Such is the nature of being a ‘karting historian’ — you get to trip across little gems. I guess this is the continuing saga of Susanna Raganelli. One of the most fascinating and enigmatic drivers in karting history. Naturally I’ve written about her extensively now, and once again I’ve come across some more gems that illuminate her time in karting and also confirm, in picture form, aspects of her racing career that were mainly just words.
Karting Magazine reported in 1966 how the crowds went wild for her victory at the Vevry round of the European Championship, and now we know that it also happened a year earlier. The April 22nd edition of Journal de Montreux confirmed the 1966 police intervention: “No. 1, Susanna Raganelli, the ravishing young Roman of 20 years, who last year at Vevey crushed all her male opponents, imposed the transalpine team without discussion, and was the object of a demonstration of enthusiasm without precedent from the public to the point that her lap of honor was made impossible and she had to be evacuated under police protection.”
However we also have now an image from the 1965 European Karting Championship from the Fueille d’avis de Vevey 26 April edition. We see here all the Italian team, included Susanna Raganelli, being carried by the jubilant fans. Truly magnificent. Apparently there was supposed to be a lap of honour, but well, that didn’t happen for obvious reasons. For me this is one of the best images in karting history.
This all came about because I contacted the Museum of Vevey to see if they had any archives of the events held there. They were extremely helpful and very interested in my request, especially given the rich history. They sent me some images and a poster, which as an aside was also historically important. Crucially they pointed me in the direction of an archive at www.scriptorium.ch
The report from the April 26 edition of Feuille D’avis de Lausanne said “Such a conclusion could only provoke an unexpected demonstration of sympathy under these latitudes from many Italian expatriates in the crowd. At the finish, while the French favourites had been left far behind, the Italian team was hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd and carried in triumph around the circuit, thus replacing the traditional lap of honour.”
A rare interview also gave an insight into her life. She studied languages and for her, karting was no more dangerous than riding horses: “Why not? You speak a lot about the dangers involved, but in Rome, where I live, I also ride horses and there too you must take certain risks. A fall from a horse often has more serious consequences than a moment of skidding in a kart.”
The interview ended with “A voice rises from the crowd. The rush is beginning. Susanna is leaving her fans. A few minutes later, in the exaltation of victory, she will be nothing more than a small point that one can hardly see in the crowd as she is carried shoulder-high, arms raised, very beautiful, toward the next race.”
Interestingly we get an insight into the Leidschendam round of that year’s European Championship. The 25th June edition of Feuille D’avis de Lausanne reported she put the Italian team in peril, and rather than the expected result, unfortunately and unfairly put it down to her ‘fragile’ female body. The issue was that she spun out and couldn’t restart. Now, for the karting brainiacs, you may be able to correct me, but in the 1967 World Championship press conference in Vevey the April edition of Feuille D’avis de Lausanne reported that to fix this concern was that “In fact, these machines do not have a starter and to set them in motion, they must be pushed, which requires a certain force. Therefore, she has installed a sort of “scooter” which raises the kart, the engine no longer brakes the wheels and... it is a matter of jumping nimbly at the right moment while pressing the gas pedal. A sport of total rest, that’s for sure. We will see the results of the maneuver on Sunday.” This means that Raganelli may have been the first to ever use the roller boot starter aid? Maybe.
What’s revealing is how honest Raganelli was. Her ambitions were always very clear. In the 2nd May edition of Tribune de Lausanne, a quick sidebar interview from a main article detailing her success at the ‘66 round of the European Championship, she stated quite clearly her intent for the rest of the year when questioned: “Yes, to beat the men for the world title.”
What is interesting about these discoveries is just how genuinely passionate the Italian fans were. These aren’t made-up stories. These are jubilant Italian fans celebrating the success of their team and drivers, with a genuine superstar at the centre. Charismatic and photogenic, Raganelli had it all. It would appear something happened in 1966. As noted in the coverage from Karting Magazine, the tone shifted and she made no bones about her annoyance, as I have reported before.
Also we learn that she may have been thinking of future and a premature retirement. Even in early 1967, before her crash at Paris which broke her collarbone and caused a gash needing 8 stiches above her eye, talking the Tribune de Lausanne 1st May 1967 she said answered a question about her future and whether she’d race for a long time “I will race this year, then if everything goes well, next year as well. After that, we shall see.”
I guess we’ll always be left wondering what might have been. Her retirement from the sport was a devastating blow, yet we know very little. We know she started when she was 17 and by the time she was 22 had left the sport as World Champion, almost never to be seen or heard of again bar one appearance at Monaco.
Alan Dove
