Carlo "Gimax" Franchi

Carlo Franchi, racing as "Gimax" (January 1, 1938 - January 13, 2021): An Italian racing driver who adopted the pseudonym "Gimax" by combining his two children's names - Gigi and Massimo (Max) - and never raced under his real name. His son later also raced using the Gimax name, continuing the family tradition. A successful businessman, Franchi's financial independence allowed him to fund his racing and take up the sport properly in his thirties, though he had started earlier with Italian Formula 3 in 1964 and 1965. Gimax found his greatest success in sports car racing, where he competed primarily in Italian endurance events.

He was crowned the 1977 Class Two European Sportscar Champion and dominated Italian sports car racing, taking the podium more than one hundred times and winning five Italian titles and one European title, almost all achieved driving Osella cars. In 1978, he competed in the European Sportscar Championship, a series established that season to allow Group 6 prototypes to continue competing in Europe. His single Formula One attempt came at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix with Surtees, but circumstances conspired against him. The team lacked funds to supply new tires, so the only fresh set was given to his teammate Vittorio Brambilla.

Forced to use old tires and driving a lower-specification car, Gimax failed to achieve the minimum qualifying time and did not make the grid for his home Grand Prix. This disappointing Formula One experience did not diminish his success in sports cars, where he remained a dominant force in Italian racing through the late 1970s and early 1980s. Gimax retired from racing in 1984, having established himself as one of Italy's most successful sports car racers, even if Formula One glory eluded him. His career exemplified the gentleman racer who achieved success through determination, business acumen, and a genuine love of competition, particularly in the endurance racing that suited his skills and temperament far better than the single-lap qualifying pace demanded by Formula One.