Harley–Davidson XRTT 750 racer Renzo Pasolini 1972 Ontario Grand Prix

Description

A superb photo of the magnificent
Renzo Pasolini
seen before action with the
Harley-Davidson XRTT 750
factory racing machine
at the
Ontario
Grand Prix
in
1972
.
He went on to finish
2nd
in the
1972 250 cc Roadracing World Championship
.
Renzo Pasolini
, nicknamed "
Paso
", was a popular Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer in the 1960s. His uncalculated style of racing made him a crowd favourite. Pasolini's rivalry with Giacomo Agostini divided motorcycling enthusiasts, and while Pasolini's style of racing brought mixed results which hindered him in his attempts to win a world title, it nonetheless earned him a place in the affections of many fans. Pasolini was born at Rimini, the son of a motorcyclist. He began his motocross career in 1958, although he had shown a great interest in boxing. With his smoking habit and appetite for food and drink, he did not fit the mould of an athlete. His approach to corners was a risky combination of balance and speed which always made it appear as though he was about to fall off his bike. After performing well in motocross, Pasolini began to concentrate on road racing, but he did continue his involvement in other sports as a means of keeping fit. In 1962 he began racing with the Aermacchi 175cc, with two first-place finishes ahead of Giacomo Agostini marking the start of their long rivalry. Pasolini then took a two-year break from racing to complete his military service; stationed in
Sardinia
, he met his future wife, Anna. They would have two children, Sabrina and Renzo Stefano. Pasolini resumed his racing career in 1964, racing Aermacchi 250 and 350cc bikes at senior level. Though these motorcycles were not the most advanced at the time, Pasolini did achieve some excellent results. In the 1965 Italian championship Pasolini, racing a Benelli, finished second to Tarquinio Provini in the 250cc class and third in the 350cc class behind Giacomo Agostini and Giuseppe Mandorlini. 1966 was a year of varying results at domestic and world championship levels. Most notable was the final race of the Italian championship. Pasolini finished in first place on the then new four-cylinder Benelli 500. With a more competitive bike, Pasolini was now able to compete with the best, and this marked the start of a string of epic confrontations with Mike Hailwood, then riding a Honda, and the renewal of his rivalry with Agostini, an MV Agusta rider. 1968 saw Pasolini finish second to Agostini in the 350cc world championship, in addition to winning the Italian 250 and 350cc championship titles. The media-fuelled rivalry between Pasolini and Agostini was at its fiercest in 1969, but it never escalated to so much as a war of words, whereas on the race track, the intense competition between the two led to the suggestion of a pair of head-to-head races, one with each rider on a Benelli and the other with each rider on an MV Agusta. The FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana, the governing body of Italian motorcycling) and the manufacturers quickly put a stop to such plans. 1969 was also the year in which Pasolini lost out to Benelli team-mate Kel Carruthers in the 250cc world championship. New regulations in the 250cc classification for 1970, which limited the category to two-cylinder bikes, led the Benelli team to concentrate on the 350cc class, but it was not one of Pasolini's best years. He split from Benelli and returned to Aermacchi, now merged with Harley-Davidson. For Pasolini, much of 1971 was given over to testing out the Aermacchi/Harley-Davidson 250cc bike, which took much longer in development than had been anticipated. The result of the perseverance of Pasolini and team was a competitive motorcycle, albeit one of many at Pasolini's level of competition, and there were also a number of up-and-coming racers to contend with, including Jarno Saarinen, to whom Pasolini lost the 250cc world championship in 1972 by a single point. Pasolini tragically lost his life during the Italian Grand Prix at
Monza
on
May 20, 1973
. He retired four laps from the end of the 350cc race. On the first lap of the 250cc race, Pasolini fell from his motorcycle, and Jarno Saarinen was unable to avoid crashing into him. A pile-up involving twelve riders ensued, and Pasolini and Saarinen lost their lives. In 1986, Ducati, then under the ownership of Cagiva, introduced the Ducati Paso, which took its name from Pasolini's nickname. The bike was designed by Massimo Tamburini, co-founder of Bimota.
We have more photos listed on Ebay of Aermacchi, Harley-Davidson , Renzo Pasolini and Aermacchi and Aermacchi-HD and other brands with various riders.
This is your rare chance to own this
non period
photo that reflects a very interesting and historic piece of motorcycle history. Therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 10" (ca. 20 x 26 cm).
Check out our auctions or contact us for more motorcycle (racing) photos!
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All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files
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We have photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and excellent quality.
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