Eugenio Castellotti - Italian Ace

Unlike many racecar drivers, Eugenio Castellotti was a member of a wealthy family. He was born on October 10, 1930 in Lodi, Italy. Although he was able to buy a Ferrari when he was just twenty, he didn't begin his racing career until two years later. Eugenio was a socialite as well as a race driver. He was noted for his stylish dress and handsome demeanor. Eugenio established a relationship with Delia Scala, the famous Italian actress and ballerina and they were the celebrity couple of the Italian social scene.

However, Eugenio's life was also touched by tragedy. In 1955, Eugenio and Alberto Ascari had signed up to drive for Lancia. Eugenio was testing his car at Monza while Alberto was racing at Monaco. Alberto's car had spun out and plunged into the sea putting him in the hospital suffering from shock and a broken nose. Four days later, Alberto came to Monza to see Eugenio. At the end of the visit, just before he was planning to have lunch with his wife, Alberto suddenly decided to drive a few laps in the car. He did not have his racing gear with him and his helmet was in the repair shop. So dressed in a business suit, Alberto borrowed Eugenio's helmet, got into the car and took off. Minutes later, he apparently lost control, spun out and was killed in Eugenio's car, wearing Eugenio's helmet. Eugenio was one of the pallbearers at Alberto's funeral.

Although Eugenio's racing career was short, it was illustrious. When the New York Times wrote up his death the headline read, "Castelloti, Ace Italian Driver Killed Testing New Racing Car." When Eugenio achieved a pole position in the 1955 Belgium Grand Prix, he was the youngest driver to ever win a Grand Prix pole position. As a member of the Ferrari Team he raced in fourteen World Championship Grands Prix. He won one pole position, three podiums and earned 19.5 championship points. Eugenio also had an impressive record outside Formula One. In March 1956, he won the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring, Florida, USA. He also won the prestigious Mille Miglia in Brescia and the Grand Prix for sports cars in Rouen, France.

In March 1957, Eugenio and Delia were enjoying a holiday in Florence when Enzo Ferrari summoned him in the middle of the night to come immediately to Modena to test drive a car. Eugenio tried to beg off but Enzo insisted and Eugenio dared not refuse. So at daybreak he started out for Modena arriving at the aerodrome definitely tired and perhaps hung over. He ran a warm-up lap and then began the test drive but lost control and crashed. His body was flung 100 yards as the car somersaulted into a fence. Eugenio's skull fractured killing him instantly. Luigi Villoresi, who also drove for Ferrari had had a love-hate relationship with Enzo and blamed him for Eugenio's death attributing it to Enzo's hubris. Luigi had long blamed Enzo for his younger brother Emilio's death under similar circumstances. From then on Luigi had only contempt and hate for Ferrari as he said, "For the sake of Ferrari's pride, challenged that day over a cup of coffee in the Biella Club at Modena, was it right to have put in jeopardy the life of a racing driver?"