This week in racing history (1997-04-27)

This Week in Racing History Mike Stucker

April 27
Christian Werner wins the Targa Florio. First win for a supercharged Mercedes (1924).

Rally driver Ari Vatanen born (1952).

April 28
Exotic car mavin Ferruccio Lamborghini born (1916).

Bobby Albert wins the midget feature race at Freeport, N.Y., in an Offenhauser powered Bulldog Kurtis (1968).

April 29
Pre-war American driving ace Eddie Rickenbacher scores his first "kill" as a fighter pilot in WWI (1918).

NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt born (1952).

April 30
Wolfgang von Trips and Olivier Gendebien drive a Ferrari 246SP to victory in the Targa Florio (1961).

Roland Ratzenberger dies in a crash during practice for the San Marino Grand Prix, at Imola, Italy (1994).

May 1
Stirling Moss wins the Mille Miglia in just over 10 hours (1955).

Ayrton Senna dies in crash during San Marino Grand Prix (1994).

May 2
The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving moves to its own purpose built facility in Phoenix, Arizona (1990).

May 3
F1 team owner Ken Tyrrell born (1924).

Harry Miller, who's engines defined American racing in the 1920s, dies, alone and in poverty, in Detroit, Michigan (1943).