I watched Herbie Müller and Gijs van Lennep’s 911 Carrera RSR romping to victory at that last proper Targa Florio in 1973 from one of the Piccolo Madonie’s most famous sites – the notorious ‘Attento Nino’ corner. It’s a tight left-hander fed by a downhill straight into the hillside town of Collesano.
Local hero headmaster-cum-ace-driver Nino Vaccarella crashed his Ferrari P4 there while leading the 1967 race. The next year, he arrived to see a warning daubed by fans saying ‘Attento Nino’. For years, the red letters remained, fading in the sun but still visible. They became part of Targa Florio folklore, along with the fabled week-long build up to the race.
Anticipation, excitement, conviviality, drama and tension mounted as the race cars arrived, were fettled in makeshift garages and their drivers set about testing on 44 miles of treacherous roads that remained open to all traffic.
