Checco Costa's Imola and 'Clinica Mobile'

creative words or images - your own or by others - that express for you the feeling of motorcycling
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Skins
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Checco Costa's Imola and 'Clinica Mobile'

Post by Skins »

This material from ducati.com about the “Clinica Mobile” is not exactly ‘creative’ material, but it sure expresses the feeling of motorcycling. I think ‘Apex’ is a very appropriate forum in which to present it:


On April 23rd, 1972 the first 200 Mile race was organised in Imola: the DAYTONA of EUROPE. That first thrilling race, devised by Checco Costa, was won by Paul Smart on a Ducati. Checco Costa himself, as the Chairman of the local "Moto Club", wanted suitable, advanced medical assistance for this top event, which must be improved over all other, national and international, racing events. He asked his son Claudio, who had graduated from the medical school in 1967, to undertake this vital task, which he successfully did with the help of Dr. Giancarlo Caroli, capable resuscitation and intensive care specialist at the Istituto Rizzoli of Bologna.

In the theatre of motorcycle races, enter for the first time a resuscitation doctor, the doctor capable of defeating death. All the riders understood and appreciated this new, irreplaceable type of rescue and this new group of specialised medical staff, full of love of their job. They wanted these same doctors at all the World Championship races. So the story began. For five years (1972-1976) Dr. Claudio Costa and his team, equipped with First Aid boxes, followed the World Championship events. But their assistance was still insufficient, because at that time, medicine applied to motorcycling was still primitive and dreadfully lacking in human resources and equipment, to the point that the riders had to help each other after crashes.

This suggested, in 1976, that a mobile vehicle should be created, a little travelling hospital proper, staffed by specialised doctors and other medical personnel, to take care of riders before, during and after races. And to take care not just of riders, but of all those who lived and worked in the paddocks of Motorcycling Grand Prix. The first Mobile Clinic was born with the generous help of AGV Helmets and Moto Club Santerno of Imola.

The Clinic was dedicated to all motorcycle racers. On February 3rd, 1977, in the little island of Bendor, opposite the village of Bandol on the French Riviera, near the Paul Ricard circuit of Le Castellet, the Mobile Clinic was presented to the press on the same day when Checco Costa twinned his splendid "200 Miler" of Imola to the homonymous French race organised by Moto Journal.

May 1st, 1977 was the day when the little travelling hospital of motorcycling made its first appearance at the Salzburgring in Austria. It was a baptism of fire. In the 250cc class, 5 riders crashed out at the same time and in the fastest and most dangerous corner of the whole circuit (Fahrerlager corner): Uncini, Ceccotto, Braun, Fernandez and Stadelman. They were all very seriously hurt, to the point that Stadelman's injuries proved lethal for the German rider.

The Mobile Clinic doctors did not hesitate: they rushed to the scene of the disaster, attacked by the dogs of the policemen who guarded the trackside, and saved Franco Uncini's life, whom they had found lying on the ground and not breathing. They also did a great deal to help Ceccotto, Fernandez and Braun, who could, incredibly, resume bike racing shortly afterwards. By saving a man's life, the Mobile Clinic made its debut and showed its irreplaceable role in the world of motorcycling.

The "Clinica Mobile" has developed into an incredibly efficient, highly professional and talented medical back-up team for the competitors of the Motorcycle World Championships. Ingeniously built into two articulated trucks, our clinics attend every race by dedicating one Clinic to the Grand Prix and one to the World Superbike Championships. As the competition travels from country to country, the Clinica Mobile maintains a constant vigil over the "Gods of Motorcycling"

Checco Costa, a story, my story:

In the mythology of ancient Greece, centaurs were half man, half horse creatures that, led by their guide Chiron, would freely roam the woods and mountain slopes. Teachers used to tell these tales to school pupils, creating endless fantasies which made it easier to endure the hardship of school life years ago.

These often indescribable fantasies gave Checco Costa the idea of re-creating the atmosphere of ancient Greece with its centaurs. He thought that he would bring to the nature park of his home town, Imola, these strange, amazing knights, whom he identified with motorcycle racers: and so he did in 1949, when he organised races of motocross, a sport still unknown in Italy at that time, in the park of "Acque Minerali". In all fairness, the idea of creating a racing track in Imola was not just Checco Costa's: it was shared by a group of motorcycle enthusiasts, among which the "historic" members Graziano Golinelli, Ugo Montevecchi, Alfredo Campagnoli and the naturally charming, Gualtiero Vighi.

One summer night in 1947, this group of pioneers, walking in Via Romeo Galli, a small countryside road that connected the Acque Minerali park with the bridge over the Santerno river, sketched a short circuit: via dei Colli, a connection between the Tosa and Piratella corners, via Romeo Galli. The entire route was less than 4 Km and the road width was approximately 6 m. But man's imagination has no limits, and sometimes, it can write people's future and destiny.

Checco Costa, a dreamer, wanted to come up with something unique: he was not entirely happy with the simple plan designed by his small group of friends, and so looked at the same places through the eyes of desire, and thinking with a clear mind, the first buds of the final design of Imola's racing track were germinated.

A lover of nature and of agricultural sciences (some varieties of corn still bear his name), Checco Costa was an expert of the area. Most of all, he knew very well the Rivazza farm, where he and his brother Luigi (a talented painter who still lives in Imola), used to spend summer holidays, enjoying nature and that special innocence which, when we are little children, we all believe eternal. His love of motorcycles, the opportunity offered by the ideal location of the park Castellaccio, the short circuit sketched together with his best friends, were all typical of Checco's craving for knowledge and his imagination. It was for the same reasons, man was banished from the Garden of Heaven.

In that summer night, in the darkness of the park, lit only by moonlight, the most suitable light to clearly see the shadows men are made of, the idea of a racing track was born (5 km in length for a width of 9 m, or to be exact, 5,017 metres) and the final, unique, outline of the current Imola's circuit was sketched.

This idea, like a frail creature in need of help, was welcomed, assisted, lulled and nourished by many, but only one was to be its father forever: Checco Costa.

Checco Costa was also the creator of the corners' design, of their radius and of their special shape, called "lemniscate". He fought to ensure that the road surfacing be carried out under the supervision of Istituto Sperimentale Stradale (Experimental Road Institution) of the Italian Touring Club. A law called "Romita Act", in force at the time, was thought by the land surveyor, Campagnoli, likely to help the project realisation. Silvana, Checco's wife, happened to know the minister that the Act was named after: he was a dear friend of her father's.

Silvana was a beautiful women, but her beauty was not her main quality. Mrs Costa may still not be aware of it, but her face was the face of Checco's "anima", the feminine side of a man who had left behind the world and its needs to live in quasi-Franciscan mysticism, closer to the mystery of nature and the sources of genius and creativity.


Claudio Costa, my story:

My story runs parallel to my father's and the episodes which emotionally and sentimentally decided that my destiny should be linked with motorcycling were: the first one, during the Shell Gold Cup of April 11th, 1955,

When Ray Amm, at his debut on an MV, died after crashing out at the Rivazza corner on the 20th lap whilst chasing Ken Kavanagh, riding a Guzzi, who then went on to win the race. In the days before the race, he had been invited to my family home for dinner, and I'd had a chance to find out that, despite his reputation for being a heroic rider who feared nothing, he was a kind, cultivated man who loved opera. Attracted by this ambivalence and charmed by his kind eyes, when he died that day I felt I was dying with him and, mourning him, I wish I was omnipotent and could bring him back to life.

The second episode that was to decide my destiny (devoting my life to riders and my profession to saving them) happened during the 4th edition of the Gold Cup on April 22nd, 1957, when, disobeying my father who would not let me stand too close to the track to watch races, I hid behind the protective straw bales placed against a pine tree at the Acque Minerali corner. I was right there when Duke fell off his Gilera 500: I was the first to spring out into the track: I dragged the rider out of the dangerous zone and removed the bike as well, to prevent it endangering the other riders. My perfect rescue was documented by a photographer. The next day, Checco saw in the "Resto del Carlino", the local newspaper, a picture of that impromptu rescue organised by a boy who was wearing a grown-up hat not to be recognised. He gave me a severe punishment but at the same time, predicted that one day, I would become a doctor and that that was probably the mission I had been called to life for.

Checco was a great organiser and his generosity and big heart could not make him overlook the aspect of medical assistance for the riders. Ever since the earliest editions of the Gold Cup, the famous springtime race featuring the most glorious riders in the world, the best doctors and ambulances were at the track (among them, I would like to mention Dr. Luigi Lincei and Dr. Adriano Mondini).

He also organised a fantastic group of track marshals who always worked at their best. He co-operated with Ermete Amadesi of CEA who, with the precious help of his daughters, Rossella and Patrizia, managed and still manages today the CEA staff, known all over the world

I took my degree in Medicine on March 3rd, 1967 and immediately began to follow the races organised by my father. My story as a track doctor and doctor and friend of all the riders began back then.
Duck01

Post by Duck01 »

And just sometimes - history can be interesting - that is really cooool Skins!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
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Post by fasterdammit »

Wow ... what a find. Good one.

Of course, reading about Imola ... it's hard not to go try and figure out airfare and ferry routes so I can get over there! hm, I wonder how much to transport a bike ... bah, forget transporting one, might as well one from the factory and then ride it over!





Now to start robbing banks ...


Good read though, excellent story. Where'd you find that one, Skins?
Just because you're not dead doesn't necessarily mean you're living, either.
1988 Paso 750 #753965
1997 Monster 750
Duck01

Post by Duck01 »

Skins - have ya got any more gems like that mate....?? :thumbup:
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