“It was a golden time and I was in vogue, my golden period. The manufacturers changed models every year, the Italian motorcycles were on the crest of the wave and were selling like hot cakes. There was an incredible fervor, our factories were always ahead and we lived that fervor. At the 12 Hours of il Ciocco we showed up with a motorcycle that was actually the prototype of a super model that would be presented later, the 125 Silver Vase. It was supposed to be called Six Days, but at the end of the year we would have won the Six Days and the bike was called Aprilia 125 Silver Vase, in honor. At Il Ciocco we made thirds a few seconds from … seconds, later in Franciacorta, with version 175, we made the Absolute! “

It is Pierluigi Rottigni who speaks, the winning driver of an era only 40 years away, of which he was a reference pillar, then Technical Director, Manager, inspirer of Italian “Regularity” without interruptions to the present day. And continue by opening the chest of incredible memories:

“It was a fairly unusual, innovative, fun race because it was run in pairs, and we used to always run alone against everyone. Then there was, and there is still if God wills, Il Ciocco. It seemed like an oasis, a wonderful place. Path not impossible, challenging, manageable. Let’s say sliding. In Tuscany as at home, we had a good following of fans, of course, we were really in vogue, and we felt great! “

“Me and Gualtiero Brissoni, the“ Brisa ”. He did Motocross that year, and for the Regularity only the (few) Pairs Races and the Six Days. Here we are, me and him. At that time I was going a bit faster than him, a couple of seconds per special test. In short, we were a good pair, with a prototype motorcycle that was doing very well. A nice reminder of the race, and of the season. Then I would have won the Italian and, had I not broken my collarbone, also the European that was the World Cup at the time.

The sensations forty years later, “Guarantor” of the 2022 Reissue Path, weekend of 23-24 October?

“Going back on those trails are still chills. You know, after all it’s only been 40 years! I remembered some sections of the track, for example those curves at the gallop. They came to my mind and I wanted to be a bit of a fool, to have fun. And the others behind. A dip back in time. We made small strokes and stopped to “record” the report we had to draw up. In the end with Micozzi we did the full lap, non-stop, and there we were back in the race. ci siamo divertiti e non la finivamo più di parlarne a tavola, a pranzo tutti insieme.”

And how do you think your colleagues 40 years less young will take it … forty years later?

“I’ve heard about it. I tell you they talk about it among themselves, in confidence. There is a desire to come and do the 12 Hours in pairs, to return to the theater of action. Myself, I’d love to. I would like to with Gritti, but I understand, Alessandro runs with his Doctor, they are now a steady couple. It’s right…”

What technical value does the Il Ciocco 12 Hours of 2022 have?

“It is first of all a fun race. Let me be clear. It is not a Championship Trial, it is not an appointment in a series. It is an opportunity, and therefore running in pairs will bring out the best of us. With our personal challenges, our revenge, our competitive themes of the occasion. We all will feel those chills that I felt, and there will be born the somewhat amused and a little serious battles, the “private” challenges, and the automatic memory of a golden period for everyone, the 75s. Yes, gilded for many things, a lot for Regularity. They were going strong, the Italian brands were going strong. People came to me from all over Italy to buy a SWM, Farioli made 1,500 motorcycles a year … and that prototype motorbike, then! “