Italy (Brussels Morning) The roads impacted by the traffic restrictions extend beyond the Ferrari parade. The city of the Strait hosted an event that included the participation of students from Verona Trento, aiming to introduce young people to the realm of motorsports.
Beyond just the Ferrari parade, in Messina, the city of the Strait, there was an event that combined culture and sports, titled “Ignite the passion for 4 wheels.” The event was organized by Asd Top Competition and generously sponsored by the Municipality of Messina, which had provided space in front of the University of Messina (Piazza Pugliatti) for the exhibition of historic, classic, and even racing cars on both Saturday, December 16th, and Sunday, December 17th. The primary goal was to acquaint young people with the world of four wheels and promote road safety. To achieve this objective, participants included not only professionals but also students from the Verona Trento Higher Institute, who would actively engage in discussions during the event.
The driving force behind this initiative was the amateur sports association based in Torregrotta, the same organization responsible for events like the Tirreno Rally, the Salice Slalom, the Novara di Sicilia Rally, and, of course, the Torregrotta Rally. All these competitions hold significance in the national championship. “A special thanks go to Councilor Massimiliano Minutoli, a passionate enthusiast in this field, with whom we have organized this event. Thanks also to Sports Councilor Massimo Finocchiaro and Mayor Federico Basile for supporting this initiative,” emphasized Giovanni Vinci from the Asd.
The program included setting up the exhibition on Saturday morning, with the inauguration at 4 PM, attended by, among others, the president of Asd Top Competition Mariagrazia Bisazza, the president of the Automobile Club Messina Massimo Rinaldi, representatives of the Municipal Administration, and others involved. The cars could be admired until 10 PM. At 4:30 PM, inside the Central University, there was a meeting with students from Verona Trento, during which the students engaged in discussions with practitioners of motorsports, including drivers, navigators, course commissioners, race directors, etc.
The aim, beyond the exhibition, was to introduce young people to the world of motorsports comprehensively, allowing them to gain a 360-degree understanding of this realm, including safety systems, car composition, engines, and more. In line with this goal, at 6 PM, an outdoor meeting in Piazza Pugliatti engaged young people to explore the various types of sports disciplines and the displayed cars.
On Sunday the 17th, the exhibition ran from 9 AM to 10 PM, and during the day, students participated in various activities, particularly with the National Association of Timekeepers, demonstrating how time measurements are taken during a race. Two Messina-based officiating associations, “Peloro 93” and “Zancle,” were also involved for this purpose.
Participating in the two-day event and showcasing their cars were three vintage car clubs: the “Samu Club,” the “Club Biscione” (mostly featuring Alfa Romeo cars), and the “Messina Classic team” (specialized in the “regularity” discipline). Additionally, a group of Fiat 500 enthusiasts with historical models will be present.
To facilitate the cultural and sporting event, the Municipality of Messina had imposed a traffic ban from 8 AM on Saturday the 16th to 10 PM on Sunday the 17th. The ban excluded emergency vehicles, rescue vehicles, and law enforcement. The affected areas included the north side via T. Cannizzaro, between via C. Battisti and Corso Cavour; the entire area of Piazza Pugliatti; the entire area of Piazza G. Carducci; and via G. Venezian, between Piazza G. Carducci and via dei Verdi. Additionally, during the same time frame, no-parking zones with enforced towing on both sides had been established on the north side via T. Cannizzaro, between via C. Battisti and Corso Cavour; the entire area of Piazza Pugliatti; and the entire area of Piazza G. Carducci.
The article was published in Italian by the Media Platform LetteraEmme here: https://www.letteraemme.it/accendi-la-passione-per-le-4-ruote-a-messina-la-mostra-di-auto-storiche-e-da-competizione/
