Sunday 18. September from 14.30 to 18.00
 
Together with Café Magenta and COSIMO Italienske delikatesser, Benzina arranges a unique event.
ONLY PRE-BOOKED NOK 600,- PER PERSON.
Booking stops on 7 th of September.
Pay by Paypal / or Vipps: 41637161 / send mail  with names and car / bike

Will only be arranged if 30 or more persons participate.
Maximum number of participant are 75 (Limited space).
 
Join us for a Sunday of “La Dolce Vita” in the Fortress Town of Fredrikstad (Gamlebyen). This is a Gentlemen’s rally for cars between 1950 and 1985. Important: We want you to dress in the style of the car and year. Participants will enjoy beautiful cars and people. A scenic drive on winding roads around Fredrikstad is included. Classic motorcycles and scooters can also attend. If you do not have a car, contact us for passenger rides. However costs are the same for passengers and drivers. Same rules apply. We will also have a surprise tasting/ food stand and enjoy a good Italian dinner together. Only prebooked will be able to attend dinner.
 
INCLUDES:
- Benzina stickers (for your car)
- Driving map with agenda and instructions for the event
- Tour de Fredrikstad: Driving in beautiful scenery with your favourite cars. Stop for refreshments at a secret location.
- Food and beverage testing in the Fortress Town of Fredrikstad (Gamlebyen)
- Three course Italian dinner at Magenta restaurant: cafemagenta.no

PHOTOS & TEXT: CHRISTER LUNDEM

The race is run around Karla, a horseracing site close to Sarpsborg, Norway. Participants from Norway and Sweden battle it out here. They run the event on dirt and this year it is thankfully dry. Previous years have had more than it´s share of mud racing. The drivers are not afraid to put the pedal to the metal. Especially the bikes: Norton’s, BSA´s and Harley´s really push the limits. And then there are the hot rods, most with years of wear and tear that present themselves so beautiful it hurts. After watching them race around the track, I understand that a lot of the credible vintage look is created here: Stones and sand are thrown up in into the air and rips up the paint in the process. Dust is everywhere, but it doesn´t matter, smiles are to be seen all around.

There is no snobbery here, and the owners are focused on go – not so much show. The dress code is casual, and most also wear their ride well. Fashion is absent, but style is very much present. I love the rockabilly look and here you have it in spades.
 
It is not about being the fastest driver. You compete against yourself. The point is to be equivalent to the time of your first lap. But this does not apply to Rolf “Roffe” Backevik from Grebbestad, Sweden. His A-Ford roadster from 1931 seems to be driven one way: Flat out. It is impossible not to be impressed by the people’s car control and the passion.

But it is not all about driving. There are prices given to the best machines parked on the grass and the whole atmosphere is electric and laid back. We are coming back for sure. That same night I travelled through the classifieds looking for 30s hot rods. This is grassroots racing at it´s best.

PHOTOS & TEXT: CHRISTER LUNDEM

Fast forward two months and we are standing in an impressive garage in Carmagnola close to Turin. There are classic Dino´s and Ferrari´s everywhere; the tiny Alfa looks somewhat out of place. But it is shiny and sounds healthy. So far so good. We are lucky to know top class Italian guy Antonio Ponzo. He has gone through the car with his mechanic.  He has worked on the car day and night and now suddenly the rear lights do not work. We try to investigate but conclude. – Who needs rear lights, after all we will drive at daytime. We feel bad for Antonio when we know he has really made an effort. After all it is not his fault that this 32-year-old Italian woman has temperament. Time is of the essence, so after some small talk we head out for the Autostrada.
 
The car works well and we are relaxed, but not for long. Just kilometres from Turin the charging lamp begins to flicker and suddenly goes full on. Dan and I are sweating. I feel a tiny drop of sweat running down my neck and finding unspeakable places. Small car, big men and spring heat is an interesting combination.  We struggle through town and to the nearest gas station. I open the hood and caress the fuse box and voila! The light goes off. We have lost some instruments, but come on - after all it is an eighties Alfa.

Now look at the positive note. The engine sounds great, we are in a classic Alfa and our portable BOSE speaker are full of Pink Floyd. Our first destination is Freiburg.  The navigators say 5,5 hours drive going by Chamonix and the Swiss Alps, our brain says 7 hours. A small misfire scares us a little, but finding hidden courage we decide to press on. It has started raining and the original almost unobtainable millimetre sized tires are a little slippery. But the Alfa is stubborn and gets to the summit on will. Back on the Swiss autobahn it seems to have accepted the new owners, the engine runs strong and the Italian Christmas tree has gone dark again. It pours down now, both of us are thinking of what must be a very wet fuse box by now - but all is calm. We narrowly avoid crashing into a Fiat Abarth close to Bern, and arriving in Freiburg in the dark we are happy to be alive.
 
Day two. Outside it is still grey and gloomy. The Alfa is not happy at all; she is running on three cylinders and smells of petrol.  Even the exhaust warning alarm goes on when we drive out of the hotel garage. The signal lamps have stopped working but we decide to press on, towards Nurburgring and some friends. Maybe we drive to slow, because when we pass 120 km/h suddenly the Sprint gets an urge to go and finds the missing cylinder. Driving it flat out helps. We are greeted by Alfa fan Ron Simons at the Nurburg Ring. He loves these characterful Alfas as much as we do, and we think the Alfa love him too. Because now we find the button for the rear lamps and the engine is smooth. Nurburgring is a petrolheads dream, there are hot cars everywhere and sports exhaust and lowering is the rule not the exception. But the goal is Spa Francorchamps, we decide to drive there before it gets dark.  The car struggles and almost stops on the inclines. We both agree now it is time to pull out the tools. Ours are non existent and in real life that means  borrowing some tools from RSR Spa. After some trouble finding our hotel we end up in the bar at hotel De La Source with Frédéric Mayeur and Konstantinos Zannos. Two hard core motorsport fans with great humour. A few beers and a Belgium steak later we are fast asleep. The morning is spent in RSR Spa´s workshop. The fuel filter is full of dirt and we clean this and adjust the carburators. The cars sounds right and we park it for the day.

The sound of historic racers tears up the Belgian countryside, we want to stay there all day but know that the stint home is too far. After looking at a race we head for Hamburg. The Alfa has a strong misfire now, but we grit our teeth and carry on.  A freshly restored 2000 GTV needs assistance on the motorway, the Sprint steals some of the helpless GTVs DNA and sounds strong and willing again. In Hamburg we feel at home, it is just 150 km to the Kiel ferry now. Sitting in the ferry cabin we ponder about our adventure. The Alfa is till alive and we are maybe even better friends than before. 2000 km, 4 days and 5 countries. Some things went wrong but the trip was just right. I´ll do it again, I just need a second or two to say yes.
Dan are you ready?

PHOTOS: CHRISTER LUNDEM

Do you feel lucky - punk, do you? Clint Eastwood isn´t pointing a gun towards me so honestly I do. Often I pinch myself and see if I am really alive. To make a living finding vintage cars, visiting nice people from all over the World and having great friends with the same interests to enjoy this passion with - yes sometimes life is really sweet or “dolce” as the Italian say it. 

Here are some pictures from a couple of garages near Turin (TORINO). Everywhere we stopped and visited we got wine or coffee. Italians simply do it better “e basta!” We are already looking forward to the next trip to Italy. Thanks for all the hospitality and all the passion. Hope to see you all soon again. Open a bottle of wine and enjoy the photos.