The Dolomites Gold Cup Race (translation: Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti) was a car race on public roads open to traffic, which was run in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy for ten years from 1947 to 1956. It took place along an anti-clockwise circuit that was 304 km (188 miles) long and usually took about 3 to 4 hours to complete the one lap that made up the race distance, with the start and finish in the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo. The circuit went through many Italian towns, and it had nearly 2,000 meters (2 km, 1.25 miles, or 6,600 feet) of elevation change- more than 6 1/2 times that of the Nürburgring and the Isle of Man TT track.
The official name of the race has changed over the years. In 1947, it was known as the "Cup of the Dolomites", from 1948 to 1950 it was known as the "International Cup of the Dolomites", and in 1951 it was renamed the "Gold Cup of the Dolomites".
The race was not continued after 1956 after the fatal accident of Spaniard Alfonso de Portago at the 1957 Mille Miglia, which killed 9 spectators, which prompted the Italian government to temporarily ban racing on public roads.
The race was established by the Automobile Club of Belluno, which is still the runner of the now historic motorsport event, since 1972. The race is included in the FIA international calendar as "Big Event CSAI" classic regularity.
The race's official title has changed over the years. On its foundation in 1947 it was the Coppa delle Dolomiti (Dolomites Cup); then from 1948 to 1950 it became the Coppa Internazionale delle Dolomiti (International Dolomites Cup). From 1951 on, the title became the definitive Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti (Dolomites Gold Cup).[1]
In the course of the race's history, the Gold Cup was awarded to the driver achieving the best result over three successive years. From the three races in 1950-1952 it was awarded to Salvatore Amendola, and in the following three-year period from 1953-1955 to Giulio Cabianca.[2]
The race was started and run like a rally, where drivers started individually at timed intervals racing against the clock, like the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio.
During the historical races from 1947 to 1956, automobiles were divided into categories, each of which was subdivided into classes by the engine capacity in cubic centimetres.
The trophy for the winner is an artistic reproduction of the kilometer milestone of SS 48 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, embedded in a block of Dolomite rocks, this makes up of peaks of these mountains.
In the historical period of the race, the Gold Cup was definitively assigned to the driver who obtained the best result by adding the times achieved in three consecutive years. In 1950-1952 Salvatore Ammendola won the Cup, in the following three years, 1953-1955, Giulio Cabianca won the prize.
1947 - 20 July / The Cup of the Dolomites[3]
1948 - 11 July / II International Cup of the Dolomites[4]
1949 - 17 July / III International Cup of the Dolomites[5]
1950 - 16 July / IV International Cup of the Dolomites[6]
1951 - 15 July / V Gold Cup of the Dolomites
1952 - 13 July / VI Gold Cup of the Dolomites
1953 - 12 July / VII Gold Cup of the Dolomites[7]
1954 - 11 July / VIII Gold Cup of the Dolomites
1955 - 10 July / IX Gold Cup of the Dolomites
1956 - 8 July / X Gold Cup of the Dolomites[8]