Umberto Masetti
Umberto Masetti ( born May 4, 1926 in Parma, Emilia -Romagna, Italy, † 28 May, 2006 Maranello, Emilia -Romagna ) was an Italian motorcycle racer.
In the years 1950 and 1952, he was world motorcycle champion in the 500 cc class, thus founding the great tradition of his country in motorcycle road racing that should continue as Giacomo Agostini sizes and Valentino Rossi later.
Life
For the first time he joined the motorcycle world championship in 1949 (125 cc class ) with a Morini. In the season of 1950 he won the first Italian to the world championship in the class up to 500 cc with a Gilera. The following year he won the Grand Prix of Spain 1952 and again the World Cup. In the season 1953 Masetti started for NSU in the class up to 250 cc, but had an accident at Imola, so that he could not attend the season. The following year, he joined again with Gilera in the 500cc class and reached behind his old rival Geoff Duke in second place. From 1955 drove Masetti for MV Agusta and entered 1958, after a less successful season, from motor sport back.
Umberto Masetti then lived in Maranello, where he died on 28 May 2006 at the age of 80 from a respiratory disease.
Achievements
- 500cc World Champion on Gilera: 1950, 1952
- Italian 500cc champion on Gilera: 1950 ( Corsa and sports Class ), 1953, 1954
- Italian 175 cc master of MV Agusta: 1955
- Italian 125cc champion on Morini: 1949
- 6 Grand Prix wins