Pescara was a magnificent road course, the longest ever to hold a World Championship Formula 1 race. It featured two 4-mile straights, with the opening eight miles of the lap climbing and twisting through the villages inland from the town on Italy’s Adriatic coast. The return leg includes “the flying kilometre” where top speeds were measured – it was here that Guy Moll was killed in 1934. Pescara came complete with level crossings and barely guarded corners. First used in 1924 with Enzo Ferrari its first winner, the Coppa Acerbo was an annual highlight during the 1930s. The cancellation of some races in 1957 elevated the Pescara Grand Prix to full World Championship status for the only time – Stirling Moss winning for Vanwall. It held a round of the 1961 World Sportscar Championship in its last active season.
