Johnny Carwash is back !
Discussion
Anybody else remember Giovanni Lavaggi ? (literal translation - unless any Italian member can prove me -wrong 'Johnny Carwash')
As far as I can remember Giovanni who 'raced' in F1 for Pacific, was a 'gentleman racer' (pay-driver to you and I) but now I read this from Autosport:
Former Grand Prix driver Giovanni Lavaggi has confirmed he will race his own sports car in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the LMES in 2006, subject to entry approval.
Lavaggi, who raced for the Pacific and Minardi teams in 1995 and 1996, has designed the LS1 prototype himself, and the machine will be powered by a six-litre Ford V8 prepared in America by PME.
According to Autosprint magazine, the chassis will have some rather original aerodynamic solutions developed in a wind tunnel in England and has already passed the FIA crash tests.
He designed it himself ? Can anybody tell me more about this man - I really thought he was just a rich guy racing cars, and here is is, a decade later at the cutting edge of sportscars. What next, Aguri Suzuki running a semi-works F1 team ?
Rob
www.grandprixdiary.com
As far as I can remember Giovanni who 'raced' in F1 for Pacific, was a 'gentleman racer' (pay-driver to you and I) but now I read this from Autosport:
Former Grand Prix driver Giovanni Lavaggi has confirmed he will race his own sports car in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the LMES in 2006, subject to entry approval.
Lavaggi, who raced for the Pacific and Minardi teams in 1995 and 1996, has designed the LS1 prototype himself, and the machine will be powered by a six-litre Ford V8 prepared in America by PME.
According to Autosprint magazine, the chassis will have some rather original aerodynamic solutions developed in a wind tunnel in England and has already passed the FIA crash tests.
He designed it himself ? Can anybody tell me more about this man - I really thought he was just a rich guy racing cars, and here is is, a decade later at the cutting edge of sportscars. What next, Aguri Suzuki running a semi-works F1 team ?
Rob
www.grandprixdiary.com
I was reminded of the fella's name when I was driving around Italy in the summer and a couple of people in our group were looking for a car wash 
Yes, it is pretty similar at the very least - I think the translated word might be the verb!
Wasn't he pushing 40 at the time of his GP 'career'? That was 10 years ago so it's got to be a labour of love, surely?
Yes, it is pretty similar at the very least - I think the translated word might be the verb! Wasn't he pushing 40 at the time of his GP 'career'? That was 10 years ago so it's got to be a labour of love, surely?
Lavaggi is, if I remember, an entirely self-made millionaire, now residing in Monaco. I'm not entirely sure how he made his cash, but I know he's a very highly educated mechanical engineer, among other things - which is why he's able to design his own car.
I hold him in fairly high regard, really, for realising his dream. He wanted to be a Grand Prix driver and worked very hard to make it happen. He knew he'd never be a GP winner, but he fulfilled a childhood ambition to get on the grid. Never what you'd call proper quick, but I bet he's considerably faster than just about everyone who posts on here (apart from Mr Greensall, but then he's not exactly regular around these parts). (Hello Nigel).
Most recently he raced a Ferrari 333SP and won a couple of championships in it.
I hold him in fairly high regard, really, for realising his dream. He wanted to be a Grand Prix driver and worked very hard to make it happen. He knew he'd never be a GP winner, but he fulfilled a childhood ambition to get on the grid. Never what you'd call proper quick, but I bet he's considerably faster than just about everyone who posts on here (apart from Mr Greensall, but then he's not exactly regular around these parts). (Hello Nigel).
Most recently he raced a Ferrari 333SP and won a couple of championships in it.
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