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Chassis:
One of the very last Group 5 Betas built, chassis 1009 was a Martini-liveried works car and pressed into service for the first time for the 1981 Daytona 24 Hours. Shared by Michele Alboreto, Beppe Gabbiani and Piercarlo Ghinzani, it was forced to retire around midnight after the engine dropped a valve. Mechanical issues also thwarted the subsequent outings in Europe. For Le Mans, 1009 was fielded for Eddie Cheever, Michele Alboreto and Carlo Facetti. With the engine detuned to 400 bhp for reliability reasons, the three placed eighth overall and first in the under two-litre class. For the 1982 season, the car was entrusted to the Italian Vesuvio Racing team and they fielded the car in the World Championship with limited success. For Le Mans, it was entered by Jean-Marie Lemerle and he was joined behind the wheel by Joe Castellano and Max Cohen-Olivar. Finishing 12th overall, they added another class win to the car's tally. Chassis 1009 was retired from contemporary racing at the end of 1982. Restored to works colours, it was acquired by a Swiss enthusiast from Lancia Corse in 1983. He displayed the car between 1983 and 1993 in the Musée Lugano and then retained it in his private collection until 2007 when it was sold at auction. More recently, it was acquired by an Italian collector and he has raced the car during the 2016 Classic Endurance Racing series. That year, it was also raced in the Le Mans Classic by Alex Caffi.
Chassis details |
Manufactured in |
1981 |
First owner |
Lancia Corse |
Last known location |
Italian Historic Racer |
Appearances |
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