Tribute and Photos by Don Hodgdon
We were saddened to learn this past weekend of the passing of a giant in the automotive world and one of the last true racing gentlemen. Gianpiero Moretti lost his long battle with lung cancer on Saturday, January 15th at the age of 67 at his home in Monza, Italy.
The Momo Porsche 935 sits silent while lunch is prepared in the Momo/Penthouse pit, 1981.
While as a young racing driver in Italy in the early ’60s, Moretti had a friend build him a custom steering wheel for his car. Smaller than the normal steering wheels of the era, the wheel featured a larger grip which attracted the interest of many of the drivers of the day including Ferrari Formula One driver, John Surtees. Big John had one of Moretti’s wheels fitted to his factory Ferrari, winning the World Driving Championship in 1964 and cementing a relationship with the Italian manufacturer that would last for decades.
Moretti’s fascination with sportscar racing brought him to the United States and the Daytona 24 Hours in 1970 and, although he didn’t finish, he was determined to return and win the fabled event. After 14 attempts, he finally posted a victory, co-driving his Ferrari 333SP with Mauro Baldi, Didier Theys and Arie Luyendyk, one of the most popular victories in the long history of the Rolex 24.
Gianpiero Moretti (left), waits for practice to begin at Riverside Internationl Raceway, 1984.
Moretti’s cars were fixtures in American IMSA events in the eighties and ninties , the bright red and yellow colors always popular with fans across the country. Even more popular were the spaghetti lunches, often prepared by Gianpiero himself, in the pits at every event. Nobody went hungry at an IMSA race when the Momo team was present!
Godspeed Gianpiero, you will always be remembered for your spirit and your support of our favorite sport.
I was at the 24 Hours of Daytona the year that Moretti finally won. I had been hoping for a Ferrari victory ever since the 333SP began racing there, and Moretti’s win gave me a lot of joy. He had tried in many other cars, but it was fitting that the win came in a Ferrari. I have enjoyed his products for my personal cars, and I wish that I could have met him. I will be thinking of him as I attend the 50th Anniversary sports car race at Daytona in ten days.
Don, This was a wonderful tribute to a determined man. The pictures are of course Great! You captured a slice of history that will be welcomed to remember for years to come!
I had the pleasure of watching him race several times (including Daytona). Always a class act. Godspeed.
I recall a momo sponsored porsche 935 running the Giro d’ Italia in 76 or 77, was that Moretti at the wheel ?
God has called Gianpiero Moretti home after a great life and a hard fought death. We shall all miss him.
One statement by Gianpiero upon winning the 24 Hrs of Daytona, while looking at his new Rolex was and I paraphrase, “that is the most expensive watch I have ever won.” Meaning how much had to be put forth to win it but he never gave up.
Thank you Gianpiero for the example you set for others to follow.
In the late 1970’s I had the pleasure of meeting Gianpiero at an IMSA race and was invited over for a Moretti meal. I certainly ad him to the list of the greatest people in motorsports that I have had to had the great p[leasure of meeting like the late great Peter Gregg, Mr. Endurance Hurley Haywood ,
Al Holbert , Derek Bell, And the greatest gentleman of the sport Brian Redman. I consider myself richer for having met him an seeing him for years after always a big wave and smile. God Bless!
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Gianpiero was a true human being. I interviewed him 2 times at different races in Florida, as I produced & directed an independent movie there. Also, I met him a few other times, even in Italy. I realize that we must admit our surprise that a racing driver who some described as an amateur, could win the ’98 Daytona 24 Hr, & the Sebring 12 Hr. That’s Florida near to the watersports. Even that amateur swimmer, the dolphin, makes a very good amateur effort at swimming, simply by virtue of the fact that it needs to be in the water all the time. Actually the seriousness & long action of many years that Gianpiero made at fulltime racing, & to the business, really exemplified a racing life constant. About that constant, the MOMO people were a substance of true life at the sport with him. I think that the dense, heavy, high pressure air of N. America is very different than other continents, & actually has an effect on the racing. There was not pretending. Only the action, from the start of his racing career, to the win in ’98. He was conscious to not lead other persons astray. All that he did being centered in his own Italian life culture, studying form & geometries. The many products of MOMO Design of today continue that seriousness of concentration.