Who is Gimax Junior?

[Sile]

I read on some IRL forum that a guy named Gimax Junior will be testing an IRL car this week. They said he comes from F3000, but I never heard of him, is he racing Italian F3000?

[bingman]

not sure... is he related to Rotax Junior?

[ghinzani]

No he is Gimax's son - Gimax was a sportscar racer in the 70s and 80s. Rich Italian basically.

[ghinzani]

He used to be called Mini-Gimax

[bingman]

very impressive ghinzani,,,, i shall call him,,,,, Mini-Gimax

[JR Ewing]

He did F3000, but years ago I think.

[Mekola]

Gimax Sr raced also in the F1 non-championship race at Imola in 1979.

[ghinzani]

Thats right, Id forgot about that - now whats his name, I'm sure its in the Motor Sport race report but where have I stored that? loft time!

[ensign14]

Carlo Franchi.

There's a dispute whether Gimax or Gimax Jr tried to qualify a Surtees in the Italian GP in 1978.

[ghinzani]

no it couldnt be the jnr who raced f3000 - he would be mid 40's at least now if he had raced at Imola all those years ago in 1979!

[Junior Senior]

Gimax raced a Williams FW06 in the Aurora AFX series in 79/80/81??,his team mate was Giacamo Agostini.[but don't quote me]

[Alx]

i could be wrong but I think the original Gimax appears somewhere in the "Grand Prix Who's Who" book. - which would suggest he did a world championship GP (or at least attempted to qualify).

[ghinzani]

yeah think he lined up for a go at Monza 77 or somesuch, probably in Art Merzarios tea trolley or a BRM pallet truck - it was like that in those days!!

[joseramon]

well this is the case.

gimax: carlo franchi
he ran in formula 1 with surtees, one grand prix (1978), and after he ran in the Aurora AFX british f1 series for two years (1979 and 1980).
previous he ran the european formula 2 champ with his own team (gimax) in 1977 and 1978.
as ghinzani said he also ran in sport prototipes: in 1981 he ran with osella squadra corse (what remenbers for you ghinzani¡¡¡¡, jajaja)

Gimax Junior (whose real name i don't know) ran in the italian formula 3 champ from 1987 to 1990 (at least), and also ran in formula 3.000, but not in the international champ, if not in the british formula 3000 champ of 1990 and 1991 (14º and 10º classified respectively).

best regards
jjjoseee

[Sniffer]

Gimax Jnr competed in Italian F3 in 1987 and 1988 with Astofer Corse; and 1989 with MC Racing as partner to Mirko Savoldi who now races in the FIA Sportscar Championship with Lucchini and who went on to join Gimax Jnr in British F3000 racing for ranieri Randaccio's SCI team. Gimax Jnr followed in the footsteps of his old man - real name as Ensign14 rightly pointed out was Carlo Franchi who tried and failed to qualify for the Italian Grand Prix but did race in the non championship race at Imola in September 1979, racing for multiple bike champion Giacomo Agostini in a Williams FW06.

Old man Gimax was more successful in sportscars which he competed in for over a decade. His first International race was at the Monza 1000kms in 1974 in a Chevron B23 and his last was again at the Autodromo in a Porsche 935.

Gimax Jnr was first noticed in this country in 1990 when he drove in a Brands British F3000 race. I think it was for Terrepol Durango, an early incarnation of Ivane Pintone's now successful team. He then went on to drive for CoBRa Motorsport in 1991, partnering Jose Luis Di Palma at the Warrington based team. He actually scored a podium at Oulton Park in the first race before a few more points scoring finishes. I remember him as being pretty gregarious and a sort of Paolo Delle Piane on acid!

I can't believe that Gimax Jnr is going to test an IRL car! He'll probably only about 33/34 years of age but as far as I know he hasn't raced in anything remotely competetive since 1991!

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Sniffer
his old man - real name as Ensign14 rightly pointed out was Carlo Franchi who tried and failed to qualify for the Italian Grand Prix but did race in the non championship race at Imola in September 1979, racing for multiple bike champion Giacomo Agostini in a Williams FW06.

Old man Gimax was more successful in sportscars which he competed in for over a decade. His first International race was at the Monza 1000kms in 1974 in a Chevron B23 and his last was again at the Autodromo in a Porsche 935.

Gimax Jnr was first noticed in this country in 1990 when he drove in a Brands British F3000 race. I think it was for Terrepol Durango, an early incarnation of Ivane Pintone's now successful team. He then went on to drive for CoBRa Motorsport in 1991, partnering Jose Luis Di Palma at the Warrington based team. He actually scored a podium at Oulton Park in the first race before a few more points scoring finishes. I remember him as being pretty gregarious and a sort of Paolo Delle Piane on acid!

I can't believe that Gimax Jnr is going to test an IRL car! He'll probably only about 33/34 years of age but as far as I know he hasn't raced in anything remotely competetive since 1991!

So Gimax drove for Dave Price in that Marlboro Williams then? I recall him driving that 935 at Monza in 1985 I think in the GTX class.
Talking of Terrepool Durango whatever happened to Guido Basile, the man behind Terrepool promotions? I remember seeing him testing his ex-Tim Davies f3 car at Donington in early 86 alongside shortlived team mate Egon Hertzfeld and he was slow as pants! He then tried to sell us all gold watches and chains... a character himself!
Wonder why he is testing IRL? Thats a serious series nowadays and he'll not make the grade - int he early days Italian rentadrivers like Guido Basile could sort of hang on but no more - he'd be better in IPS or Sportscars IMHO.

btw I thought Paolo was on acid judgng by his ability to park F3000 cars in gravel traps and on other cars and bits of the scenery! still he kept Colin Bennet in business at the time and thats a good thing

[Sniffer]

He was entered for the 1985 Monza 1000kms but in a Chevron Lancia B26 but failed to take the start after a shunt in the warm up which was probably a blessing as this was the year that a gale brewed up and blew down a tree at Lesmo and brought an early end to proceedings.Interestingly there were several future F3000 drivers there that weekend, amongst them Paul Belmondo in a Joest Porsche 956, but he also did not start. Paolo Barilla was also in a Joest car and finished 9th. Jan Lammers, who at that time was an F1 and CART refugee was in the Richard Lloyd 956 with Jonathan Palmer and came 5th. Also David Andrews, father of Phil was in a C2 rareity called a Ceeker and finished 6th in class with team mates Chris Ashmore and Max Payne (was he related to Jeremy????.)

[sceptic]

Originally posted by ghinzani
Talking of Terrepool Durango whatever happened to Guido Basile, the man behind Terrepool promotions? I remember seeing him testing his ex-Tim Davies f3 car at Donington in early 86 alongside shortlived team mate Egon Hertzfeld and he was slow as pants!

Guido also entered the British F3000 championship in 1990/1.
But he wasn't as competitive as Gimax Jnr, and didn't score any points.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by ghinzani

Talking of Terrepool Durango whatever happened to Guido Basile, the man behind Terrepool promotions? I remember seeing him testing his ex-Tim Davies f3 car at Donington in early 86 alongside shortlived team mate Egon Hertzfeld and he was slow as pants! He then tried to sell us all gold watches and chains... a character himself!

The advert for a steering wheel pendant was in Autosport for years. And Bette Hill was waring one in a Graham Hill video tribute.

The Ceekar was built in Walsall, as was the Ensign.

[ghinzani]

Yeah I loved that Ceekar - for years they struggled along with a 2litre bdg engine then at the begining of 87 they finally afforded a DFV - and promptly shunted the car to destruction! Does it still exist anywhere?

[ghinzani]

deja vu - anyone see todays Autospurt? this exact same question is in there!