P134
BOOK REVIEWI
O
ne of my fondest
memories in this
job was the press
launch for the 2019 Ducati
Scrambler Icon, held in
the beautiful setting of a
vineyard in Bologna, Italy.
The launch was conduct-
ed by the usual Ducati
folk, but there was one
staff member who stood
out, whether due to his
booming voice, his man-
nerisms, or his firm but
welcoming demeanor.
That man was Beppe
Gualini. I knew Beppe
used to do a bit of off-road
racing but saying that is
almost as naïve as saying
Valentino Rossi used to
be pretty good on a road
racer.
I asked Beppe to tell
me his story, so, with
the band playing in the
background, I grabbed
a glass of the vineyard's
finest red, put the voice
recorder near him, and
said, "Start talking."
Over the next three
hours, I barely asked a
question as the man—who
is undoubtedly Italy's most
decorated rally racer, with
65 African rally starts to
his name including 10
Paris-Dakar events—told
me his monumental story
as briefly as he could (you
can read that interview
here.)
Beppe's is a truly
incredible life. From the
early days as a physical
education teacher, Berga-
mo-born Beppe was bitten
by the rally and adventure
bug, but I doubt even he
could believe where this
new love would take him.
I remember telling him
he had to write a book
on this epic life. I highly
doubt I was the first one
to tell him this, but a few
months ago, a glorious,
full-color, landscape-style
book in lovely thick paper
stock landed at my house
titled Beppe Gualini Una
Vita Fuori Traccia (A Life
Off Track).
It was Beppe's book! I
could hardly believe my
eyes, and it's taken a lot
longer than I hoped to
read, because it is so in-
depth and so detailed,
with stories that need to
be read to be believed.
Written with one side
of the page in Italian and
the other side in English,
I had an inkling as to
many of the tales hidden
between the 320 pages
of Una Vita Fuori Traccia
thanks to my spending
that evening with Beppe at
the vineyard. He's a man
I previously knew better
as the authoritative voice
who said where we were
riding and what we were
allowed to get away with
on the numerous Ducati
press launches I attended
over the years. But to see
the effort that's gone into
BEPPE GUALINI UNA
TRACCIA (A LIFE OFF
