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Daniele Pasquali has been a passionate
motor racing fan for as long as he can
remember, and as a youngster he would often
make the short trip from his home in Bologna
to watch the race meetings at Imola or
Misano. But he never imagined that one day
he would don a crash helmet and tracksuit
and take a leading role at a real racetrack.
But just to show that you really never can tell,
for Daniele that day became reality at the age
of 49: “I tried out a Clio at the Stohr safe
driving course run by Rangoni, and
something clicked inside me”, explains the 54
year old Pasquali, “I decided to buy myself a
Renault and carry out a series of tests, and
that led to the Clio Cup”.
So, what was behind your decision?
“I’ve always been a race fan, but I’d never
realistically considered becoming a driver
myself, I never seemed to have the time, or
the money. I had no real idea what it meant to
take part in a race. Then, as I say, along
came that Stohr course, and everything
started from there. I even found a couple of
sponsors, which finally convinced me to take
the plunge”.
And how did your debut go?
“During my first season I was a perennial
backmarker, although you’d hardly expect
anything else from a 49 year rookie! In my
second season I moved from team Rangoni
to Composit. The Ansaloni brothers were very
understanding, and more than happy to teach
the tricks of the trade to a novice like me;
they have created a great team spirit where
the drivers willingly cooperate with one
another”.
Your performances began to improve, and
this year you've been achieving some very
good results…
“At Monza I came fourth, although I was in
third place right up to the last bend. You need
a mean streak when you’re challenging for a
top three finish, and sometimes perhaps
that’s lacking in me. Then I finished fourth
again in Vallelunga. Unfortunately this year's
Clio Cup features a fairly small field and I
think this may be the real reason behind
some of my results. If there were a few more
cars on the grid I might not be doing so well.
But the most encouraging thing, apart from
my recent results, is that I've managed to
reduce the gap between my times and the
championship leaders to between half a
second and eight tenths during the practice
sessions”.
Five years of the Clio Cup, have you grown
fond of the series?
“Definitely, it’s my championship. The car is
fun to drive, the racing is not particularly
dangerous, there are lots of meetings and it
all takes place quite close to my hometown
He started racing in the Clio Cup at the age of 49 and now, at 54 years of age, the
Composit Motorsport driver is one of the competition’s most enthusiastic participants
Never say never
Interview
Daniele Pasquali
