And there it was, again, time for that blessed race in the Italian hills of Piacenza, under the good auspices of Claudio Casale and his team of volunteers and assorted magicians and geniuses.
But that’s not really how it begins, at least not in a Suixtil dimensions where things have to go mad before they get better. And so it was, again, that Alex, he of Suixtil Benelux fame, hitched his wagons (well, make that a D-type Proteus) with similarly minded friends in the Netherlands and they then engaged in the equivalent of a Mille Miglia (and change) to go, with the prospect of the same on the way back home after the epic adventures of the Vernasca hill-climb.
Of course, when you’re riding such high stakes journeys, you have to remember the rules – pack only the indispensable to travel as light as possible and avoid the heat as much as you can to preserve your mount. And so they did – Alex, aside from his daypack and (maybe) a toiletry kit, only packed a large bundle of decals to give away to participants in the Suixtil beauty contest along with the attendant prize for said contest. Can’t really go lighter than that.
And they then rode, over country lanes and mountain passes, in the sun and the rain and everything in between, through many friendly places with promises to come back. And they all reached the goal, exhausted but in time for the grand adventure of the Silver Flag.
With about 200 participating cars to that 28th edition, the Silver Flag must, by now, be the worse kept secret in the whole summer schedule. At that scale and with that diversity, it is a wonder – as well as a pleasant surprise – that the event has not yet donned a more “corporatist” structure. It remains very much at the passionate level, a “race” run by petrolheads for petrolheads. And everyone who joins the Silver Flag, from the smallest FIAT 500 to the meanest 917 know the rules of friendliness, deference and sportsmanship. The secret to it all? You’d have to ask Claudio, but we’re not sure he’d be willing to risk compromising what’s made this such a popular favorite – for what? Rather, we want to believe, he would just enjoin you to sign-up for the next edition so that you too can bask in the glory of a fun, fun time – at life speed!
We’ve garnered a few pictures, thanks to the many talented photographer friends who were on set to capture it all – you know who you all are, Denis, Pablo, Max, Emanuele and all the others who did wonders with their cameras and whom we salute and thank here – enjoy!
