Shhhh, the Neighbors are Trying to Sleep
Monza called by many La Pista Magical - the magical race track - has been home to much of Formula One’s history. When built in 1922 it was one of only three permanent racing circuits in the world, the others being Brooklands and Indianapolis.
In 1957 and 1958 Monza hosted The Race of Two Worlds, the only time Formula One and Indianapolis style cars competed against each other.
It was at Monza in 1988, a few weeks after Enzo Ferrari’s death, that McLaren was beaten for the first and only time that year when Ayrton Senna misjudged a maneuver as he tried to lap the Williams of Jean-Louis Schlesser with only a few laps to go and ended up in the sandtrap, allowing Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto to score an amazing 1-2 finish for Ferrari. That was Monza magic.
The list of Monza winners is magic as well. From Ascari to Juan Manuel Fangio and American Mario Andretti to Michael Schumacher, who has won at the Tifosi’s version of Mecca four times, they have all added to the tracks history and mystique.
After eight decades Autodromo Nazionale Monza is under threat from an activist “ecco-friendly” Milan Judge and if his ruling stands we may see more trackside logos [avatar:http://cranialcavity.net/files/midas.jpg]such as these[/avatar] and what was informally known as La Pista Magical will become La Pista Della Corsa Di midas, (The Midas Track)
Monza’s future as host of the Italian Grand Prix could be in peril after a court ruled cars racing there must have silencers to reduce noise pollution. Judge Marco Manunta upheld complaints from residents of the town of Biassono.The Gazzetta dello Sport said he called motor racing a “superfluous, dangerous and socially useless activity that had a major impact on the environment”.
“At this moment in time we would not be able to host F1,” said circuit director Enrico Ferrari, who vowed to appeal.
The circuit is co-owned by the municipalities of Monza and the city of Milan, and city officials said they were confident their appeal would be successful.
“It is right to protect the environment but it is also right that we should avoid excesses that might wipe out important traditions,” said Milan deputy major, Riccardo De Corato.
”We’ve always respected the limits set by the law,” Monza director Giorgio Beghella Bartoli told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.
The high speed circuit is due to host the Monza Rally this weekend. ”At the moment,” Beghella Bartoli continued, ”I don’t think we risk cancellation.”
Formula One, Auto Racing, Sports, Ferrari
something tells me those people werent there in 1922. so what argument do they actually have? how long have they been living with the ‘problem’? i go to indy every year, park in the coke lot right across the street from peoples homes. you dont hear them complain about noise, traffic or nothing. heck, they sit on their front porch, smiling and waving, and charging 10 bucks to park on their front lawn.
It really doesn’t matter how long they have lived there. Whether it’s two weeks or in a family house handed down since Benito Mussolini’s time they found a judge to side with them.
Noise in 1922 is noise in 2005 with a judge in your pocket.
If I were a betting man I’d say the ruling won’t stand up.