio, Farina had a time 2h12m48s6/10; to 70 while still maintaining the tip, 2h24m40s2/10. Its time for the five circuits was 11m51s6/10. Ie, pressed by Fangio, 59s3/10 used less than in the previous five circuits. As far as we could ascertain, the signs so that Fangio abated his train were set when Juan Manuel Fangio had passed to the forefront
The struggle was therefore thoroughly, and each gave as to whether he had and could. Which have been three or five aides Balcarce when he stopped to change tires is another matter, shall be punished or not the regulations, shall be declared or not winning, but it is obvious that the track has expired Fangio in exciting career in a strong hit, overwhelming, tremendous and he has given us a show that we can never forget.
remains here our word. We understand that the rules are made to be fulfilled, but there was no bad faith or intent, or purpose contrary to the last letter written. Therefore we will race on the fringes of the final decision about the vexed issue.
times Saturday in the classification tests, and told us something: Joseph Farina, Ferrari 1m44s8/10, Joseph F. Gonzalez, Ferrari 1m44s9/10, Juan Manuel Fangio, Maserati 1m45s6/10, Mike Hawthorn, Ferrari 1m47s.
These four men start in the first row. There are three Ferraris and a Maserati. To achieve this since Fangio "jumped" in depth. Three times he was swinging his time for a split, which succeeded. That is, hit the mechanical limit of its possibilities. His machine, six-cylinder did not have the same "low power" of the Ferrari, and a meager average circuit feature of the four cylinders were in line to track most of our Municipal Speedway Oct. 17. That was visible. Moreover, the Maserati Fangio brought that machine and one for Marimon, totally new. Experimentation came to a bridge and equipped with Dion, created this brand Dion Bouton in 1902 and just three or four years is starting to be used in special career.
But Pinocchio experiment designed to fail: a lot of temperature. Tested at Monza in cold weather, extreme heat found here, and practice it until it was necessary to cut the body in order to send air to oil cooler. Like Marimon did not fully, was assigned to it that of Louis Musso, the reigning Italian sport and one of the promises of racing in his country. Musso machine did not have the bridge Dion, but its engine offered more guarantees. Musso was going to run with the previous Marimon, alternating with Menditeguy, but the time trials was damaged that could not be corrected, horn and other other way to power Maserati Bira Musso was not to be possible to compete.
Marimón time in preliminary testing was 1m04s4/10; Trintignant, Ferrari, same time, Louis Musso, 1m48s2/10, Roberto Mieres Maserati Marimón to run at Monza, but now equipped with two-liter and a half, 1m49s; Menditeguy, 1m49s2/10, Bira, 1m49s3/10, Harry Schell, Maserati, 1m50s (we were told that this machine came with two-liter engine is the same that led to the Juan Manuel Fangio winning the Italian Grand Prix, the only victory for the Maserati over the Ferrari Formula One test No. 2), Humberto Maglioli, Ferrari, 1m50s2/10, Jean Behra, Gordini, 1m50s7/10, de Graffenried, Maserati , 1m53s; Roger Loyer, Gordini, 1m51s2/10, Louis Rosier, Ferrari, 1m51s6/10; Elie Bayol, Gordini, 1m52s6/10, and Jorge Daponte, with a recently purchased Maserati for him, and did not know, 1m56s.
As is clear from the times recorded, the Gordini would again be the underdogs in the race. Is that the operator has more lyrical engineer to afford to fight two powerful rival organizations. As for the first time it ran in reverse to clockwise, do not represent comparisons with earlier times. In addition, last year reached the statutory limitation of two quarts for normal power engines and the new formula is up to 2,500, with the other end of the 750 cubic inches with a compressor, which have not been made so far. However, we will say that in 1953 Alberto Ascari race marked 1m48s4/10, since rained in preliminary testing. If 1m44s8/10 now reached, the difference can be attributed to the largest displacement. It may be conceded that in one sense or another does not change the speed. As for the opinions differ. What justifies the change is that the pits are located after the line of arrival, as appropriate. Otherwise, it would be running the control tower place.
was to admit that the very proven Ferrari, with their engines have a long experimentation, had advantages over the Maserati, which came to an experiment and in a scenario that, as mentioned, was not ideal for most power in it. And although at the start, which seems to Froilan he jumped to the change, was the last, was visible on the dry ground showed the superiority of Ferrari hinted a day earlier. With Farina in the lead, pursued by Fangio. started the race, but the second round arrecifeño moved to fifth place. In the following we noted the positions: Farina, Fangio, Hawthorn, Gonzalez, Marimon, Mieres, de Graffenried, Bira, Schell, Trintignant, Maglioli, Behra, Bayol, Loyer and Daponte, having been Rosier on the opening lap when he went off the road and hit the fence, no other consequences that his desertion. In the 5th goes Gonzalez to third place and threatening to Fangio, who more than two circuits later, while Mieres Marimón evicts the fifth place and is producing an excellent career.
Meanwhile, Pinocchio has been experiencing difficulties in their machine, which will force him to arrest and, ultimately, abandonment. Unfortunately, the Argentine driver, such a brilliant performance at Monza, where he walked half the race alternated with values \u200b\u200bof the size of Fangio, Ascari and Farina, to the point of walking machines sometimes in tandem, could not demonstrate all their progress home .
watches. and the same eyes, we were saying that Maserati Fangio could not match the line running of the Ferrari, and testimony in this respect is the fact that the 11th was put through Hawthorn. It was not then. struggles of men but of machines, with three Ferrari had been placed at the forefront despite the Herculean efforts of Balcarce.
This is an aspect of the race, it is necessary to divide the evening: in the dry and the wet. Once the limit of the first hour, which identified a third competition, began to fall the first drops, then stopped to ask her González pointer mask film. thus losing the lead. It was thought that determination would have been hasty, but then, intensify the rain, it was accepted that he had "sniffed." unfortunately did not put tires ancorizados and that led to a derrapages and then gradually lose ground in the dramatic struggle underwater. As was once arrested and Pinocchio , in the 33 stood for the first time Roberto Mieres, and the 37 for Farina and the rear tires you put ancorizados.
Hawthorn Then he was in the vanguard, followed by Fangio, Gonzalez, Farina and de Graffenried. Volante that doing well on the wet. Hawthorn was in his element, but exceeded. and the 39 also had a spin, which would be followed by another more, and would need outside help to get your motor running, so it was disqualified Juan Manuel Fangio was found and the first time in the forefront, but the rain stopped momentarily, the floor was dry and Gonzalez rushed to return to the tip at the 43. But soon turned to rain and Farina, with his tires, saying the prosecution was to go gradually coming to the head of the dispersed lot.
Within an hour they had covered 33 circuits, the following would be six fewer. At times, and on the basis of the lap record in the 23 states with 1m48s2/10 González, the times were in excess half a minute. The derrapages followed one another, arrests, too, and in that environment was getting nervous at the time Fangio stopped to change and get his mask rolled celluloid.
The average, which had been at 125.272 km / h to the fifth round, it influences the game, and reached the 127.928 km / h on the dry to 30, had gone down to 117.682 km / h at 60. At that point Gonzalez was kept in the forefront, but two derrapages Farina delayed and pronounced it was at that post to become the focus of the hit from Juan Manuel. It stopped at 62, starts from third place his career, his memorable reaction, his electrifying hit. Almost do not want to give credit to the clock, we can not accept what we say or what our eyes. How to discounts of 25 seconds in some laps? "They come down the forward progress?. As we stated at the beginning of the record that, under the circumstances, Farina also hurry, since there will be five laps down almost a minute part of the five previous tours.
So the clocks tell us when to learn of the protest, we refer to them. Fangio is that it runs much under water, and sometimes demonstrated, and an unforgettable race in Bern, far from home. Is that Juan Manuel runs, it runs. It seems it did not rain for him, or that it rained less. Why not stop by for change? Judged that it was still raining. and why. barely missing an hour of career he has played the last card.
and places it on the gray carpet track in the gray afternoon, as a light of hope for millions of Mexicans, to rip the overcast sky and make the sun shine at the beginning of what seems an illusion and we becoming a reality.
calculations we do with confronting the chronograph require the doubt. We look at the needles, we look back on the track and do not accept what is happening. But there is actually taking place, there on the track, we Fangio says it will soon be the leading edge and that victory will be yours. If there have been three or five assistants, this is a thing apart, is regulation. Fangio is not to blame if there was transgression, will not have been won but the resolution. unknown at the time, to take away the win on paper. The track is not paper, is asphalt. It is hard, and an electrifying run on the hard ground burin written in the capacity and audacity a glorious page to him and the Argentine sports.
scored in the 65 51s, with 38s in the next, in the 67 to 30s, to 23s in 68, when Gonzalez and goes beyond resolutely. shovin in pursuit of the pointer. The road course starts. Public who had been away for shelter from the rain resumed their seats in the stands. Are witnessing the impossible, are facing a legend have been told, a thing of magic. I'm so nervous that you might not be very accurate volume differences, the fingers do not respond quickly by pressing the hands that guide the hands of the chronograph. Now there are 23 seconds, then 14 and then 9, and in the next round comes to a machine Balcarce. Is like to faint. And when it comes to the forefront the thrill of the racetrack it says. It is a cry. handkerchiefs are flapping in the air but not for being wet, like a cry of "Goal!" that touches everything.
Fangio passed to the forefront and leaves. It is finished. Although it stops. You can even go home to take a hot bath and relax, leaving the race. He has served a fabulous feat. historical epic. We provide a break and did not score more. The clock is running around with their hands crazy. What do you like. If you stop, it stops too. We've Assisted a battle that will be unforgettable, we must remember that while we live. Right now, to revive her writing. facing the nerve notes have set us on end. And so we do not believe, or we have difficulty in what is seen and sense. We have many years of walking tracks and routes, we have experienced many intense moments, deep, all types, but this ... we do not compare. Revivámoslo ..
