1/1/1938
Record updated 10-Mar-08
The career of Carlo Franchi was mainly limited to F3 and of sports car racing in Italy, his single appearance in Formula One was not memorable. Born in Milan, Carlo started racing sports cars in the middle of the Seventies, mostly at Monza and other Italian tracks. He drove various cars under the pseudonym Gimax (abbreviation of the first names Gigi and Massimo, its two sons). He achieved a podium finish in 1976 in the 4 hours of Enna-Pergusa with Stanislao Sterzel in a March-BMW. In 1978, he got a drive with the Surtees Formulata 1 team. But with the 28th fastest qualification time, he managed nothing more than to get in the way of everyone else and did not qualify. It was his only F1 appearance and he then went back to sports cars. In 1980 he has class wins in an Osella-BMW at both Mugello and Monza, with Marcello Gallo. And twice in 1981 he was on the podium with Luigi Moreschi. Gimax raced on until 1984, before finally retiring. Carlo Franchi is from now on businessman in Italy, his son Gimax Jr. followed in his fathers footsteps by racing in the Aurora championship.