Gran Premio la Chinita, Venezuela

The country of Venezuela is very dear to me. From the time I can remember up to my late teens, this was the country where my family would go on vacation and travel deep inland (a.k.a. el interior). As a motor sports enthusiast my fondest recollections were of the stories of when Venezuela was dubbed as the Paris of South America. Caracas' restaurants had the best chefs and Ferrari's and Lamborghini's were often seen outside.

Unfortunately, this period would be short lived, due to the so-called "Dutch Decease". While the wealthy dined at the best restaurants, the masses' social conditions deteriorated further. But before the shit hit the fan, there were many types of car races held in Venezuela. These were often organized by the "Venezuelan Touring Automobile Club", and Messrs. Leopoldo Barbosa, Armando Capriles, Odo Nataline, Alfredo Atencio and Ricardo Degwitz were among those who drove for the club.

Endurance racing were held on closed-off sections of highways. One of the better known was the Gran Premio La Chinita, which was first held on November 17, 1968. The third edition of this 500 km race, which was held in the state of Maracaibo. Though I could verify very little of what transpired during that race, pictured on the right, the below mentioned race participants seems correct.

- Red Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, driven by Franz Schoenbuchner
- Porsche #3, driven by Roberto "Bobby" Dennet
- Porsche Barchetta, driven by Odo Natalini
- Blue Mustang, driven by Ernesto Vido del Prete

This is the first in a series about car races in the 1960's held in Venezuela.

Source: Wikipedia,
Photo credit: Frabesco Fazio