Quantcast
Channel: This Day in Motorsport History
Viewing all 3570 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Nelson Piquet Born In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - August 17, 1952

August 17, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 17, 1952
Nelson Piquet
photo credit: CJM-Photography via photopin cc
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A 3-time Formula One World Champion, Piquet has been ranked among the greatest Formula One drivers in various motorsport polls.

Piquet had a brief career in tennis before losing interest in the sport and subsequently took up karting and hid his identity to prevent his father discovering his hobby. He became the Brazilian national karting champion in 1971-72 and won the Formula Vee championship in 1976.

With advice from Emerson Fittipaldi, Piquet went to Europe to further success by taking the record number of wins in Formula Three in 1978, defeating Jackie Stewart's all-time record. In the same year, he made his Formula One debut with the Ensign team

In 1979, Piquet moved to the Brabham team and finished the runner-up in 1980 before winning the championship in 1981. Piquet's poor performances in 1982 saw a resurgence for 1983 and his second world championship. For 1984-85, Piquet had once again lost chances to win the championship but managed to score three wins during that period.

He moved to the Williams team in 1986 and was a title contender until the final round in Australia. Piquet took his third and final championship in 1987 during a heated battle with team-mate Nigel Mansell which left the pair's relationship sour.

Piquet subsequently moved to Lotus for 1988-89 where he experienced his third drop in form. He eventually went to the Benetton team for 1990-91 where he managed to win three races before retiring. His final victory came at the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix.

After retiring from Formula One, Piquet tried his hand at the "Indianapolis 500" for two years. He also tried his hand at sports car racing during and after his Formula One career. Piquet currently runs several businesses in Brazil and manages his son Nelson Piquet Jr.
↧
Search

Dale Jarrett Takes His First Cup Victory At Michigan - August 18th, 1991

August 18, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 18th, 1991
(photo credit: Ted Van Pelt via photopin cc) 
Dale Jarrett, the son of two-time Grand National Champion Ned Jarrett, drove the Wood Brothers/Ford to a '10 inch' margin over Davey Allison to win his first career NASCAR Winston Cup race, the "Champion Spark Plug 400" at Michigan International Speedway.

This win was the start of an impressive career lead to the 1999 Winston Cup Series Championship and a total of 32 NASCAR Winston Cup victory's. His victories include; the "Daytona 500" in 1993, 1996 and 2000, the "Brickyard 400" in 1996 & 1999, the "Coca-Cola 600" in 1996, the "Winston 500" in 1998 and the "Budweiser Shootout" in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Dale Jarrett was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014.
↧
↧

Mark Donohue Dies From Crash Injuries - August 19, 1975

August 19, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975
Mark Donohue
Born in Haddon Township, New Jersey, USA.
 Nicknamed "Captain Nice", and later "Dark Monohue", was known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the 1972 Indianapolis 500.
(Photo; www.flickr.com)
Donohue died on August 19, 1975, from injuries as a result of a crash. Donohue recently had arrived in Austria for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Österreichring race track following a successful closed-course speed record attempt at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama just a few days earlier. During a practice session, Donohue lost control of his March after a tire failed, sending him careening into the catch fencing at the fastest corner on the track, Vöest Hügel. A track marshal was killed by debris from the accident, but Donohue did not appear to be injured significantly. It is said that Donohue's head struck either a catch fencing post or the bottom of the wood frame for an advertising billboard located alongside of the racetrack. A headache resulted, however, and worsened. After going to the hospital the next day, Donohue lapsed into a coma from a cerebral hemorrhage and died.

For more see Canadian Auto Racing Blog; Tribute To Mark Donohue 
↧

Louis Schwitzer Wins First Indianapolis Motor Speedway Race - August 19th, 1909

August 19, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 19th, 1909
In front of some 12,000 spectators, automotive engineer Louis Schwitzer wins the two-lap, five-mile inaugural race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with average speed of 57.4 mph.

(Photo credit; historicindianapolis.com)
Louis Schwitzer (center)
Conceived by local businessmen as a testing facility for Indiana's growing automobile industry, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would later become famous as the home to the now world-famous "Indianapolis 500" race, which was first held in 1911. In that inaugural race, Schwitzer drove a stripped-down Stoddard Dayton touring car with a four-cylinder engine. He achieved an average speed of 57.4 mph on the new track, which was then covered in macadam, or crushed pieces of rock layered and bound by tar. Later, the speedway would be covered with 3.2 million paving bricks, which earned it its enduring nickname, "The Brickyard."

And in comparison to Schwitzer's inaugural race speed of 57.4 mph, after 100 years of history at the famed Brickyard;

May 10, 1996

 Arie Luyendyk of the Netherlands,
  photo credit: United Autosports via photopin cc 
turned in an unofficial practice lap of 239.260 mph, which is the fastest single lap speed to this date.

For story's and daily events in Motorsport History visit our homepage 
&
Canadian Auto Racing Blog; Driver Tribute pages
↧

Tribute To Mark Donohue

August 19, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975
Mark Donohue
Born in Haddon Township, New Jersey, USA. 
At the age of twenty-two, while a senior at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Donohue began racing his 1957 Corvette. He won the first event he entered, a hillclimb in Belknap County, New Hampshire. He graduated from Brown in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

Donohue won the SCCA national championship in an Elva Courier in 1961. An experienced race driver named Walt Hansgen recognized Donohue's ability and befriended him, eventually providing an MGB for Donohue to race at the 1964 Bridgehampton 500-mile SCCA endurance event, which he won. Hansgen arranged for Donohue to become his teammate in 1965, co-driving a Ferrari 275 at the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race, which they finished in 11th place. That year, Donohue also won two divisional championships: in SCCA B Class in a GT350 and in SCCA Formula C in a Lotus 20B.

Donohue was hired On March 29, 1964 by Jack Griffith as Design Engineer for the Griffith, née TVR Grantura Mk III, powered by a Ford 289 cid  V8 engine. During his stay at Griffith Mark drove the Griffith-owned Shelby 289 Cobra making his mark on the SCCA circuit. In 1966, thanks to his friendship with Hansgen, word quickly spread to the Ford Motor Company about the young driver. Ford immediately signed Donohue to drive one of their GT-40 Mk II race cars campaigned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the Holman & Moody racing team. Le Mans proved frustrating for Donohue. Hansgen died while testing the GT40 in preparation for Le Mans so Donohue partnered with Australian Paul Hawkins. Donohue and Hawkins only completed twelve laps due to differential failure and finished 47th. Earlier that year, co-driving with Hansgen, Donohue finished third at the 24 Hours of Daytona and second at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

At Hansgen's funeral, Roger Penske spoke to Donohue about driving for him. In his first race for Penske, at Watkins Glen in June 1966, Donohue qualified well but crashed the car at the top of a hill, destroying the car.

Donohue was invited back to Le Mans by Ford in 1967. Ford had developed a new GT, the Mark IV. Donohue co-drove in the #4 yellow car with sports car driver and race car builder Bruce McLaren for Shelby American Racing. The two drivers disagreed on many aspects of racing and car setup, but as a team were able to muster a fourth-place finish in the endurance classic.

In 1967, Penske contacted Donohue about driving Penske's brand new Lola T70 spyder in the United States Road Racing Championship.
(photo credit: Mark Donohue - 1967 Lola T70 Mark 3 via photopin (license))
(Mark Donohue - 1967 Lola T70 Mark 3)
Donohue dominated the 1967 United States Road Racing Championship, driving a Lola T70 MkIII Chevrolet for Roger Penske. Donohue raced in seven of the eight races that year, winning six and finishing third at the Laguna Seca Raceway round behind Lothar Motschenbacher and Mike Goth. In 1968, Donohue and Penske returned to defend their USRRC championship with the McLaren M6A Chevrolet. Donohue dominated the series, even though he suffered three DNFs during the season due to mechanical problems.

Donohue began his Trans-Am series campaign in 1967, winning three of twelve races in a Roger Penske-owned Chevrolet Camaro. In 1967 and 1968, Trans-Am schedule included the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Donohue finished fourth at Daytona and won the Trans-Am class at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

1968 would be a banner year for Donohue in the Trans-Am series, as he successfully defended his 12 Hours of Sebring victory by partnering with Craig Fisher and driving his Penske Chevrolet Camaro to victory. Donohue went on to win 10 of 13 races, a Trans-Am series record which would stand until Tommy Kendall went 11 for 13 in the 1997 Trans-Am championship, winning the first 11 races that year in his All-Sport liveried Mustang.

During their enormous success in Trans-Am, Roger and Mark would begin to experiment with their Camaros. They discovered that dipping a car in an acid bath would eat away small amounts of metal, which in turn made the car incrementally lighter, and allowed it to be driven faster around the track. The 1967 Z-28 won its last race by lapping the entire field. During a post-race inspection, race stewards discovered that the car was 250 pounds lighter than the 2800-pound minimum weight requirement. Donohue was about to have his race victory taken away for cheating, but Roger Penske stepped in. Penske warned that any disqualification would have the potential of motivating Chevrolet to pull all support for the Trans-Am series. After considering the potential consequences, the race stewards allowed Donohue's victory to stand, but the rules for the 1968 season incorporated a change whereby all cars would be weighed during the technical inspection before the race. Penske and Donohue did not stop acid-dipping after this, however. Continuing the practice of reducing weight allowed them to place weights of certain sizes strategically in specific locations within the car, thus helping to balance the car while being driven on the limit. They continued to use the "lightweight" car in 1968, at the Sebring 12-hour race. They changed the grille and taillight to the 1968 model, and then painted both cars identically. They sent the legal weight car through the technical inspection with the number 15 and again with the number 16 on it. Then they put both cars in the race, number 15 and 16, one car being 250 pounds lighter. They won the race, finished 3rd overall, and went on to win 10 out of 13 races that year.

In 1969, Penske and Donohue raced in their first Indianapolis 500, where Donohue finished seventh, winning the rookie of the year award. Donohue raced at Indianapolis each year following, finishing second in 1970 and 25th in 1971.

In 1970 new Javelin team owner Roger Penske, and driver Mark Donohue, would breathe new life into the AMC team. Donohue drove the Javelin to three victories and finished second overall in the manufacturer’s championship, and missed the driver's championship by only two points. In 1971 Donohue won the final six races in a row, and seven out of nine, to become the Trans-Am Champion. In the final race of the season, all three Javelins finished in 1st, 2nd and 3rd places making AMC the season winner among all manufacturers. Donohue raced in several NASCAR Grand American races, a NASCAR pony car division from 1968 until 1971.
(Photo; www.pinterest.com)
In the 1972-1973 season, driving an AMC Matador for Penske Racing in NASCAR's top division, the Winston Cup Series, Donohue won the season-opening event at Riverside in 1973. That race was Penske's first NASCAR win in a long history of NASCAR participation and remains to this day, the last non-regular (non-full schedule) driver (road course ringer) to win a NASCAR Winston Cup road race.

(1972 McLaren Offenhauser Indy Car - Alex Lloyd driver)

(photo credit: #66 1972 McLaren Offenhauser Indy Car via photopin (license))
Donohue won the 1972 Indianapolis 500, driving for Roger Penske. He finished the race in his McLaren-Offy setting a record speed of 162 mph, which would stand for twelve years. The victory was the first for Penske in the Indy 500.

Between 1972 and 1973, Penske Racing was commissioned by Porsche to assist with development of the 917/10. Donohue extensively tested the 917-10, offering up his substantial engineering knowledge to the Porsche engineers in order to design the best possible race car to compete in the Can-Am series. During testing of the 917-10 at Road Atlanta, Donohue had recommended larger brake ducts to the Porsche engineers, in order to provide more efficient cooling, and thus less fade and degradation as a race wears on.

The Porsche engineers obliged, but in doing so, caused the new brake ducts to interfere with the bodywork closure pins, which attach the bodywork to the car. Coming out of turn seven, the rear bodywork flew off the car at approximately 150 mph (240 km/h), causing the car to become extremely unstable. The car lifted off the ground and tumbled multiple times down the track. The front of the car was completely torn away, leaving Donohue, still strapped to his safety seat, with his legs dangling outside the car. Amazingly, Donohue only suffered a broken leg. George Follmer, Donohue's old Trans-Am teammate, resumed testing the 917-10 while Donohue was recuperating. In classic Donohue style, Donohue said of Follmer testing his car "It just doesn't feel right. Seeing another man driving your car, a car you know so well. I imagine it must feel like watching another man in bed with your wife".

Porsche, Penske, and Donohue quickly started the development of the 917-30, complete with a reworked aerodynamic "Paris" body and a 5.4-liter turbocharged Flat-12 engine whose output could be adjusted between approximately 1100 and 1500 bhp by turning a boost knob located in the cockpit. During the development of this motor, the German Porsche engineers often asked Donohue if the motor finally had enough power. His tongue-in-cheek answer was "it will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear."

Donohue set the world closed-course speed record driving the Porsche 917-30 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama on August 9, 1975. His average speed around the 2.66-mile high-banked oval was 221.120 mph (355.858 km/h). Donohue held the world record for eleven years, until it was broken by Rick Mears at Michigan International Speedway.
(Photo; www.flickr.com)
The 917-30 is referred to, erroneously, as "The Can-Am Killer" as it dominated the competition, winning every race but one of the 1973 Can-Am championship, however, the SCCA imposed fuel limitations for all Can-Am races due to the existing Arab Oil Embargo. Because of this, Porsche and McLaren withdrew from the series. It generally is considered one of the most powerful and most dominant racing machines ever created.

Donohue raced in the inaugural IROC series in 1973/74, racing identical, specially-prepared Porsche RSRs. Of the four-race series, Donohue won the first and third of three races at Riverside and the final race of the year at Daytona. The only person to beat Donohue was his former Penske Trans-Am teammate, George Follmer. In winning the first IROC championship, Donohue beat the best-of-the-best racing drivers of that era from all of the major championships, such as Denny Hulme, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Peter Revson, Bobby Unser, and Gordon Johncock.

The pressures of racing and designing the car took their toll on Donohue. Donohue announced that he would retire from racing after the 1973 Can-Am season. In addition, the horrific events at the 1973 Indianapolis 500 and the subsequent death of his friend, Swede Savage, pushed him to quit. His retirement was short-lived, however, as he was lured back to full-time competitive driving by Roger Penske when Penske formed a Formula One team, Penske Cars Ltd, to compete in the final two events of the 1974 Formula One World Championship, and to continue competing in 1975 with the new Penske PC1.

Donohue previously had debuted in Formula One on September 19, 1971 with a Penske-sponsored McLaren at the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, finishing on the podium in third place. After being lured out of retirement by his former boss, Penske, Donohue returned to Formula One, entering into the final two races of the 1974 Formula One season. Donohue finished in 12th place at the Canadian Grand Prix, but failed to finish at the United States Grand Prix.

A full-on assault of the 1975 Formula One season was planned. The 1975 season turned out to be a difficult one for Donohue and Penske. Donohue was able to muster 5th place finishes at the Swedish Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix, but the new Penske PC1 chassis proved problematic, as evidenced by three retirements in the first six races. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue's career, along with Roger Penske's Formula One aspirations, would take a tragic turn.
(photo credit: Mark Donohue driving March 751 via photopin (license))
(Mark Donohue driving March 751)
Midway through the 1975 F1 season, Penske abandoned the troublesome PC1 and started using the March 751. During a practice session for the race, Donohue lost control of his March after a tire failed, sending him careening into the catch fencing at the fastest corner on the track, Vöest Hügel. A track marshal was killed by debris from the accident, but Donohue did not appear to be injured significantly. It is said that Donohue's head struck either a catch fencing post or the bottom of the wood frame for an advertising billboard located alongside of the racetrack. A headache resulted, however, and worsened. After going to the hospital of Graz the next day, Donohue lapsed into a coma from a cerebral hemorrhage and died on August 19, 1975.

In 2003, in commemoration of Penske Racing's 50th NASCAR win, Nextel Cup driver Ryan Newman drove a Dodge Intrepid painted to resemble Donohue's 1973 AMC at the fall Rockingham, North Carolina, race. Penske's first NASCAR win came at the hands of Donohue.

Roger Penske's new Penske Racing complex in Mooresville, North Carolina is decorated with various murals of Donohue and his racing cars, most notably the AMC stock car and the various Porsche prototypes that Donohue drove through his career.

Mark Donohue was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame in 2006.

Mark Donohue chronicled his entire racing career in the book, The Unfair Advantage. The book documents his career from his first races to his final full season of racing the year before he was killed. This was not merely a celebrity autobiography, but a detailed, step-by-step record of the engineering approach he took to getting the absolutely highest performance from every car he drove, always looking for that elusive "unfair advantage". Donohue along with Penske, were pioneers in many rights, some as notable as the use of a skidpad as a tool for developing and perfecting race car suspension designs and setups. The book told how Donohue learned to exploit the antilock braking system and the powerful turbocharged engine of several prototype Porsches, as well as how he learned from various mishaps, including a near-fatal crash. Penske and Donohue also improved upon a process called "acid dipping" when racing in the 1967 and 1968 Trans-Am series, as discussed above. The book was published shortly before Donohue's death.

The book was re-released in 2000 by Bentley Publishers. It includes information and additional photography that was not available before the first edition was published, but understandably had few new events to describe, aside from the author's death.

Donohue's racing tradition is carried on by his son, David Donohue, a successful road racer in his own right. He currently races a Daytona Prototype Porsche Riley for Brumos Racing in the Grand-Am racing series, who won the 2009 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
↧
↧

Cliff Hucul Born In Prince George, British Columbia - August 21st, 1948

August 21, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 21st, 1948
Cliff Hucul 
photo credit: Vukie1953 via photopin cc
Born in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
Cliff is a former USAC and CART series driver. He raced in the 1977-1981 seasons, with 24 combined career starts, including the 1977-1979 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 8 times, with his best finish of 4th position in 1979 at Texas World Speedway. He later made two NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1986, finishing 40th and 31st.
↧

Paul Menard Born In Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA - August 21st, 1980

August 21, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 21st, 1980
Paul Menard


(photo credit: PDA.PHOTO via photopin cc) 
Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA.
He currently drives the No. 27 Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, and he also drives the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro in the Xfinity Series for Richard Childress Racing on a part-time basis. He is the son of Midwestern home improvement tycoon John Menard Jr., founder of the Menards chain.
↧

Paul Tracy Wins "Texaco/Havoline 200" At Road America - August 22nd, 1993

August 22, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 22nd, 1993
photo credit: Ryan Maule via photopin cc
Paul Tracy of Toronto, drove his Marlboro Penske/Chevrolet to a 27.459 second victory over Nigel Mansell of Newman Haas Racing, at the CART "Texaco/Havoline 200" at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA. The young Team Penske driver rebounded from a frightening crash on Friday to win the pole. It was Tracy's third career pole and his second straight here on the 4-mile trek through the rolling hills of Road America. Tracy led all 50 laps of the race.
↧
Search

Juan Pablo Montoya Wins "Target Grand Prix Of Chicago" - August 22nd, 1999

August 22, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 22nd, 1999
(photo credit: raniel diaz via photopin cc)
Juan Pablo Montoya drove the Target/Chip Ganassi Honda to a .783 margin over Dario Franchitti in the Kool/Team Green entry, to win the CART "Target Grand Prix of Chicago" at the Chicago Motor Speedway. Teammate Jimmy Vasser was 3rd on the poduim in the other Target/Chip Ganassi car.
↧
↧

Didier Pironi Dies In Powerboat Accident - August 23, 1987

August 23, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
March 26, 1952 – August 23, 1987
Didier Pironi
Born in Villecresnes, Val-de-Marne, France.
During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell (1978–79), Ligier (1980) and Ferrari (1981–1982). He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 driving a Renault Alpine A442B. In his Formula One career Didier Pironi won 3 races, achieved 13 podiums, and scored a total of 101 championship points. He also secured 4 pole positions.

Two seasons with the underfinanced Tyrrell team demonstrated enough promise for Guy Ligier to sign Pironi to his eponymous French team in 1980, a season in which Pironi recorded his first victory, in the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, as well as several podium finishes. Pironi's performance piqued Enzo Ferrari's interest in the Frenchman's services, which he secured for 1981. Ferrari later recalled, "As soon as Pironi arrived at Maranello, he won everyone's admiration and affection, not only for his gifts as an athlete, but also for his way of doing things - he was reserved while at the same time outgoing."

Teamed and compared with Gilles Villeneuve, who welcomed the Frenchman and treated him as an equal, Pironi was slower in qualifying but steadier in races during his first season with Ferrari. Establishing a fine rapport with the senior members of the team, Pironi arguably exploited this good relationship in the aftermath of the controversial San Marino race, where he is widely thought to have duped Villeneuve into conceding victory by giving the impression that he would follow his Canadian team-mate through the final lap, only to unexpectedly power past him into the Tosa hairpin, despite the team has signaled both drivers to slow down. Villeneuve was furious with Pironi and vowed never to say another word to him. The Canadian was killed in qualifying at the following Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder trying to better Pironi's lap time, and Villeneuve's state of mind is often considered a contributory cause to his fatal accident.

With a fast, reliable car, Pironi appeared to be on course for being 1982 World Champion, but the Frenchman's own state of mind underwent severe stress due to several factors. Widespread antipathy by many in the F1 fraternity was directed toward him in the wake of the Zolder tragedy. There was also the rapid breakdown of his marriage to longtime girlfriend Catherine Beynie within weeks of the ceremony taking place. He observed first hand the death of Riccardo Paletti in the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix, the young Italian ploughing into Pironi's stalled Ferrari on the starting grid. These tragic events may have resulted in Pironi being in a dour, gloomy mood that was misinterpreted at the time as over-confidence and arrogance.

After winning pole position for the German Grand Prix, Pironi was also busy testing a new-composition Goodyear rain tyre in untimed practice. The weather conditions at Hockenheim that weekend were highly uncertain: quickly alternating back and forth between wet and dry. In the rain, one of the many problems caused by "ground effect" F1 cars was that the spray was forced out from under the side pods as a fine mist and virtually created a fog. To those behind, this made cars in front close to invisible. When Pironi tried passing Derek Daly's Williams, the Ferrari 126C2 smashed into the back of Alain Prost's unsighted Renault, triggering a violent accident which bore some similarity to that suffered by Villeneuve.
(Photo; www.didierpironi.net)
Pironi survived, but multiple fractures to both of his legs meant he never raced again in Formula 1. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, he said he felt no pain. "It was just like my accidents before, when I had no injuries. All I could think about was the car, that the spare one didn't work as well as this one, and that I would have to use it for the race. Then I saw my legs and I thought maybe I wouldn't be doing this race, after all. In the helicopter, they began to hurt very seriously. But if I was to have this accident, it was lucky for me that it was in Germany and not in a more primitive place." The extent of Pironi's leg fractures was so severe that medics had initially considered amputation to extricate him from the car, much to his protestation with Professor Sid Watkins. At this point, he was leading with 39 points in the championship, ahead of Watson (30) and Rosberg (27), but Pironi was relegated to runner-up as Rosberg passed him to become World Champion with 44 points.

In 1986, after he was able to walk with both legs unaided, it looked as if Pironi would make a comeback when he tested for the French AGS team at Circuit Paul Ricard and subsequently, the Ligier JS27 at Dijon-Prenois. He proved that he was still fast enough to be competitive, but coming back to F1 was not truly practical. His insurance policy had paid out a lot of money based on the fact that Pironi's legs were injured so badly that he could never return to F1. Had he returned, he would have been legally obliged to pay all the money back.

Pironi decided to turn to offshore powerboat racing instead. On 23 August 1987, Pironi was killed in an accident in the Needles Trophy Race near the Isle of Wight, that also took the life of his two crew members, journalist Bernard Giroux and his old friend Jean-Claude Guenard. Their boat, "Colibri 4," rode over a rough wave caused by an oil tanker, causing the boat to flip over.

After Pironi's death, his girlfriend Catherine Goux gave birth to twins. She named them Didier and Gilles, in honour of Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve, who died at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix five years earlier.
↧

Eli Vukovich Dies In Fresno, California, USA - Aug. 23, 2001

August 23, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
May 25, 1916 - Aug. 23, 2001
Eli Vukovich
Born in Oakland, California, USA.
Eli, who was inducted into the BCRA Hall of Fame in 1966, was the older brother of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Bill Vukovich Sr. Eli was not as renowned as Bill, but his name still carried weight in California, where he and Bill tore up tracks together in the 1930s and 1940s.

In a 1984 "Fresno Bee" newspaper interview Vukovich asserted that "Racing was my life, and it paid well, too. Bill and I worked in the fields as kids picking grapes and everything. Then I got into racing and won some money. That was the end of field work. Dirt has always been my favorite place to race. Bill and I used to run everywhere we could. We'd drive five, six and even seven times a week."

The Vukovich brothers started in midgets and stepped up to modifieds. His brother's death during the 1955 Indianapolis 500 while he was attempting to win his third straight classic-eventually led Eli to quit racing in 1961. "After Bill got killed at Indy," he said, "I just didn't have the desire anymore."

Eli remained associated with the sport as a mechanic in a Fresno auto shop for several years before retiring. In 1996, Eli, his brother Bill, nephew Bill Jr., great nephew Billy III and brother Mike Vukovich were together inducted into the Bay Cities Racing Association Hall of Fame.

Eli died Aug. 23, 2001 in Fresno, California, USA.
↧

Kenny Wallace Born In St. Louis, Missouri, USA - August 23rd, 1963

August 23, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 23rd, 1963
Kenny Wallace
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. 
In a career spanning twenty five years in NASCAR, Wallace has nine wins, all occurring in the Nationwide Series and was the 1989 Busch Series "Rookie of the Year"

Kenny is a member of a large racing family. Wallace's father, Russ, was a prolific winner on Midwestern short tracks in the 1960s and 1970s.  Kenny and his older brothers, Rusty Wallace and Mike Wallace, followed in their father's footsteps. Rusty is the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion and winner of 55 Cup Series races. Mike is a winner of four Nationwide Series and four Camping World Truck Series races. Rusty's son, Steve Wallace, is a current Nationwide Series driver, and Mike's daughter, Chrissy Wallace, has participated in multiple Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races.
↧

"5-time CASCAR Super Series Champion" Don Thomson Jr Is Born - August 24, 1962

August 24, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 24, 1962
Don Thomson Jr
(photo credit: CaféFroid via photopin cc)
Born in Ayr, Ontario, Canada.
Don is a former driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. He drove the #4 Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for Fitzpatrick Motorsports for more than two decades before moving over in 2011 to the drive the #8 Dodge becoming teammates with Jason Hathaway. He retired after the 2011 season after winning multiple championships.

Among his many achievements he was 5-time CASCAR Super Series Champion from 2001-2005, the premiere stock-car series in Canada. He moved to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series when CASCAR was purchased by NASCAR in 2007. He won the first race in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series history at Cayuga International Speedway on May 26, 2007. He also finished second in points in 2008 finishing 24 points behind Scott Steckly.
↧
↧

Justin Wilson Dies From Head Injury At Pocono - August 24, 2015

August 24, 2015, 10:00 pm
$
0
0
July 31, 1978 - August 24, 2015
Justin Wilson
(Photo: f1.wikia.com)
Born in Sheffield, England.
Just before his death, he was competing part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 25 Honda for Andretti Autosport. Earlier, he competed in the Champ Car series from 2004–07, scoring four wins. He also competed in Formula One in the 2003 season with Minardi and Jaguar and was the winner of the 2001 International Formula 3000 championship. He was also a winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. To date, he is the tallest person to have raced in Formula One.

Wilson was fatally injured in an accident during the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway on August 23, 2015. Race leader Sage Karam crashed late in the race, sending debris airborne. The nose cone from Karam's crashed car hit Wilson's helmet as he drove through the accident scene, and Wilson's car immediately veered left into the inside wall. Wilson was extricated from his car and airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. He was subsequently reported to be in a coma, and died the following day.

Wilson married girlfriend Julia in Sheffield, England on December 29, 2006. The couple resided in Northampton, England and in Longmont, Colorado. They had two daughters, named Jane Louise and Jessica Lynne. Wilson's younger brother, Stefan, is also a racing driver. Stefan made his first IndyCar start in the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore driving alongside Justin for Dale Coyne Racing. It was the first time brothers had raced in IndyCar as teammates since Gary Bettenhausen and Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. in 1983.

↧

Tribute To Justin Wilson

August 25, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
July 31, 1978 - August 24, 2015
Justin Wilson
(Photo; indycar.com)
Born in Sheffield, England.
Wilson began racing karts in 1987. During the early 1990s, he spent several years in Formula Vauxhall with Paul Stewart Racing before earning international attention when he won the inaugural Formula Palmer Audi championship with nine race wins. In 1998, he was a finalist in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. A year later, he graduated to the FIA International Formula 3000 championship and won the championship in 2001, setting a record winning margin in the process.

Despite his success, his height proved a liability, and prevented him from securing a Formula One drive for 2002. To date, he is the tallest person to have raced in Formula One. He found a drive in the Telefónica World Series by Nissan, where he continued his winning ways with race victories at Interlagos and Valencia. Wilson also tested for the Minardi Formula One team, but although regular driver Alex Yoong was replaced for two rounds, Wilson was unable to race the car due to his height.

For 2003, Minardi designed the car around Wilson's 6 ft 4 in frame and signed him up to race. The car was off the pace but Wilson performed favourably against his more experienced teammate, Jos Verstappen. He switched to Jaguar Racing to replace Antônio Pizzonia for the last five races of the season, and scored his first championship point at the United States Grand Prix. However, Wilson did not retain his position with Jaguar Racing, because Ford was not prepared to pour unlimited funds into Formula One and advised the team that they would have to take on a paying driver.

At the beginning of 2004, Wilson joined the Champ Car World Series with Mi-Jack Conquest Racing. He qualified as high as second in his rookie season and finished the year in 11th place in the standings. In addition to Champ Cars, Wilson also raced at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, sharing the Racing for Holland Dome-Judd S101 with Tom Coronel and Ralph Firman, personally setting the fifth fastest lap.

In 2005, Wilson moved to the RuSPORT team to partner with A. J. Allmendinger. He won his first Champ Car race at Toronto. Continuing with his success in Canada, Wilson finished third at Montreal, then rounded off the year with a victory from pole in the final race of the season at the Mexico City circuit. Wilson finished the season in third place in the drivers' standings behind series champion Sébastien Bourdais and second-placed Oriol Servia.

In 2006, Wilson took part in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona event for the first time in his career, racing for the Michael Shank Racing team in a Lexus powered Riley & Scott Daytona Prototype chassis. Teaming up with Champ Car teammate A. J. Allmendinger, Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson, the car made it to the chequered flag in second place. Wilson stayed with RuSPORT for the 2006 Champ Car season, and finished second in the series. On October 19, 2006, in the Friday qualifying for the Surfers Paradise race, Wilson hit a small barrier of tyres in a chicane. When the front wheels lurched sideways after the impact, the steering wheel spun sharply in Wilson's hands and broke a small bone in his right wrist.

For 2007, Wilson was signed on a multi-year contract with RSPORTS, a merger of his former team and Rocketsports. He finished second in the championship. Preceding the European rounds of the championship, RSPORTS announced their separation back into RuSport and Rocketsports.

In 2008 Wilson again drove in the Rolex Daytona 24 Hours race for Michael Shank Racing, this time in a Ford powered Riley prototype chassis. He shared the number 60 car with Oswaldo Negri, Mark Patterson and Graham Rahal, they finished the race in sixth position and were the highest placed Ford powered car. Wilson signed for reigning ChampCar champions Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing for 2008, replacing Sébastien Bourdais. The ChampCar series merged with the Indy Racing League for 2008, meaning that Wilson and team-mate Graham Rahal competed in the IndyCar Series. Wilson qualified on pole for the Long Beach Grand Prix and second at Edmonton. Wilson won his first race for NHLR and took his maiden IndyCar Series win at the Detroit Indy Grand Prix in late August.

Wilson agreed to drive for Dale Coyne Racing in 2009, after losing his ride at Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Wilson qualified second for the 2009 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to start the season, which is Coyne's best qualifying result in the team's 23-year history. He finished the race in third position, set the fastest lap of the race and led the most laps. Wilson was leading before a late-race caution came out; eventual race winner Ryan Briscoe passed him on the restart.

On July 5, 2009, Wilson scored his second IndyCar Series win, and Dale Coyne's first victory as an owner in his team's 23-year history. At the 2009 Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen, Wilson again qualified second, only behind Briscoe, who set a new track record twice over the course of qualifying. Because Dario Franchitti crashed early in the final round of qualifying, Wilson was able to save a set of Firestone's alternate-compound tires, which are designed to make the car faster, but also wear out more quickly. Wilson was the fastest driver in final practice. In the race itself, Wilson attempted to pass Briscoe on the second lap, but was unsuccessful; two laps later, he made the pass stick, leading the first of 49 laps he spent in front. With six laps remaining in the 60-lap event, a full-course caution came out, resulting in the same setup as St. Petersburg: Wilson leading late, with Briscoe right behind him. This time, however, Wilson retained the lead, stretching it to 4.9 seconds by the end of the race.

Wilson took part in the 2010 running of the Daytona 24 Hours race. This time he was racing for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the Telmex/Target sponsored 01 Riley BMW prototype. Wilson shared the car with Max Papis, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, the car finished the race on the lead lap in second place.[14] During the race in an interview with Speed TV Wilson confirmed he was still working on a drive in the 2010 IndyCar season, saying he hoped to have a deal arranged "in the next few weeks".

On February 2, 2010, it was announced that Wilson would be joining Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the 2010 IndyCar season, he drove the No. 22 Z-Line Designs sponsored car and was partnered by Mike Conway. Wilson begun the season well in the road and street courses, often running near the front, finishing second in both the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Long Beach Grand Prix. He ran in the lead towards the end of the Indy 500 setting the fastest out lap of all the drivers during the race. Wilson won the pole in Toronto but fell to seventh in the race. Wilson finished the season eleventh in points.

In 2011, Wilson had a difficult season. He had just captured a season best finish of fifth at Edmonton, when he injured his back when his car was launched into the air after running off course at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during a practice session. He was unable to complete the remaining four races of the season.

On January 28-29, 2012, Wilson and co-drivers AJ Allmendinger, Oswaldo Negri and John Pew won the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, driving the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Riley MkXXVI Ford Daytona Prototype. It was his first Rolex 24 win. Also in 2012, driving for Dale Coyne Racing, Wilson captured the team's first and his first oval victory at Texas Motor Speedway, although unapproved bodywork was found on Wilson's car during post-race inspection, the win was allowed to stand, with Wilson being docked five points and the team being fined. The result would be by far his best of the season and he finished fifteenth in points.

 Wilson returned to the podium with Michael Shank Racing at Daytona in 2013, after he and co-drivers John Pew, Ozz Negri, Marcos Ambrose, and AJ Allmendinger recovered from being several laps down to finish third in the race. In 2013 Wilson returned to Dale Coyne Racing. He finished on the podium four times and finished sixth in the championship, his best IndyCar series points result since the merger with Champ Car. Wilson also captured his best career Indy 500 finish of fifth in the 2013 race. In 2014 Wilson again returned to the Coyne team, but failed to reach the podium and finished fifteenth in points.

Wilson was a free agent at the beginning of the 2015 IndyCar Series season when Andretti Autosport announced that they had signed him to compete with them in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and 2015 Indianapolis 500. After those races, Wilson was again on the sidelines until July 7, 2015, when Andretti announced that Wilson would compete in the final five races of the season with the team. Wilson finished on the podium in second at Mid-Ohio.

Wilson was fatally injured in an accident during the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway on August 23, 2015. Race leader Sage Karam crashed late in the race, sending debris airborne. The nose cone from Karam's crashed car hit Wilson's helmet as he drove through the accident scene, and Wilson's car immediately veered left into the inside wall. Wilson was extricated from his car and airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. He was subsequently reported to be in a coma, and died the following day. Tributes poured in from across the motorsport world following Wilson's death from Nigel Mansell, Jenson Button and fellow Indy driver Dario Franchitti.

Wilson married girlfriend Julia in Sheffield, England on December 29, 2006. The couple resided in Northampton, England and in Longmont, Colorado. They had two daughters, named Jane Louise and Jessica Lynne. Wilson's younger brother, Stefan, is also a racing driver. Stefan made his first IndyCar start in the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore driving alongside Justin for Dale Coyne Racing. It was the first time brothers had raced in IndyCar as teammates since Gary Bettenhausen and Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. in 1983.
↧
Search

Final Motorsport Event Held At Old Donington Park - August 26, 1939

August 26, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 26, 1939
The final motor sport event held at Donington Park, England, before the start of WWII was a motorcycle race. Motor racing would not return to Donington until 1977.

Donington Park motor racing circuit was the first permanent park circuit in England, which also ended the race circuit monopoly that Brooklands had held since 1907.

Fred Craner was a former motorcycle rider who had taken part in seven Isle of Man TT races,  and was by 1931 a Derby garage owner and secretary of the Derby & District Motor Club.  Craner approached the then owner of the Donington Hall estate, Alderman John Gillies Shields JP, to use the extensive roads on his land for racing.
(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)
The circuit at Donington Park was closed in 1939 due to World War II, when it was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence and was converted into a military vehicle depot.

The motor racing circuit re-opened on 27 May 1977, the first postwar race meeting was organised by the Nottingham Sports Car Club, but that nearly didn't happen, as the local ramblers tried to assert their rights to retain access to footpaths at the eleventh hour. The meeting went ahead as a "Motor Trial", a legal loophole that curtailed the use of single seater racing cars for that opening meeting. The NSCC continued to run race meetings at Donington until the Donington Racing Club was formed and a licence to run race meetings obtained.

The Melbourne Loop was built in 1985 to increase the lap distance to 2.5 miles (4.02 km) and allow the track to host Grand Prix motorcycle races – at 1.957 miles (3.149 km) without the loop, the circuit was deemed too short. This shorter layout remains as the National circuit, which is used for most non-Grand Prix events.

In recent times Donington has held meetings of MotoGP, the British Touring Car Championship and British Superbike Championship, as well as the 1993 European Grand Prix.

photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc
Plaque to commemorate Ayrton Senna's greatest win, The European Grand Prix 11th April 1993.

Other events taking place at the track include a 1000 km endurance race for the Le Mans Series in 2006, the World Series by Renault and the Great and British Motorsport Festival. On 26 August 26, 2007, the circuit hosted the British Motocross Grand Prix, with a purpose-built motocross circuit constructed on the infield of the road circuit.

Beside motorsports many other events are held at Donington including Music Festivals like the Download Festival, the Donington Park Sunday Market and the Donington Grand Prix Museum exhibition.

The Donington Grand Prix Exhibition first opened to the public in March 1973. Five halls, with over 130 exhibits, illustrate the history of motor sport from the turn of the 20th Century. Cars include examples driven by such famous names as Nuvolari, Mansell, Prost, Moss, Senna, Fangio, Clark and Stewart. 

(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)
Kieth Sutton's tribute to Ayrton Senna in the Mclaren Hall at the Donington Park Grand Prix Collection.

The Donington Grand Prix Exhibition houses a collection of McLaren and Vanwalls racing cars.

(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)
 Notable exhibits include the 1936 twin engined 500 bhp (373 kW) Alfa Romeo Bimotore which has a top speed of 200 mph (320 km/h), Jim Clark's World Championship winning Lotus 25, the 'howling' flat 12 Ferrari 312B, and Stirling Moss's Lotus, in which he defeated the Ferrari works team in the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix.

The Collection also features the World's largest collection of Driver's Helmets.
(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)

 There are several different type of simulators that allow users to experience the thrills of racing at speed.

↧

David "Swede" Savage Born In San Bernardino, California - August 26, 1946

August 26, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 26, 1946 – July 2, 1973
David Earl Savage, Jr.
Born in San Bernardino, California, USA.
Nicknamed "Swede", Savage began Soap Box Derby racing at the age of five. He moved up to racing quarter midget cars then at age twelve to Go-Kart racing. By his mid-teens he was racing motorcycles competitively. An exceptional natural athlete, he gave up high school football to go racing motorcycles on his weekends, and was already pocketing prize money.

In January 1967, Savage made a point of showing up at a Ford Motor Company test session at Riverside International Raceway attended by, among others, racing legend Dan Gurney. Also in attendance was a Ford public relations executive named Monte Roberts, who watched Savage calmly wheelie a motorcycle for the better part of a mile and, struck by Savage's "racy" name and obvious talent, encouraged Ford officials to take Savage under their wing. After a partial season driving NASCAR stock cars in the South for the Ford factory-backed racing team Holman-Moody, Savage received a telephone call from Gurney inviting him back to Southern California to try his hand at sports car racing.

Savage debuted in the old SCCA United States Road Racing Championship series in April 1968, driving a Lola T70 Mk III, the car campaigned by Gurney in the 1967 Can-Am racing series. A condition of employment Gurney imposed on the young driver was that he rebuild and prepare the car for competition with very little assistance from other AAR staff. He finished fifth at Riverside in his one appearance in the car. In 1968 and 1969, he also raced in NASCAR events. Competing in the 1969 Daytona 500, he crashed after a wheel fell off on lap 124. With AAR's racing program cut back due to budget troubles, Savage resumed semi-pro motorcycle racing in the Southern California area.

In 1970, Savage and Gurney drove identical factory-sponsored Plymouth Barracudas in the Trans-Am Series. Early in the season, Chrysler cut back support for the AAR effort and Gurney stepped out of the car to let Savage drive the entire season.
(Photo: www.historictransam.com)
Swede Savage (left) and Dan Gurney (right) pose with the new 1970 Plymouth Barracuda at Riverside Raceway in February 1970.

Driving an Eagle-Ford IndyCar, Savage won the "Bobby Ball 150" at Phoenix International Raceway on November 20, 1970. This would be his sole professional auto racing victory. In March 1971, Savage entered the Questor Grand Prix at Ontario Motor Speedway, driving an Eagle-Plymouth Formula 5000 car. The throttle stuck wide open, and Savage suffered near-fatal head injuries in the ensuing crash. He returned to driving in August at the Trans-Am event at Watkins Glen.

He competed in the Indianapolis 500 twice. In the 1972 Indianapolis 500, he finished 32nd after dropping out on lap six with mechanical problems.

In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. He had been the fastest driver for much of practice. On the first day of qualifying, gusting winds slowed Savage from matching his best practice speeds, but he still shattered the track record with a four-lap qualifying average of 196.582 mph. Later in the day, as the winds abated, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser and Mark Donohue each bettered Savage's time.
(Photo; 500legends.com)
During the race, Savage held the lead from laps 43-54, and then made his first pit stop. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. Savage emerged from his stop with 70 gallons of additional fuel and a new right rear tire. In his autobiography, Bobby Unser wrote that when Savage exited the pits, he became alarmed at how hard Savage was pushing, and dropped back slightly in anticipation of an incident. However, due to Savage’s reputation in the racing world as a highly skilled driver who didn’t take unnecessary chances, Unser’s comments have been attributed to his resentment of Savage’s rapid rise in the racing world as opposed to the “hard knocks” experiences of Unser’s career. On lap 58, just behind Al Unser, with Savage pushing hard in anticipation of a coming rainstorm, he lost control as he exited turn four. Savage's car twitched back and forth, then slid across to the inside of the track at nearly top speed, hitting the angled inside wall nearly head-on. The force of the impact, with the car carrying a full load of fuel, caused the car to explode in a 60-foot-high plume of flame. Savage, still strapped in his seat in a large piece of the car, was thrown back across the circuit. He came to rest adjacent to the outer retaining wall, fully conscious and completely exposed while he lay in a pool of flaming methanol fuel. Anchoring the event live for tape delay broadcast later in the day, ABC Sports broadcaster Jim McKay expressed disbelief upon seeing that Savage was actually moving in the post crash wreckage while he was engulfed in flames.

The exact cause of Savage's sudden turn across the race track and into the infield wall has not been settled. Television footage seems to show the right half of his rear wing had come loose, which would instantly change the downforce on the wheels and could explain the sudden back and forth twitching of the car. A second theory is provided by numerous drivers complaining over their radios about oil on the track, as pole sitter Johnny Rutherford had been given the black flag for dropping fluid, most likely oil. Among those that were complaining about oil on the track were Jerry Grant, who mentioned so in an interview with Dave Diles of ABC Sports while Savage's crash was being cleaned off the track. Diles later was filmed wiping oil off the front of Joe Leonard's car to prove the point.

A young crew member for Savage's Patrick Racing teammate Graham McRae, Armando Teran, ran out across the pit lane in an effort to come to Savage's aid and was struck by a fire truck rushing up pit road at 60 mph to the crash. Teran was killed instantly.

Savage joked with medical personnel after the wreck, and was expected to live when taken to Methodist Hospital Medical Center and for some time thereafter. However, he died in the hospital 33 days after the accident. The true cause of his death remains a point of dispute. It had been widely reported that Savage died of kidney failure from infection, but Dr. Steve Olvey, Savage's attending physician at Indy, claimed in his book Rapid Response that the real cause of death was complications related to contaminated plasma. Olvey claimed that Savage contracted hepatitis B from a transfusion, causing his liver to fail. However, according to Swede's father, Dr. David E. Savage, the percentage of oxygen they were giving Swede just prior to his death, due to the damage to his lungs from the fumes inhaled from the accident, was such that there was no way Swede could have survived, with or without hepatitis B.
(Photo; www.findagrave.com)
He was interred in the Mt. View Cemetery in his hometown of San Bernardino, California. Savage was married and had a six-year-old daughter, Shelly. His widow Sheryl was expecting their second child, daughter Angela, at the time of his death. Daughter Shelly Larson (Savage) died of leukemia in 1995, interred in the same cemetery as her father. Daughter Angela resides with her husband and two children in Boulder City, Nevada. Swede also had a son, John, who lives in Highland, California. In July, 2013, a movement began among friends and admirers of Savage to bring daughter Angela to Indianapolis in 2014 for the first time.
(Photo; irldefender.wordpress.com)
Angela and Mario Andretti - Indy 2014
↧
↧

Dale "Flying Pig Farmer" Singleton Born In Dalton, Georgia - August 27, 1955

August 27, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 27, 1955 - September 2, 1985
Dale "Flying Pig Farmer" Singleton
 (Photo; www.riderfiles.com)
Born in Dalton, Georgia, USA.
Dale was the David who twice slayed the factory racing team Goliaths by winning the prestigious Daytona 200 in 1979 and 1981 on privateer Yamahas. He also won the AMA Road Racing Championship in 1981. Singleton was one of the best-liked riders in the paddock. The friendly Georgian was dubbed the "Flying Pig Farmer" by a fellow racer. The press picked up the moniker and Singleton played into the myth by carrying baby pigs into the Daytona winner's circle during podium celebrations.

When he was a boy, Singleton spent his allowance on motorcycle magazines and would stay up late at night reading about his heroes with a flashlight under the blankets. His father bought a motorcycle shop when Singleton was 14 and he began racing local short track races.

The Singleton family went to Bike Week at Daytona Beach, Florida, every year and young Dale yearned to have a chance to race on the famous Daytona International Speedway road course. In 1972, he finally got his chance when he and his dad built a bike to race in the sportsman amateur racing competition. Singleton won his class and became hooked on the speed of road racing. Working with his father also taught Dale to become a meticulous mechanic.

In 1973, Singleton picked up sponsorship from racing enthusiast Taylor White and raced a 250 Grand Prix bike as a novice. He progressed steadily up the ladder and in 1976 he began racing professionally. In his rookie pro season, he showed promise by scoring his first national points in the national road race at Loudon, New Hampshire. 

Singleton made a huge jump in 1977 when he became a consistent top-10 finisher and earned his first podium result in Sonoma, California. At the end of the ’77 season, Singleton was ranked fourth in the final AMA National Road Race standings. 

His rise continued in 1978 when he finished runner-up in the final standings and scored his first career win at the Loudon Classic road race national. Also in 1978, Singleton began racing abroad. He was part of the American team in the annual Anglo-American Match Races. He also contested select GPs and international invitational races. 

Singleton will always be best remembered for his Daytona wins and he scored his first victory in the 200 in 1979. He served notice that he would be a serious threat that year when he earned the pole on his Taylor White-sponsored No. 30 Yamaha TZ750. In the race, Singleton and David Aldana emerged as the leaders and the two had a great battle for the lead until late in the event when Aldana’s bike seized, leaving Singleton alone in the lead to take a very popular victory. 

In the Daytona winner’s circle, Singleton brought along a baby pig he called Elmer and photos of the celebration show a jubilant Singleton crew with Dale holding up the baby pig.
Even though Singleton was not really a pig farmer (it was his girlfriend’s family who raised pigs), he played up the moniker of the “Flying Pig Farmer.” Every year at Daytona, he’d bring a new baby Elmer to the race. He was even offered additional appearance money in European races if he brought Elmer along. Elmer was not one pig, but in fact a series of different baby pigs. In an early 1980s magazine interview, Singleton laughed about having to tramp through muddy old farms in Europe trying to find a baby pig to buy when he competed overseas. 

At the end of 1979, Singleton finished a close runner-up in the AMA road racing championships, just three points behind Rich Schlachter. 

In 1980, Singleton finished second at Daytona and won the Pocono (Pennsylvania) National, but only finished fourth because he spent much of the season racing in Europe. 

By 1981, Singleton reached the zenith of the racing career when he won his second Daytona 200, this time against a much deeper field of factory entries (including Yamaha’s Kenny Roberts and Honda’s Freddie Spencer) than he faced during his ’79 victory. Again, Singleton rode a Yamaha TZ750 he built himself with sponsorship from Taylor White and Beaulieu, an Oriental rug manufacturer. 

When asked about his success at Daytona in the face of big-budget teams, Singleton said it all came down to preparation and race strategy. 

“Most of my advantage at Daytona is the fact that I got to the level I’m at by doing my own thing mechanically,” Singleton explained after winning his second Daytona 200. “I know the inside of the bike’s engine like the back of my hand. When I race Daytona I increase the tolerances and build it to last. I’m real aware of all the small details and know how to push the bike when it counts. I know how easy it is to ruin an engine turning 11,000 rpm at 180 mph. 

“As far as strategy, I always try to stay in touch with the leaders, but not show my hand too early. It’s the last 20 laps or so of the race when I would start to gamble a bit, sliding both wheels and really making that final push to the checkered flag.”

Years later, Singleton’s brother restored Dale’s Daytona-winning Yamaha and the bike was presented to Daytona International Speedway’s museum during an emotional ceremony on the 20th anniversary of Singleton’s second win in the 200.
 Singleton’s Yamaha was also on display at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum for a year.

 Racing earned Singleton the money to build a beautiful home in the foothills of Northern Georgia. He also had a large workshop where he prepped his race machines. Having reached the top in American motorcycle racing, Singleton retired from two wheels after the 1982 season and began to pursue a career in NASCAR racing.

September 1, 1985, Dale died in a plane crash. Close friend Richie Panch, age 30, a Nascar race driver, was flying a Piper PA-28-235-B plane and flew into heavy rain and squall line over Rion, South Carolina and came apart in mid-air. Pilot error, poor judgment and planning was blamed. All four people on board died in the accident.

↧

Gerhard Berger Born In Wörgl, Austria - August 27, 1959

August 27, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
August 27, 1959
Gerhard Berger
(photo credit: StuSeeger via photopin cc) 
Born in Wörgl, Austria.
He competed in Formula One for 14 seasons, twice finishing 3rd overall in the championship. He won ten Grands Prix, achieved 48 podiums, 12 poles and 21 fastest laps. With 210 starts he is among the most experienced Formula One drivers of all time. He led 33 of the 210 races he competed in.
photo credit: DonFrance-photos via photopin cc
Berger also has the unique distinction of taking Benetton's first and last victories, with eleven years separating them. Between 2006 and 2008 Berger owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team. In 2012 Berger was appointed President of the FIA Single Seat Commission.
↧

Former World Driving Champion Phil Hill Dies In Hospital - August 28, 2008

August 28, 2015, 12:00 am
$
0
0
April 20, 1927 – August 28, 2008
Phil Hill
(Photo; philhill.com)
Born in Miami, Florida, USA.
He is only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship (Mario Andretti, an American driver, won the World Drivers' Championship in 1978, but was not born in the United States). He also scored three wins at each of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring sports car races.

Following his retirement, Hill built up an award winning classic car restoration business in the 1970s called Hill & Vaughn. Hill also worked as a television commentator for ABC's Wide World of Sports. Hill had a long and distinguished association with Road & Track magazine. He wrote several articles for them, including road tests and retrospective articles on historic cars and races. He shared his "grand old man" status at R&T with '60s racing rival Paul Frère, who also died in 2008.

Hill, in his last years, devoted his time to his vintage car collection and judged at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance more often than any other individual. 2007 was the 40th time he had judged the event.

Hill was married to Alma, and had three children: Derek, Vanessa and Jennifer. Derek raced in International Formula 3000 in 2001, 2002 and 2003, but was forced to retire when Hill became ill with Parkinson's Disease.

After traveling to the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in August 2008, Hill was taken to a hospital, where he died after a short illness from complications of Parkinson's Disease in Salinas, California on August 28.

Hill was described as a "thoughtful, gentle man" and once said, "I'm in the wrong business. I don't want to beat anybody, I don't want to be the big hero. I'm a peace-loving man, basically."

↧
Viewing all 3570 articles
Browse latest View live
Search