Modena Cento Ore 2018 A Standing Ovation for the 2018 edition of the "Rally of the Year"

Modena Cento Ore 2018

A Standing Ovation for the 2018 edition of the "Rally of the Year"

It’s all over!

The awards ceremony on Saturday evening has brought the 2018 edition of the Modena Cento Ore to a close.

During the awards ceremony, it was fulfilling to see how the competitors celebrated together the triumphs of some and the defeat of others after the race was over.

There again, if you were really determined to find fault with the Modena Cento Ore, the only flaw that comes to mind is that there can only be one winner.

First place this year -  but it’s nothing new - went to the English pair Philip Walker - Miles Griffiths in their 1964 Jaguar E-Type, who are becoming a familiar sight on the podium.

Among the ladies, Daniela Ellerbrock - Jackie Rohwer in their 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA left the other competitors standing, whereas Joelle Housseau - Aude Moreau dominated the regularity section in a 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT.

The top step on the podium for the regularity section was taken by crew 104: Ernst Schroeder - Philipp Ruppell in their 1961 Porsche 356 B

AC Owners Club were the first team in the regularity section rankings, captained by the 1959 AC ACE Bristol owned by Bertie Gilbart-Smith - Simon Kelly. The winners had a fabulous story behind them:

Bertie Gilbart Smith has owned the car since 1964, when it left the workshop in Scotland after maintenance work carried out by a young mechanic who worked at the family-run garage, Sir Jackie Stewart. It’s worth mentioning that this car drove here all the way from England, a total  of 1600 Km before the race even started, with a similar journey back home awaiting them in the days to come.

As always, it is interesting to take a look at the “index of performance”, i.e. the adjusted ranking, that places one of the loveliest cars to enter the Modena Cento Ore 2018 in an incredible third place: the 1952 Ferrari 212 Export Berlinetta Touring driven by Martin Halusa and Susanne Halusa.

It has been an incredible edition, once again confirming how the Modena Cento Ore has become a major event despite its relatively tender age.

The level of the cars taking part was worthy of one of a world level Concours d’Elegance with just one major difference: the Modena Cento Ore gives these cars the opportunity to be admired in motion, becoming a perfect motoring museum on tour to the most beautiful places in Italy.

Some feelings are difficult to express, but the showing of the video of the cars speeding over the high speed oval at Monza met with such applause that it can only be interpreted as a unequivocal sign that Monza and its high speed track were the symbols of this 17th edition of the rally.

The final ranking also indicates that no single model had a clear advantage over the others: the more powerful cars fared better on certain tracks; the more agile cars did better on others, whilst the uphill special stages allowed others still to shine.

The fact that at the start of the last circuit trial, after four days of racing, only 0.4 seconds separated the cars holding first and second place is exemplary.

Tomorrow, the Ferrari 250 SWB “SEFAC”, one of the six Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupés ever made (and purchased directly from Carrol Shelby), will go back under wraps in the garage, as will the Jaguar E Type Lightweight and the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” Group 4, formerly Ecurie Francorchamp, together with the much loved and spectacular Barchette Sport, represented by two 1957 Maserati 250S.

For us, and for the public fortunate enough to watch them drive by, the image of the speed and the roar of the engines of these exceptional vehicles will be a lasting memory...This makes us very proud.

A special prize was assigned to the team of mechanics, who were also undisputed stars of the Modena Cento Ore.

Richard Walbyoff and Sarah Walbyoff took home the “Mechanical Miracle 2018” award for being capable of finding the V8, arranging  shipment and replacing it on Mark Freeman and Mike Ellis’ 1965 AC Shelby Cobra 289.

All in the space of just one night, of course, in less than optimum conditions.

Everyone in the room paid a special tribute to the members of the Canossa Events team who certainly spared no efforts both during race days and prep days.

Special thanks to the local Police Force, for being as kind, approachable and efficient as always.

A radiant Luigi Orlandini, CEO of Canossa Events, oversaw the final speeches and promises to meet up again next year for a new, fantastic, incredible and very fast edition of the Modena Cento Ore.

One last, exhilarating moment awaited the winners as they had the chance to go up to the top of the Ghirlandina tower, the symbol of Modena, which is usually closed to the public, for a panoramic view of the city.

The endless succession of “Thank you Luigi”’s for the wonderful time spent together, received the morning after the end of the race was the best confirmation of the pleasant experience that the event has become...

The socially-responsible choices of the Modena Cento Ore

Once again, the association with Panathlon Club of Modena was confirmed with Scuderia Tricolore supporting the sports projects for disabled children.

As well as the traditional donation that the Scuderia made directly to Panathlon Club of Modena, Claudio Lucchese, the President of Florim, the company that hosted the final evening, also donated the equivalent amount usually charged for the rental of the venue to the charity.

Canossa Events reinstated their commitment to the environment with its ongoing application of the CarbonZero protocol during its events, and will fully compensate the residual emissions of CO2 of the Modena Cento Ore 2018 by planting new trees in the Tuscan Emilian Apennines.

The Modena Cento Ore is still the only ‘zero emissions’ event of its kind.

Once again, the numbers of this year’s Modena Cento Ore are record-breaking:

• 107 cars registered, (101 at the starting line), out of a total of more than 250 applicants
• 18 countries were represented, with 202 competitors from all around the world: England, France, Germany, Switzerland and other countries in Europe, as well as United States, Brazil, and New Zealand…
• 19 motor vehicle manufacturers were represented, shared out evenly between the Italians (Ferrari and Alfa Romeo), English (Jaguar, Lotus, and Ford), Germans (Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW), and Americans (AC Shelby Cobra, Ford and Chevrolet)
• 11 Special Stages on roads closed to normal traffic, 3  GPs and 1 super special stage for the speed section
• 10 average speed trials and 13 timed trials for the regularity section
• 4 legs arriving in different cities