The Chequered Flag

[VSBfromH 74]

Can't remember whether there's a separate thread for rally drivers, but...

 

China's leading rally driver Xu Lang has been killed during a rally in Russia.

 

Unfortunate way to go: "hit on the head by the tow hook of a trailer which was trying to recover his car".

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Marzio Romano a Swiss-Italian racer, who raced in a number of formulae including Formula 3000 (The step down from Formula 1) & Can-Am has died after he suffered a heart-attack at the wheel of an Italian GT event in Valencia, Spain. He was just 53. Link (in Italian)

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Greg Weld, the former Indianapolis 500 stalwart turned successful businessman has died, aged 64, of a heart-attack.

 

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_ne...ory/733202.html

[DevonDeathTrip 2,357]

Any news on Dino TOsO OoO? I've decided he is going to get an obit, so he'll be going on my DDP team if he's ill enough.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Any news on Dino TOsO OoO? I've decided he is going to get an obit, so he'll be going on my DDP team if he's ill enough.

 

Well, kind of - but it didn't really say much about his health. In fact he sounded chipper, make of that what you will.

 

Renault's chief of aerodynamics Dino Toso has left the French squad after eight years working there.

 

Toso, whose exit had already been announced in April, has been in charge of the aerodynamics' departments since 2003, leading the team to both the drivers' and constructors' championships in 2005 and 2006.

 

As confirmed in April, Toso's resposabilities have been taken over by Dirk de Beer.

 

"I would like to thank Flavio Briatore and Bob Bell for their professional and personal support throughout my time with the Renault F1 Team, during which we have enjoyed great success together," said Toso.

 

"My passion for motorsport has always centred on innovative aerodynamics, and been motivated by a thirst for competition.

 

"I'm looking forward to tackling new challenges that will allow me to fully express my technical creativity in the years ahead, and take me back to what I love most: the thrill of competition."

 

This is from June 17th, 2008. Previous reports from 2004 mention his illness, but not the latest one..

[To die for 3]

Any news on Dino TOsO OoO? I've decided he is going to get an obit, so he'll be going on my DDP team if he's ill enough.

 

Well, kind of - but it didn't really say much about his health. In fact he sounded chipper, make of that what you will.

 

Renault's chief of aerodynamics Dino Toso has left the French squad after eight years working there.

 

Toso, whose exit had already been announced in April, has been in charge of the aerodynamics' departments since 2003, leading the team to both the drivers' and constructors' championships in 2005 and 2006.

 

As confirmed in April, Toso's resposabilities have been taken over by Dirk de Beer.

 

"I would like to thank Flavio Briatore and Bob Bell for their professional and personal support throughout my time with the Renault F1 Team, during which we have enjoyed great success together," said Toso.

 

"My passion for motorsport has always centred on innovative aerodynamics, and been motivated by a thirst for competition.

 

"I'm looking forward to tackling new challenges that will allow me to fully express my technical creativity in the years ahead, and take me back to what I love most: the thrill of competition."

 

This is from June 17th, 2008. Previous reports from 2004 mention his illness, but not the latest one..

Toso dead, damn he was top of my list for CPDP

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Lloyd Ruby, former Formula 1 driver & Indy 500 legend is facing extensive surgery on Sept 22nd - 6 hours long, the doctors will be working on his stomach & espohagus. Ruby is 78 years old - so if pulls through, he's done damn well - if he doesn't, well... it will be a damn shame but not unexpected.

[VSBfromH 74]

Pat Moss, horsewoman and racing driver, sister of Stirling, has died aged 73.

 

OK, corrected the spelling...

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Pat Moss, horsewoman and racing driver, sister of Sterling, has died aged 73.

 

Sir Stirling to you, my son. Yes, saw this this morning. I must admit, I had no idea she was ill. Probably, until Danica Patrick recently, the greatest female racing driver of them all.

 

 

Also very sorry to hear of Peter Fenelon's death - Pete was a very valuable, intelligent & interesting chap who helped numerous times with my motor racing work sideline. He has died, suddenly aged 40. A terrible loss.

 

RIP to both.

[M.Lawrenson 11]

Pete Fenelon's death is utterly baffling. It honestly makes you wonder, it really does. I only very vaguely knew him from the Atlas F1/Amazon.co.uk, but I'm 33 in 6 weeks and I'm already thinking about the time I have left.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Pete Fenelon's death is utterly baffling. It honestly makes you wonder, it really does. I only very vaguely knew him from the Atlas F1/Amazon.co.uk, but I'm 33 in 6 weeks and I'm already thinking about the time I have left.

 

Same here, and I'm "only" 31 next birthday.

 

It's been on my mind so much, I have been resolving to make the most of life - hence I booked a trip to Lapland for me & OoO's bit of fluff yesterday. If I'm going to go, might as well go snowmobiling off a crevice or something....

 

Granted, Pete was a big chap & liked his beer, but not to such an extent but you could've foreseen what was coming. Can't quite still get my head round it.

[M.Lawrenson 11]

Granted, Pete was a big chap & liked his beer, but not to such an extent but you could've foreseen what was coming. Can't quite still get my head round it.

 

Well, when you look at these things you realise there is no justice in the world. Just ask Richard Beckinsale's family.

 

Or take the example of my father, a man who smoked 40-a-day for 30 years, was 6 stone overweight, took no exercise and had, shall we say, very high stress levels. He's still going at nearly 55. He had to 'modify his lifestyle' a bit after being carted off to hospital with 'breathing difficulties' and being put on a ventilator, and then developing type-2 diabetes. These events had nothing to do with smoking or being overweight, or so he says. But this is a man who never went to the doctor for anything for the reason (as he put it) 'He'd only tell me to give up smoking and lose weight'.

 

Then you have Douglas Adams who dropped dead at 49 after his regular daily workout. No, no justice.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Former Grand Prix driver Xavier Perrot has died, after many years of ill health - Link (In German)

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

Former Grand Prix driver Xavier Perrot has died, after many years of ill health - Link (In German)

 

His wiki page is a little confusing, as on the one hand it lists his proud Formula 1 career of competing in exactly one race, the 1969 German GP, for which he won no points, but then it also states:

 

"Although Perrot raced in a World Championship Formula One event, he only raced as part of the Formula Two class, and never raced in a full Formula One World Championship race."

 

If the DL entered a team on Mastermind, we could do a lot worse than have F1 as a specialist subject.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

His wiki page is a little confusing, as one the hand it lists his proud Formula 1 career of competing in exactly one race, the 1969 German GP, for which he won no points, but then it also states:

 

"Although Perrot raced in a World Championship Formula One event, he only raced as part of the Formula Two class, and never raced in a full Formula One World Championship race."

 

Exactly, hence I referred to him as a Grand Prix driver, not a F1 driver. He appeared in a World Championship Grand Prix, but in the F2 class.

It's much too long a story to explain here, although MPFC has tried, but Perrot didn't appear in a World Championship F1 car, but he is a Grand Prix driver. Confusing, I know... There's plenty of others, mainly Germans, who fall in the same category & engine builder Brian Hart.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Sonny (Charles) Ates - former Indy 500 driver is in failing health, and probably facing his last Christmas. As is Lloyd Ruby, a former Indy 500 star & F1 entrant. As is another Indy 500 starter Danny Kladis.

 

However I doubt either will get UK obits that qualify for DP's here, but they might be worth a stab in the US based pools.

 

No links - you have to trust me on the above.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

One chap who won't even make Christmas 2008 is Sam Tingle. The former Grand Prix driver died this morning, at the age of 87.

 

Sad news.

[football_fan 42]

Former NASCAR rookie of the year, Sam McQuagg, dies at age 73.

[VSBfromH 74]

Former F1 boss Teddy Mayer "the man who rescued the team after the death of its founder, Bruce McLaren" dead at 73.

 

Phew, knowing his penchant for watching grown men drive pointlessly round in circles for the best part of a day, I'm relieved that Mr Odstock has NOT picked him for the DDP!

[Rotten Ali 600]

Former F1 boss Teddy Mayer "the man who rescued the team after the death of its founder, Bruce McLaren" dead at 73.

 

Phew, knowing his penchant for watching grown men drive pointlessly round in circles for the best part of a day, I'm relieved that Mr Odstock has NOT picked him for the DDP!

 

I had reason to think that Teddy Mayer could have been one of OoO's secret unique picks prior to 2008 DDP so I'm not that supprised that he has just died since it seems that those who I do end up listing on my dead pool teams stay alive longer than I expect!

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Former F1 boss Teddy Mayer "the man who rescued the team after the death of its founder, Bruce McLaren" dead at 73.

 

Phew, knowing his penchant for watching grown men drive pointlessly round in circles for the best part of a day, I'm relieved that Mr Odstock has NOT picked him for the DDP!

 

I had reason to think that Teddy Mayer could have been one of OoO's secret unique picks prior to 2008 DDP so I'm not that supprised that he has just died since it seems that those who I do end up listing on my dead pool teams stay alive longer than I expect!

 

On the contrary, Teddy's death has come as quite a surprise to us all. Sad news.

 

I would've named far more racing drivers on my DDP team, but I'm not confident of two getting obits, and of the health of another. But Arundell is very ill, and should get an obit.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

I would've named far more racing drivers on my DDP team, but I'm not confident of two getting obits, and of the health of another. But Arundell is very ill, and should get an obit.

 

One of those mentioned above is Lloyd Ruby, and another Les Leston. Likewise Jim Rathmann, not withstanding his US success - although is is the health in question. However, I was also doubtful that Jim McWithey, whose health was very poor in recent years would get a UK obit.

 

Well, we shall see - McWithey died on Sunday.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

I have no comment on all of the above.

 

What I do have comment on is that, whilst so far, the death toll of old Grand Prix motor racing drivers is level with old contestants on Big Brother that doesn't look like staying the same much longer:

 

Lloyd Ruby, who I mentioned here a lot before - who is one of the greatest drivers never to have won the Indy 500 & who would be a DDP pick for me but I have doubts over his UK obit chances:

 

IndyCar legend Lloyd Ruby is in really bad health. He had an operation March 9th to remove a brain tumor. The operation was successful he was alert and recuperating in a hospital in his home town of Wichita Falls, Tx. But as of today, his son has instructed doctors to not use life support. Lloyd is 81 years old

 

Peter Arundell's doctors have given him just 5% chance of making his 76th birthday in November this year. He is on course, despite doctor's previous predictions to at most, meet his 40th wedding anniversary in May. He is suffering from a terminal lung condition, similiar to Evel Knievel's.

 

Meanwhile, former South African racing driver Jackie Pretorius is recovering, slowly, from:

being attacked in his home this week and savagely beaten up.

He is on a ventilator in the trauma intensive care unit at the Sunninghill hospital in Sandton and was due to have a brain scan. He has severe facial injuries, among others.

Jackie lost his wife in a similar attack a couple of years ago. He was also injured in this attack and spent a long time in hospital.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Further to my previous post, Lloyd Ruby has died, aged 81.

 

Sad news. A true under-rated legend. Now I see if I was right or wrong to not include him on the DDP team due to obit chances.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

What I do have comment on is that, whilst so far, the death toll of old Grand Prix motor racing drivers is level with old contestants on Big Brother that doesn't look like staying the same much longer:

 

Lloyd Ruby, who I mentioned here a lot before - who is one of the greatest drivers never to have won the Indy 500 & who would be a DDP pick for me but I have doubts over his UK obit chances:

 

IndyCar legend Lloyd Ruby is in really bad health. He had an operation March 9th to remove a brain tumor. The operation was successful he was alert and recuperating in a hospital in his home town of Wichita Falls, Tx. But as of today, his son has instructed doctors to not use life support. Lloyd is 81 years old

 

Peter Arundell's doctors have given him just 5% chance of making his 76th birthday in November this year. He is on course, despite doctor's previous predictions to at most, meet his 40th wedding anniversary in May. He is suffering from a terminal lung condition, similiar to Evel Knievel's.

 

Meanwhile, former South African racing driver Jackie Pretorius is recovering, slowly, from:

being attacked in his home this week and savagely beaten up.

He is on a ventilator in the trauma intensive care unit at the Sunninghill hospital in Sandton and was due to have a brain scan. He has severe facial injuries, among others.

Jackie lost his wife in a similar attack a couple of years ago. He was also injured in this attack and spent a long time in hospital.

 

 

I posted this 7 days ago.

 

Ruby died last week, and thus far, as I expected, has not got a UK obit.

 

Now Jackie Pretorius has died of his injuries this morning.

 

So this just leaves my DDP pick, Peter Arundell. At this rate, will he make April?

 

Oh, I have a new cast-iron candidate to replace Arundell potentially, but for DDP reasons, I will not mention it... yet

 

Going back to Jackie Pretorius, what a shocking end to a fine driver. His attack was the main reason I decided not, after a lot of planning & preparation, to go to South Africa in 2010.

 

A sad day