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Piero Taruffi (12 October 1906, Albano Laziale – 12 January 1988), was a racing driver from Italy, and also the father of lady racer Prisca Taruffi. ==Sports car career== Taruffi began his motorsport career racing motorcycles. He won the 1932 500cc European Championship on a Norton and in 1937 set the motorcycle land speed record at 279.503 km/h (173.68 mph). He won the 1957 Mille Miglia, the last competitive edition of the famous Italian race. Following this tragic race he pledged to his wife, Isabella, that he would never race again. He was 50 years of age.〔''Raruffi Not to Race Again'', New York Times, May 18, 1957, Page 13.〕 14 people were killed in the thousand mile auto race of 12 May. Alfonso de Portago crashed into a crowd of spectators at Guidizzolo near Mantua. Portago died along with co-driver, Edmund Nelson, an amateur driver, and 11 race fans.〔''14 Killed at Race in Italy; Marquis' Car Hits Crowd'', ''New York Times'', May 13, 1957, Page 1.〕 Taruffi drove a newly introduced 2-litre, 4-cylinder Ferrari, which placed third in the 360 kilometre race Grand Prix de Bari at Bari, Italy, in September 1951. He finished behind Juan Manuel Fangio and Froilán González with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes 40 3/5 seconds.〔''Bari Auto Race To Fangio'', New York Times, September 3, 1951, Page 17.〕 Taruffi and Alberto Ascari participated in the Carrera Panamericana in the mountains of Mexico in November 1951. They placed first and third respectively over the course from Mexico City to León, Guanajuato, a leg. Taruffi led second-placed Troy Ruttman by more than four minutes. Taruffi trimmed 15 minutes on the Mexico City-Leon leg and another 21 minutes between Leon and Durango. In the process he climbed from 12th to third overall.〔"Taruffi Takes Lead From Ruttman After 1,266 Miles Of Auto Grind", ''New York Times'', November 23, 1951, Page 37.〕 Taruffi won the race on 25 November, with a time of 21:57:52, over mountains and plains of the southeastern tip of Mexico. He had an average speed of 87.6 mph (140.97 km/h).〔"Italian Autoists First and Second In 1,933-Mile Pan-American Race", ''New York Times'', November 26, 1951, Page 40.〕 Taruffi set a world record for in an auto of 22 cubic centimetre (1.3 in3) displacement in January 1952. He attempted a record but his motor burned out after .〔"Italian Driver Claims Mark", ''New York Times'', January 16, 1952, Page 29.〕 Taruffi was in a two-litre Ferrari for the running of the third Grand Prix de France, in Paris in May 1952. He captured first place with a time of three hours over a distance of . His average speed was .〔''Taruffi Wins Auto Race'', New York Times, May 26, 1952, Page 27.〕 Taruffi placed second to Fangio in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, with a time of 18:18:51 in a Lancia. His time was better than the previous year when he was victorious.〔"Fangio and Stevenson Set Marks As 1,912-Mile Auto Contest Ends", ''New York Times'', November 24, 1953, Page 37.〕 In March 1954, Taruffi lost the Florida International Grand Prix with an hour to go, after having led the first three hours, when his Lancia stopped. He pushed it to the pits and team mechanics began working on it with diligence. Taruffi was still out of the car when the O.S.C.A. shared by Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd crossed the finish line. Taruffi had averaged ''per'' hour (130.5 km/h) before he retired.〔"Osca First In 12-Hour Contest; Rubirosa's Lancia Home Second", ''New York Times'', March 8, 1954, Page 33.〕 Taruffi won the Tour of Sicily in April 1954. His time of 10 hours 24 minutes 37 seconds established a record for an event which opened Italy's sports car racing season. It was 14 years old at the time. He averaged in a Lancia 3300.〔"Taruffi Wins in Record Time With Lancia As Serious Accidents Mar Race In Sicily", ''New York Times'', April 5, 1954, Page 28.〕 Taruffi and Harry Schell placed fifth overall in the 1955 Florida Grand Prix, driving a Ferrari.〔''Jaguar Triumphs In 12-Hour Event'', New York Times, March 14, 1955, Page 30.〕 Taruffi claimed first place in a Ferrari, at the 1955 Tour of Sicily, with an overall time of 10 hours 11 minutes 19.4 seconds, with an average speed of 105.998 kilometers ''per'' hour (65.867 mph).〔"Taruffi's Auto First", ''New York Times'', April 4, 1955, Page 36.〕 Taruffi dropped out of the 1955 Mille Miglia, when he encountered a broken oil pump on the course north of Rome. He and eventual winner, Stirling Moss, were vying for the lead in the early stages of the race.〔"Moss In Mercedes Sets Auto Record", ''New York Times'', May 2, 1955, Page 25.〕 Cesare Perdisa won by 22 seconds in the 1955 Grand Prix of Imola, driving a two-litre Maserati. Taruffi spun his car into a straw bale at the edge of the track on the first lap. He was uninjured, though his car was damaged, and he was forced to retire from the race.〔"Perdisa Defeats Maglioli", ''New York Times'', June 20, 1955, Page 26.〕 Jean Behra and Taruffi teamed to secure a fifth-place finish in a Maserati at the 1956 12 Hours of Sebring.〔"Fangio's Ferrari Victor At Sebring", ''New York Times'', March 25, 1956, Page S1.〕 Taruffi established a world record for Class E cars in June 1956. He raced in 46 minutes 27.2 seconds, an average of 129.9 miles per hour (209.04 km/h).〔"Taruffi Claims Auto Mark", ''New York Times'', June 22, 1956, Page 26.〕 Also at Monza, Taruffi broke the one hour mark of 212.543 kilometres per hour (132.074 mph). A third record he performed was for 200 kilometres. His time was 53 minutes 14.5 seconds.〔"Taruffi Sets 3 Records", ''New York Times'', June 22, 1956, Page 49.〕 In the 17th running of the Tour of Sicily, in 1957, Taruffi had a small crash while in pursuit of leader Olivier Gendebien. He touched the wall in Gioiosa Marea but continued in his Maserati. Gendebien won in a Ferrari. The event was marred by the death of J. Olivari who was burned to death when his Maserati hit the a wall in one of the course's 11,000 curves.〔"Belgian Driver Wins Sicily Race Driving Ferrari", ''Los Angeles Times'', April 15, 1957, Page C3.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Piero Taruffi」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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