Peter Giddings Racing
Racing news about Peter from events around the world.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2011 NEWSU. S. Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins GlenPeter continued to win at the U. S. Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen on September 5-9. Peter won both the Pre-War Races in his Alfa Romeo 8C35 Tipo C, but it was a close call at the final race. Going in to Turn 11, the Tipo C popped out of 3rd gear and the second place car passed and took the lead. Peter gathered up the Alfa and set off in pursuit. The torque of the 3 liter Alfa engine took over and he just got the nose across the finish line ahead of the competition, winning by 0.026 second. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lime Rock Historic FestivalAt the Lime Rock 29th Historic Festival, held on September 2-5, Peter continued his winning ways, winning both Group 1 races in his ever-faithful Alfa Romeo 8C35 Tipo C. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monterey Motorsports Reunion and Pre-ReunionPeter Giddings in his Alfa Romeo Tipo B "P3" won the Group 1A races at both the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion and the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. In the Monterey Motorsports Reunion race, Peter finished 33 seconds ahead of Jon Shirley in Jon's similar but slightly later Alfa Romeo "P3." In Group 6A, for Ferrari 250 GT cars, Peter in his Ferrari Lusso, finished 6th in a field of 14 of these magnificent cars, leading several Ferrari GTOs and Competition SWBs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter is honored as Motorsportsman of The Year by the Motorsports Press Association (MSPA), The MSPA is comprised of Northern California writers, photographers and broadcasters who cover motorsports. Peter received this award at the MSPA banquet on March 9, 2011 held at the Blackhawk Museum. Among the other honorees at the banquet was Scott Pruett, who was voted the Closed Wheel Road Course driver of the year.
Peter is chosen as Honorary Ambassador of the Victorian Historic Racing Register on March 19, 2011 at Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsports, Victoria, Australia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010 NEWS In 2010, Peter was inducted into the Road Racing Drivers Club, thus joining the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Sir Jack Brabham, Bobby Rahal, Sir Stirling Moss, Emerson Fittipaldi, "Skip" Barber, Bob Bondurant, Dan Gurney, Roger Penske, and Dario Franchitti -- indeed a great honour.The Road Racing Drivers Club is a US organization made up of many of America's and Europe’s most successful racing drivers. Members are elected by their peers and include Formula One World Champions, Indy-500 winners, Champion Sports Car Drivers, and top American amateur road racers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the 2010 Cavallino Classic at Palm Beach International Raceway, Peter qualified on the pole and was the overall winner in the drum brake class in his Maserati 250F. After completion of the day's races, on Friday, January 22, Peter was awarded the Trofeo di Florida at the Cavallino Classic Yacht Hop. A detailed account can be viewed at Veloce Today, click on the following link: http://www.velocetoday.com/archives/4817 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On June 9, 2010, Sports Car Digest gave the results of the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Infineon Raceway. Peter was the winner of Group 1B (1914-1949 Pre-War Sport and Racing Cars) in his 1935 Alfa Romeo 8C35 Tipo C. See the article at http://www.sportscardigest.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On August 9, 2010, Sports Car Digest gave the results of the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion, along with a terrific photo gallery by Dennis Gray. "Saturday Results - Peter Giddings won the Pre-War and Bugatti Race Group in his 1931 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3. He beat out a field of beautiful Bugatti Type 35s, 39As, 43s, 51s, 57SC, and Romulus, the most successful of all privately campaigned ERAs." "Sunday Results - The Pre-War Group took first to the sunny track on Sunday and once again Peter Giddings dominated the field in his Alfa Romeo P3." See http://www.sportscardigest.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Official Race Results from the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 14 & 15, 2010, Peter finished second in Group 4A, the Bugatti Grand Prix Cars Race, in his 1926 Bugatti Type 35B. In Group 1B, the Pre-1949 Sports and Racing Cars race, Peter finished third in his 1931 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3, following the two 1934 ERA cars. These three cars were the only cars on the lead lap, having lapped all the other 20+ cars. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On July 9-11, 2010, Peter participated in the Legends of Motorsports, a Bobby Rahal Signature Event, at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. Peter is featured in a "participant profile" that can be seen at http://legendsofmotorsports.com/multimedia.cfm. This event was also featured on Forbes.com Sports Money program. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the Lime Rock (Connecticut) Historic Festival, held on September 4 - 6, 2010, Peter raced his Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 in the Pre-war Sports and Racing Class. He finished 1st in the Saturday race, and placed 2nd in both Monday races. He also raced his Maserati 250F in the 1950s Competition Cars class, finishing 12th and 8th in races against much newer and more modern competition. Also at Lime Rock, in the "Risky and Racy" pre-war competition car class in the Councours, Peter's Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 won second place, followed by the 1933 Alfa Monza that Peter previously owned, now campaigned by Peter Greenfield. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen - September 9-12, 2010 - excerpt from an article by Ron Levanduski in the Watkins Glen Star-Gazette Peter Giddings won the Pre-War Race in his 1931 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3. For Giddings, who resides in Alamo, California, it was his second vintage win here in the rain. In 2007, he braved dangerous conditions in winning the Bugatti U.S. Grand Prix in an equally rare and valuable 1926 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix car. "It's always a thrill to win, especially under these conditions at Watkins Glen," he said. Giddings also ran a historic 1953 Maserati 250F Grand Prix car, finishing second in Group 4. It's the first of 26 that were made. Juan Manuel Fangio won world titles in 1954 and 1957 in a 250F. Giddings' Alfa Romeo Tipo B (P3) was among the first genuine single-seat Grand Prix cars. His multiple Grand Prix winner is the sole surviving one of the first six built. It was driven by many great racers, including Tazio Nuvolari. "We are only custodians," Giddings said. "It's a privilege to be among those that have driven them."
2009 NEWS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ferrari North America Historic Challenge Peter once again participated in the Ferrari Historic Challenge series in 2009. He won the Drum Brake class at all four events: at Infineon Raceway, Road America, Mount Tremblant (Quebec, Canada), and New Jersey Motorsports Park. As a result of this effort, he was named "2009 Drum Brake Champion" at the season final event, held at New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 18 - 20. Peter first won the Drum Brake Championship in 2000, and he was one of the first two drivers to be named a "Grand Master" the following year, 2001 when he won his second championship. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lobethal (Queensland, Australia) Peter in his Alfa P3 #5006, joined with Jon Shirley in his P3 #5005, and over 100 other historic cars, in participating in a re-creation of the 1939 Australian Grand Prix. On the 70th anniversary of the 1939 GP, in October 2009, the event was held on the same country road circuit that was used in 1939. The course, nestled in the Adelaide Hills, is 14 kilometers long, with 47 corners, a ribbon of road so frighteningly fast, so steeped in mystery, so revered, that it was once acclaimed by multiple Australian Grand Prix winner, Doug Whiteford, as the greatest racing circuit in Australia. (excerpted from the Lobethal Grand Carnival news release).
Peter in Alfa P3 #5006 leading a group of cars at Lobethal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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