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While you wait for Bernina Gran Turismo to take place in late September, perhaps you would like reading an excerpt from Count ‘Johnny’ Lurani’s book “Races Round the World”, a very enjoyable history of his racing career, published in English by Foulis in the 1950s. This piece is particularly interesting as it shows that, even then, the Bernina was a mix of top-class racing and fun social activities
“- I had been officially invited for the International week at St. Moritz in Switzerland, and it was the first time that I had been engaged with starting money as an individual competitor. In fact during the whole period, my family and I had a most comfortable suite at the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz, and were very lavishly entertained at that elegant sporting centre. I took part in all the races with the 1500 Alfa-Romeo, whilst Franco Cortese and Bonini officially represented the factory with two special 1750 cars.
On August 18th we left Milano to take part in the International ally. I had a slight incident with another car near Chiavenna, but fortunately there were no consequences; my mother, who was travelling in our Alfa-Romeo tourer, found herself entered for the Rally and was feted on arriving at St. Moritz as a competitor of great importance!
On the following day we made preliminary runs on the track and on the Bernina race course, and on August 20th the International race over the flying kilometer took place on the magnificent stretch purposely built by the Shell firm between Samaden and Pontresina.
The list of entrants was really imposing and included the Frenchmen, Chiron and Bouriat; the Germans, Burggaller, von Morgen, Steinweg, and Arco; the Swiss, Escher, Karrer, and many International aces.
Our Alfa-Romeos were not doing particularly well resulting from carburetion trouble, this being particularly difficult at an altitude of over 6,000 ft., so that in the sports category I finished 2nd at 119.2 km./h. immediately behind Risse with his Bugatti who won the 1500 class at 122.8 km./h. In the 2- litre class Karrer won at 164.3 km./h:, whilst Bonini and Cortese with their Alfa-Romeos did not get over 129.8 km./h., finishing 2nd and 3rd. Best time of the day went to Chiron with the new 16-cylinder Bugatti, with which he did 192.5 km./h.
After this not very promising start we carefully prepared our cars for the hill-climb at Bernina which was the most important event of this meeting.
In the meantime our stay in St. Moritz was most pleasant. In the morning we used to go all together to try out the course, which from Poschiavo went up to the Bernina Pass with a rise of 1,216 metres in 16 ½ km., then we would come back to St. Moritz late in the morning, and the rest of the day and great part of the evening was spent having a good time. The International Concours d’Elegance and Gymkhana for cars was held with great success, and so we came to August 24th, the day of the Bernina race.
It was a clear ummer Sunday and the imposing range of the Engadine mountains glittering in the sun made a worthy frame to the great event. A very large crowd watched the race and I was very excited. However, everything went well. The Counsellor of State, Motta, gave the starting signal and I won my class in 17’ 34.3”, beating the previous record and clearly beating Risse with his Bugatti. Franco Cortese had an accident, and Bonini finished 2nd in his class. Again it was Chiron who took the 1st place in the race, with his large Bugatti.
I was naturally very happy at my victory and on arrival I was congratulated personally by Ettore Bugatti who, together with his family, had come to watch the victory of his “thoroughbreds.” Bugatti as usual wore his characteristic brown bowler which he always wore from the Mediterranean seaside resorts to the glaciers of the Bernina, from Molsheim to Monza, and from Paris to Monte Carlo. –“
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