Welcome to the Amigos de Fangio
website
Many will wonder why found a
club called Amigos de Fangio in Cuba, country with no motor racing
history and quiet far from Argentina.
The reason for it is that Juan Manuel Fangio made his debut on the
tracks of Malecon Havana in 1957. However, in February 1958 he finally
marked its entry into our history when a group of youths belonging to
the 26th July Movement kidnapped him to divert the world’s attention to
the Cuba’s revolutionary movement. Ever since Fangio called these men
as "friendly kidnappers" our sympathy towards him had grown.
49 years later, a group of enthusiastic auto racing and classic
motorcycle, inspired by the human values of one of the biggest racing
stars of all time and led by the Cuban Lorenzo Verdecia, started this
association on 1st of July 2007.
From now on, you are welcome to join this group of enthusiasts.
3rd Anniversary of the Amigos de Fangio Association
Who was Fangio?
 Juan
Manuel Fangio is generally considered as one of the best drivers in
Formula 1 history, and by many international experts like the best
sport pilot for all time.
He was world champion on five
occasions, including winning four consecutive championships from
1954-1957. Fangio is the only driver in the history of F1 champion who
won with 4 different teams: Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari and
Mercedes-Benz. He won 24 Formula 1 races of the 51 which were disputed
today as Official Racing, taking even today’s highest average of wins
in the history of F1. In 1957 he won the race in Nürburgring, after
being 48 seconds behind the race leader.
His record of 5 world remained unscathed until 2003 when he was
overtaken by the German driver Michael Schumacher. However, his
percentage of wins (47%) has remained unmatched so far...
Perhaps Juan Manuel Fangio is more appreciated by his adversaries that
by his followers, as many of them, like Stirling Moss, have referred to
him as the best driver of all time, not only for his sportmanship, but
for his chivalry on the track and the pits. Fangio always gave great
importance to team work, he praised his mechanics, worked on an equal
footing with his team, and always said that without the mechanics he
would have achieved little . His straighforwardness, coupled with cold
determination on the tracks, made him a gentleman while carrying the
aura of invincibility. Moss used to refer to him as "... a cold fury,
glacial ..."
His remains rest in the cemetery of his hometown, Balcarce, in the
province of Buenos Aires.
Amigos todos de la Peña Amigos de Fangio:
Reciban mi felicitación calurosa por el tercer año de lucha. Lo cultural es también una guerra y se combate con ideas. Que los cubanos estén reunidos por una figura del automovilismo mundial de los kilates de Juan Manuel Fangio, el chueco nacido en Balcarce, provincia de Buenos Aires, no es casual.
Hay en los seres humanos que conforman los pueblos, un mandato genético que es el reaseguro de la vida. Y son ustedes que custodian la buena salud de la memoria de un personaje argentino, aunque millones de argentinos desconozcan lo que ustedes hacen y nada conozcan sobre el piloto tan premiado.
Aquí en Buenos Aires y sin ir mas lejos habemos argentinos que no podemos evitar atesorar, difundir y amar personajes y elementos de la cultura cubana. Es nuestra sana compulsión, para que vuestras riquezas sean repartidas a pesar del bloqueo.
Muchas gracias por mantener ese motor en marcha que sostiene la memoria del colaborador involuntario de la Revolución cubana cuando su secuestro en La Habana.
Hasta la victoria siempre compañeros.
Eladio González (toto)
Director Museo Che Guevara
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
