Octopus of Odstock 2,206 Posted December 31, 2023 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. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtracer18 34 Posted December 31, 2023 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. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drol 12,046 Posted December 31, 2023 Subs coming in! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jd24fan 78 Posted December 31, 2023 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. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,996 Posted January 2 Roland Leong died on December 29 at the age of 78, he was an American drag racer from Honolulu, whose "Hawaiian" brand cars achieved many victories. He later went on to serve as a crew chief in Funny Car racing. https://www.nhra.com/news/2023/legendary-nhra-car-owner-roland-leong-hawaiian-passes-away Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,996 Posted January 3 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 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,206 Posted January 7 First Formula 1 death of 2024 is not Fittipaldi, but former ATS and Merzario non-qualifier, and former Italian Formula 3 champion, Alberto Colombo, after a long illness, aged 78. https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-addio-ad-alberto-colombo-il-cappellone-che-ha-sognato-i-gp/10563419/ 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,206 Posted January 7 Tim Steele, three times ARCA stock car champion, who had a few races in NASCAR, has died, after a stroke, aged 55. https://obitsinfo.co.uk/tim-steele/?fbclid=IwAR0PRaewtudB-UP7R_3w_ikYPYmBGzstD31Nzb8P_LKh9dMTZo7blkUQuiA 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,996 Posted January 9 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 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcreptile 11,010 Posted January 11 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 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One shot Paddy 1,206 Posted January 11 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" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,666 Posted January 11 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" 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? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One shot Paddy 1,206 Posted January 11 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 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,206 Posted January 12 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 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wannamaker 1,417 Posted January 15 Spanish motorcyclist Carles Falcón dead at 45, was in an induced coma after suffering a crash in the Dakar rally. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,206 Posted January 16 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 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drol 12,046 Posted January 17 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. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lard Bazaar 3,800 Posted January 17 2 hours ago, drol said: Anthony Gobert dead at 48. Anthony Gone-bert Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alt obits guy 3,377 Posted January 26 Cameron Bartholomew, an Australian motorsports champion, has died. He was 28. No details of his death have been released, other than he died suddenly. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/au/article-13009099/Cameron-Bartholomew-dies-Australian-motorsport-driver.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,206 Posted January 27 Gerrit van Kouwen, winner of the 1984 Formula Ford Festival, and later a driver in British F3 and British Touring Cars, has died of cancer, aged 60. https://autosport.nl/klasse/nieuws/38828/formule-ford-held-gerrit-van-kouwen-60-overleden?fbclid=IwAR38739rai3RM8qYgG0dTCaMPfkhlnD2bbkkDcLvWB30JYVw5M6p_3CTWms Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,810 Posted January 29 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: 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. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,206 Posted January 29 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 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Whitehouse 873 Posted January 30 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. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Whitehouse 873 Posted January 30 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. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Immortal 636 Posted January 31 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. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
