Manuel Garriga
We had been waiting for a long time, we knew that it would cost something, but sooner or later common sense was going to prevail and the administration could not continue to turn a deaf ear to a demand long claimed by so many fans: recover Montjuïc, obviously not for modern racing but as the setting for meetings of historic competition vehicles, in the style of those that take place on so many European circuits.
We all had in mind the memory, still very much alive, of the last time we were able to hear the roar of the engines in the Park, in 2007, exactly five years ago, on the occasion of the Martini Legends; But that was the flower of a day and despite repeating the same formula at Jarama the following year, the historic Italian vermouth brand -sponsoring the first races held in Montjuïc eighty years ago- would no longer support any more parties of that style. .
And finally the dream came true: The efforts of the RallyClassics society, under the direction of the patient Àlex Romaní, bore fruit and in mid-2012 the Barcelona City Council authorized the holding of a non-competitive retrospective meeting during the second weekend of December, a quarter of a century after that the circuit would host the 36th edition of the 24 Hours Motorcyclists of Endurance -the last real race- in 1986.
With the invaluable help of several sponsors, the logistical support of the RACC and the enthusiastic and disinterested collaboration of a group of people, RallyClassics put on an event that managed to attract the interest of hundreds of participants - registrations closing two days before with the long-awaited poster of "there are no more seats" - and of course thousands of fans.
On Saturday, December 8, 254 historic and classic competition vehicles filled the two paddocks of the Barcelona Montjuïc Festival, held in parallel to the Auto Retro Show but with no direct connection between the two events. The assembled artillery did not leave indifferent: a few prewar specimens (Amilcar, Bugatti, Rallye, Riley, Ricart), various single-seaters, including several F-1s (Brabham-Ford, Lotus Ford, LSD-Alfa Romeo), several Sport Prototypes and numerous passenger cars and GTs of all kinds (Porsche, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Lotus, Caterham, Garbí, etc). The vast majority of participants were Spanish but there were also English and French, with the German Jochen Mass, the last winner on an F-1 from Montjuïc (1975 Spanish Grand Prix, his only triumph in the category), as guest of honor and pilot. of the pace car.
As any fan knows, Montjuïc is synonymous with motorcycle. The two wheels are one of the axes of its history, and that is why the Bultaco, Montesa, Ossa, Derbi, Lube, Ducati, Norton, Honda, Kawasai, Suzuki and other speed and resistance machines were in the hands, some in the hands of pilots who had competed and won there: César Gracia, Mauricio Aschl, Salvador Cañellas, Min Grau, Alejandro Tejedo, Josep M. Mallol ... as well as two world champions, Phil Read and Dieter Braun, on the Yamaha of the Ferry Brouwer Classic Team, and riders Foreigners such as Alain Genoud, Reg Everett and Roger Timms.
The planned program established about thirty batches throughout the weekend, of ½ hour each, grouped in series of three. Obviously, it was not about going at a snail's pace, but neither was it overstepping certain limits since the issue of security was fundamental (this was agreed with the municipal officials, logically very aware of it) without having to be at odds with the show. In fact, this was the case during the two initial races, one reserved for cars -Historic Montjuïc Revival- and another for motorcycles -Moto Montjuïc Exhibition- in which the roar of engines and exhausts gave many of us goose bumps. . Despite the years that passed, the magic of the Park was still very much alive, it was there, not only in the sound, the smells, the colors and the atmosphere that was breathed. What was shocking was seeing the faces of some pilots, especially the older ones, who had come with their children and even their grandchildren. The expression of joy on the Valencian César Gracia's face spoke for itself; also the veteran Ricardo Quintanilla, excited to be there again; or Min Grau himself, so many times winner of the mountain in speed and resistance. "This is very, very big, what you have managed to do here is priceless, it cannot be described in words."
Others were more pragmatic but no less successful. “C'est pas mal ce joli circuit; même si l'organisation se trouve un peu debordée ”, two French pilots commented among themselves, quite annoyed by the suppression of the second and third runs due to the delay in verifying the track (later we learned that the guards of the gardens Audiences affected by the test had done their job so well, closing the doors that had to be left open and leaving open those that should have been closed, that while the first grill awaited its departure with the engines running there were still people walking the dog or doing jogging inside the circuit, and wondering what those rare fences must be). I have, yes, well present what Jochen Mass told us, already in the afternoon: “I don't understand anything, what you have here three times better than Monte Carlo but it seems that you still haven't realized it. Because of its location, surroundings and circuit, it is the best in Europe. There is nothing like it. "
Indeed, the public that had begun to approach timidly early in the morning increased little by little, occupying the tribune of Rius i Taulet avenue (the straight below, in front of the paddock) and becoming more and more noticeable. Let us remember that it was a free, open event with a popular vocation; that is, people could enjoy the show for free from any point of the circuit, except the protected areas for the safety of pilots and spectators. For logistical reasons, access to the paddock was limited to the participants and the organization, but whoever wanted to do so in order to see the vehicles more closely could purchase a € 6 ticket (children up to 12 years free) at the ticket office.
After completing the two initial heats without any further problems, almost at the end of the third the Alfa Romeo GTV of an Italian participant went straight off when his brakes broke at the Rosaleda curve, in front of the Ethnològic Museum, crashing against a wall and causing serious injuries to a track control that was incorrectly located in the middle of the loophole (and that had already been warned about it by the organization) and minor injuries to another. Despite reacting swiftly and evacuating the victims by ambulance to the Hospital Clinic (where one of them would be discharged shortly after arrival), the organization was from that moment on offside by the order of a municipal representative of “ stop it all ”.
Suddenly, a historical manifestation of the highest level remains in the air due to a fortuitous event, which logically fell within the foreseeable hypotheses and for which there were already established action protocols. First surprise, then impatience, then stupor and disbelief. Three cars of the Urban Guard showing up at the scene of the accident? The police raising a report, sealing the vehicle and calling the pilot to testify?
But what is this? "We cannot afford another accident," says a contrite person from the municipal administration, "and there have also been three speeding in cars and three in motorcycles." The three radars installed at three points on the circuit and set at a top of 110 km / h have detected three vehicles at 112, 119 and 122 km / h respectively. Impressive, there are no more words to define it. Well, apart from the absolute ridicule before the participants, who do not understand anything of what is happening, and the public, who begins to whistle and joke around, what are we doing? Well, nothing, wait for someone to make a decision ...
This is how things remained from 11.30 a.m., time of the accident, until the arrival early in the afternoon of the Deputy Mayor Maite Fandos, the highest municipal authority in the event. Finally, after 17:XNUMX p.m., it resolved the definitive suspension of the Barcelona Montjuïc Revival, authorizing beforehand the holding of a brief round (only three laps) of consolation for those who had not had the opportunity to ride on the circuit, in which a wide selection of single-seaters and sport cars driving at moderate speed behind the pace car driven by Jochen Mass.
An abrupt, strange and certainly sad ending to something that was incredible while it lasted. With this accumulation of errors, indecisions and nonsense, a terrible image of the city and the country was given, to which the media contributed by shaking the ghost of "the curse of the Montjuïc circuit" with the images on the news of the accident of Stommelen in 1975! and -summum of bad taste- of poor Mingo Parés inert on the asphalt in the 24 Hours of 1986. Anyway, that journalistic ethics do not step on us with a bloody headline because what our viewers are crying out for is meat, right, gentlemen news editors?
As a culmination, with its doses of opportunity and opportunism in equal measure (this is a jungle and everyone sweeps to their side), the press release issued on Monday by the organization of a similar orientation event that will take place next spring in a great circuit pointing out its lack of connection with what happened and recalling that "Martini Legends was an exhibition and had all the necessary security measures for the proper development of the show" ... was it really necessary?
However ... despite the misfortunes that have occurred throughout its history, the various victims it leaves behind (the last one, the track control injured in the accident died on December 21 after twelve days in an induced coma) and the impediments that they have been put on or still want to put on, the love for this circuit can never be erased from the hearts of the fans. We have proof of this in the numerous messages of encouragement received by the organization in various forums, and in its willingness to turn the page, seek conciliatory positions and work hard so that the revival can be held again next year. Although the doomsayers are not counted, it will not mean the end of the event. With the support of all the fans, Montjuïc will not die.
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Montjuïc: A magical circuit
The passionate history of Montjuïc -collected by the master of motor journalists Javier del Arco in separate volumes dedicated to two and four wheels respectively, edited by the RACC and the Can Costa Foundation- It started in 1931 when the German Rudolf Caracciola, visiting Barcelona, suggested the idea of preparing the tracks that ran through the park to draw a circuit, in the style of the one that was already in operation in Monaco for the Grand Prix. The idea did not fall apart as the members of the Penya Rhin immediately got down to work. Work began that same year and the circuit was inaugurated in 1932. With its 12 turns, 90 m of unevenness and almost 4 km in length, for half a century it was like the cathedral of motor sport in Spain. It hosted hundreds of races of all kinds, naturally including the Grand Prix of Motorcycling and Formula 1 and especially the remembered 24 Hours of Endurance, which began to be held in 1955. Rolf Stommelen's accident at the 1975 Spanish GP closed him out. the gates of the F-1, although the 24 Hours continued until 1986; In that edition, the pilot Mingo Parés, a character much loved by the local fans, lost his life and the engines were definitely silent in Montjuïc.
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[su_spoiler title = 'OFFICIAL NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF THE EVENT' show = 'false'] RallyClassics announces the cancellation of the Barcelona Montjuïc Revival event, thus complying with the decision taken by the Barcelona city council after the accident in which two people have been injured of the organization. This accident occurred at around 11.30:XNUMX a.m. at the Rosaleda curve (in front of the Ethnological Museum) when a participating vehicle left the route as a result of a mechanical failure, hitting the protections in an area duly marked, as prohibited to the public.
The vehicle did not collide with anyone, but one of the controls who was there - a 58-year-old man - was surprised and when he wanted to protect himself, he hit his head against a wall, resulting in serious injuries and was immediately transferred by ambulance to the Hospital Clinic. . In the incident, a 20-year-old woman who was collaborating in the security control was also slightly injured.
The organization regrets these incidents that led to the cancellation of the event, especially when the security measures had been extreme and the location of the public and the people of the organization previously authorized after the inspection at the beginning of the event, and appreciates the demonstrations of support received by participants, fans and sponsors of the Barcelona Montjuic Revival, which was wonderful until this unfortunate fortuitous accident that has nothing to do with security measures. The entire motor family wishes the speedy recovery of the injured. [/ su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title = 'PHOTO CREDITS' show = 'true'] Main photo | Pere Nubiola [/ su_spoiler]
