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Worthing Paul

The Chequered Flag

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2 minutes ago, Thatcher said:

Cale Yarborough dead.

 

Sadly, not a surprise but a great shame. A terrific driver who probably would've have taken multiple wins in Indycar if he'd stuck around in single seaters longer.

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18 hours ago, jd24fan said:

Tony Renna's fatal crash at a testing session at Indy never was released as there were no professional camera people or television filming as it happened as well.

 

Apparently this wreck was GNARLY. I'm sure everyone's seen the video of Gordon Smiley blowing his car, and himself, into a million pieces all over turn 3 at Indianapolis by now. Some of the descriptions of Renna's crash make it sound like Smiley's crash to the power of two.

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Subs coming in!

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Such a shame to hear about Cale. He wasn't just an outstanding driver, but was also one of the best characters in the sport, being a member of the famed "Alabama Gang". R.I.P.

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René Metge died aged 82 and was a professional French rally driver. He won the Dakar Rally three times (in 1981, 1984 and 1986) and began his career in international motorsport in 1973, starting in the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup. There he scored 28 points in the general classification. In later years, Metge also appeared in the French Supertouring Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, World Sportscar Championship, World Touring Car Championship, Porsche 944 Turbo Cup France, 24 Hours of Le Mans and European Touring Car Championship. Tourism

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/automobile/le-pilote-automobile-rene-metge-triple-vainqueur-du-dakar-est-mort_6280260.html

René Metge, na 11ª edição do Africa Eco Race, em Menton, 28 de dezembro de 2018. (JEAN FRANÇOIS OTTONELLO / MAXPPP)

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Herbert Linge died on January 5 at the age of 95, he was a German racing and rally driver. As a Porsche employee, he was involved in various events and later also in motorsport safety. He participated in many Le Mans 24 Hours races in the 1960s

https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.rennfahrer-stuntman-und-porsche-urgestein-herbert-linge-ist-gestorben.bd1bf2e7-7530-4a99-8936-6290b310fb8b.html

Com a morte de Herbert Linge: uma lenda da Porsche se foi

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1 hour ago, gcreptile said:

Promising but troubled Australian motocycle racer Anthony Gobert, nicknamed "Go Show", in the final days of his life:

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1043247/1/anthony-gobert-receiving-palliative-care-final-stages-his-life

 

Came here to post this, great but unfortunately wasted talent, wound up with the nickname "Tony the Toker":smoking-smiley:

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7 minutes ago, One shot Paddy said:

 

Came here to post this, great but unfortunately wasted talent, wound up with the nickname "Tony the Toker":smoking-smiley:

 

 

Racing motorbikes and smoking spliffs - am I being a bit ignorant here or is that a very inadvisable combination? Apart from owt else, anyone with impaired reactions at the first corner of a two-wheeler race is an absolute liability, right?

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6 hours ago, maryportfuncity said:

 

 

Racing motorbikes and smoking spliffs - am I being a bit ignorant here or is that a very inadvisable combination?p Apart from owt else, oanyone with impaired reactions at the first corner of a two-wheeler race is an absolute liability, right?

Yes, hence why he was sacked after only a couple of rounds into his Grand Prix career, and as drug use is a BIG no no in Japan he was basically barred from any GP ride. Pretty much the only factory ride he got after that was for Italian minows Bimota in 2000 and true to his God given talent he won on a dog of a bike but the money dried up (possibly because of his reputation causing sponsors to stay clear) and they quit after a few rounds. Like I said a great talent who should have been a multiple world champion but wasted it on partying. 

If he was born 20/25 years earlier imagine the legends of him, Hunt and Sheene in the 70s:)

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John Webb, long-time owner of Brands Hatch, has died at the age of 92. Long obituary here that explains more of the man and the influence he had on the sport; https://www.autosport.com/national/news/john-webb-obituary-former-brands-hatch-circuit-boss-dies-aged-92/10565201/?_ga=2.84911260.464471007.1679088488-1098475106.1679088488

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Spanish motorcyclist Carles Falcón dead at 45, was in an induced coma after suffering a crash in the Dakar rally.

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Bill Krause, one time Indy 500 attemptee, two-times winning mechanic of the Indy 500 (1981 and 1982) and an extremely able sportscar driver (winner of the 1958 and 1960 Riverside Grand Prix's, which attracted some of the best drivers at the time - Behra, Hill, Ginther etc.), died last week, due to complications of dementia and strokes.

 

I'm sure a legacy.com type obit will follow, not sure how much US motorsport media will pick this one up in truth. Just turned 91 at the start of the year.

 

Bit more about his racing here - http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/BillKrause.html

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On 11/01/2024 at 15:18, gcreptile said:

Promising but troubled Australian motocycle racer Anthony Gobert, nicknamed "Go Show", in the final days of his life:

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1043247/1/anthony-gobert-receiving-palliative-care-final-stages-his-life

Anthony Gobert dead at 48.

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2 hours ago, drol said:

Anthony Gobert dead at 48.

Anthony Gone-bert 

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On 04/05/2023 at 04:32, NormMacdonald said:

Really got to enjoy the last few years of some of the few legends we have left from that era. Richard Petty, Cale, Bobby and Donnie Allison, Red Farmer, etc. Crazy how Hershel McGriff is still healthy at his age.

Here's Donnie and Bobby Allison with Red Farmer ten days ago:

allisonfarmer.thumb.png.a138cc67b74939d69ee188542880cea2.png

Comparing to images from a year or two ago Bobby looks very thin.

 

NASCAR champion Rex White didn't attend that event and looks quite frail here.

EDIT: Rex White suffered a major stroke in 2020.

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Motorsport historian, historic racing driver and award winning author Oliver Heal died last Tuesday from oesophageal cancer.

 

A little bit more about him here. Obit to follow in due course.

 

 

https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/media-centre-top/photo-gallery/2023-18/achievement-awards/lifetime-acheivement-award-oliver-heal

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Rallye legend and Dakar winner Jan de Rooy died aged.80. He will be remembered as the one who overtook fellow legend Ari Vatanen with the DAF X -1 turbo twin TRUCK(!) with 220 km/h.

Sadly this was the swansong for this turbo twin as the sister X-2 crashed a few days later with one fatality prompting the DAF team to pull the X-1 from the rallye.

 

 

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Didn't want to leave this footage out. Best tribute for De Rooy and the X-1 with Depeche Mode's never let me down. As said the X-2 crashed wher the navigator was ejected from the truck with chair and all. They found him 80 meters from the wreck and died at the scene.

 

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I've just taken a look at Fred Lorenzen's Facebook profile (run by his daughter) and for an 89 year old man diagnosed with dementia around 12ish years ago (with rumored symptoms since the mid 1990s mind you), wheelchair bound and in an assisted living facility for at least 10, he's held up quite well. However in his latest pics in December on his 89th birthday he has an IV tube attached to his wrist and he's looking really frail now. If he lives to his 90th birthday, he's immortal material.

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