Published on: 18/10/2024 Updated on: 20/02/2025
Passanante, a Mafra ambassador, lost the Great Events Championship by a single point due to a series of setbacks that prevented him from crowning a season nonetheless of great achievements
At Targa Florio Classica misfortune struck again Mario Passanante, who brings to the world of historic cars the colors Mafra. His race, in fact, was compromised again by some mechanical problems, as at the Nuvolari Grand Prix, and a navigation error. The placement obtained was thus not enough for him to reconfirm himself in the Italian Major Events Championship, which he had already won last year and which this time eluded him by a single point.
The problems at the Targa Florio Classic 2024
"Right from the first trials," says Mario, "I felt some problems with the steering, which had broken at the Nuvolari Grand Prix, and a worrying noise coming from the gearbox, although fortunately I later found out it was the clutch." In the second stage, however, "a navigational error in the interpretation of the road book cost us a delay in the passage to the time trials that made us fall back in the standings."
Despite the comeback, the 15th place finish was not enough for Passanante to keep the lead in the championship standings, which went (like the Targa Florio Classica 2024) to Francesco Di Pietra, paired with his son Giuseppe, whom Mario immediately complimented. In addition to being a teammate, in fact, Di Pietra is a native, like Passanante, of Campobello di Mazara del Vallo, cradle of the best specialists in regularity for historic cars.
A season to remember
Despite the bitterness over the final result, Mario is satisfied with his 2024 season. "I'm only sorry I didn't win the championship," he comments, "despite two successes and a second place obtained in the four scheduled races; however, the regulation rewards with a coefficient of 1.5 the points obtained in some races such as the Targa Florio Classica and, therefore, allows even those who have won fewer competitions, but from the higher score, to assert themselves. I believe that this rule should be revised in the future to ensure greater fairness for participants."
Of this year's Targa Florio Classic, however, Mario praises "the organization, the beauty of the route, the excitement felt in passing through the salt pans of Trapani and retracing the Madonie circuit, a place that has seen so many historic sporting feats."
After the Targa Florio Classic, the well-deserved rest
Now, it is time for Passanante 's Fiat 508 C to get in shape. "It is still a car from 1937, which therefore needs to be refreshed," he says, "so much so that I have already left it in my trusted workshop in Palermo, where it will have its engine disassembled for a thorough overhaul; this will also allow work to be done on the gearbox, clutch and steering, all in need of thorough maintenance."
Passanante wants to conclude by "thanking Mafra for the support given to me this season." He adds, "I am proud to carry its colors in the world of historic cars, which Mafra products allow to keep in the best condition even during races."
