Piero Taruffi

Piero Taruffi (12 October 1906 – 12 January 1988) was an Italian racing driver.

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 completed the 360 km race with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes 40 3/5 seconds.

He raced in Formula One from 1950 to 1956, winning the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix and finishing 3rd in the 1952 World Drivers' Championship.

Taruffi drove a newly introduced 2-litre, 4-cylinder Ferrari in the 1951 Bari Grand Prix, finishing third behind Juan Manuel Fangio and Froilán González.

In November 1951 Taruffi participated in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.

He finished first in the opening leg from Mexico City to León, Guanajuato, a 267 mi leg.

Taruffi led second-placed Troy Ruttman by more than four minutes.

Taruffi trimmed a further 15 minutes on the Mexico City-Leon leg and another 21 minutes between Leon and Durango.

Taruffi set a world record for 50 mi in an auto of 22 cubic centimetre (1.3 in3) displacement in January 1952.

He attempted a 100 mi record but his motor failed after 98 mi. 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 285 mi. His average speed was 95 mi/h.

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.

In March 1954, Taruffi lost the 12 hours of Sebring 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 81.1 mph before he retired.

Taruffi won the 1080 km 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 64.4 mi/h in a Lancia 3300.

Taruffi and Harry Schell placed fifth overall at Sebring in 1955, driving a Ferrari.

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 km/h.

Taruffi dropped out of the 1955 Mille Miglia, when he suffered 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.

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.

Jean Behra and Taruffi teamed to secure a fifth-place finish in a Maserati at the 1956 Sebring 12 hours.

Taruffi established a world record for Class E cars in June 1956.

He raced 100 mi in 46 minutes 27.2 seconds, an average of 129.9 miles per hour (209.04 km/h).

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.

His most notable motorsports victory was the 1957 Mille Miglia, the final running of the cross-country sports car race.

Taruffi began his motorsport career racing motorcycles.

In the process he climbed from 12th to third overall.

Taruffi and Luigi Chinetti eventually won the race on 25 November, with a time of 21:57:52.

His average speed was 87.6 mph (140.97 km/h).