The Chequered Flag

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Anyone else and I'd question why they were racing at that age, especially at the Nurburgring (though HJS could probably lap it competitively with his eyes closed by now), but Stuck is a great driver. Hope he's back behind the wheel soon and carries on as long as his old dad did. Send him my best regards.

 

I will, but you can also wish him well on his guestbook at his site.

In an interview on his site, he said that if he hadn't had the HANS system, he'd be dead.

 

I also think I mentioned last year John Rhodes, the ex-F1 driver, and mini racing legend had a huge crash, which he was lucky to survive. He is recovering, but has lost the sight in one eye, sadly.

Oh... Rhodes was 79 when he had the accident, during a race, against some competitors 55 years younger than he! They don't make them like that anymore.....

 

Oh, one racing fatality I forgot to mention - From Autosport, 26th April 2007, pg 21

 

"Argentinian Guillermo Castellanos was killed in an accident during last weekend's [21st-22nd] Turismo Carretera touring car race [TC2000] at the Comodoro Rivadavia circuit. The 40 year old, driving a Chevrolet Coupe, collected the spun Dodge Polara of Pedro Dandlen and suffered fatal injuries. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Dandlen suffered a broken leg in the impact."

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

It's been a while since I posted a racing driver's death in this thread, but Don Freeland, one of the few surviving Indianapolis 500 stalwarts from the 1950's has reached the chequered flag, after a long period of ill-health.

He follows another former Indy 500 racer, Ebb Rose, who died in late August, in passing away recently.

[VSBfromH 74]

Sir Jackie Stewart's older brother Jimmy, also a former F1 driver, has died aged 76

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Sir Jackie Stewart's older brother Jimmy, also a former F1 driver, has died aged 76

 

What a crap start to the year - 4 days in & I (and we as a sport) have lost two people I knew.

 

 

Jimmy Stewart overcame alcohol addiction over the last decade & was a very pleasant, laconic man. He was a damn good driver, who never really got the chance, due to injury & bad luck to prove what he could've done - but he shared in Sir JYS's success & enjoyed that very much.

 

Jim - it was nice to have met you a few years back.

 

 

 

(I suppose I could've put him on a DP, cos I knew he wasn't completely tip-top, but I am always a bit wary of putting people I've met & like on a DP)

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Jack Brabham gets an award but this article shows the octogenarian knight of the realm has been poorly lately & now has poor eyes to go with his poor ears.

[Guest Frank Bough]

Dutch rallycross driver Piet Dam has died of cancer.

 

Rallycross reminds me of Grandstand in the 1970s and 80s, with Murray Walker getting all overcome at Brands Hatch as some Mini Cooper went flying into a big grassy bank.

 

Something like this, actually...

[DevonDeathTrip 2,290]

Paul Frère, a Formula One driver between 1952 and 1956, has died at the age of 91. He won the 1960 Le Mans 24 race was well.

[M.Lawrenson 11]

Former F1 Driver Paul Frère has died aged 91. OoO will be able to fill in the details of this distinguished man's career - including road-testing cars until he was nearly 90.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Paul Frere was a delightful man and an inspiration & I'm greatly saddened to hear of his passing. He was also the catalyst for me gaining an interest in the history of the sport after I read his book "From Starting Grid to Chequered Flag" covering his early days of racing until his Le Mans win in 1960.

 

Although he was a decent driver in F1, he was a true all-rounder, particulary so in sportscars & had he not had so much time constraits due to his journalism, which he did in tandem with his racing, who knows how his career would've progressed.

 

He continued testing high speed cars right up until a couple of years ago when he suffered - but survived - a serious crash - at the (incredible) age of 89.

 

As this slowed him up only a small amount, it was expected he'd probably go on for some years yet, so, despite his age, this comes as a surprise.

 

The Le Mans win more or less spelt the end of his top-line career, wanting to finish at the top, but his links, reports & books from then on made him one of the most popular former drivers in the paddock - and that rarity - a famous Belgian.

 

2008 is almost seeing one driver die every two weeks right now....

[Guest Guest]

Paul Frere was a... famous Belgian.

[Guest Guest]

Two racing drivers, Richard Lloyd and David Leslie, have died in a plane crash in Farnborough.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7321589.stm

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Two racing drivers, Richard Lloyd and David Leslie, have died in a plane crash in Farnborough.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7321589.stm

 

Oh for goodness sake, what a crappy year this is.

 

Lloyd wasn't a driver as such (he was years ago though, in touring cars), but he was a long-time team boss - spent over 30 years in the sport. David Leslie, however, was one of Britain's longest-serving & most popular touring car drivers of the modern era. Came extremely close to driving in Formula 1 aeons ago too.

 

Every private plane crash I start to think if someone in motor racing is involved.. with McRae & now Leslie, I'll keep thinking that.

 

RIP.

[maryportfuncity 10,017]

Leslie was often covered in the local press up here, being a borderer and that. They're claiming him as one of ours already as far as the death coverage goes.

[xzandra 0]

confirmed dead this morning from plane crash last night tributes from racing world are pouring in... as this could have been more of a tradgedy ... the plane narrowly missed a housing est... non injured on the ground but 5 dead in the plane...

 

another motorsports legend gone oh well who will be the third???

 

 

Post moved, also see post no. 557 above - LG

Edited March 31, 2008 by Lady Grendel

[DevonDeathTrip 2,290]

Max Helton, the founder of the Motor Racing Outreach ministry, has died of brain cancer aged 67. He brought God to NASCAR.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,290]

Dino Toso, Renault's Director of Aerodynamic Technology is standing down.

 

Dino Toso remains an employee of the company and we can not make any further comments on his position at the moment

The article mentions he was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, while this story from the time said he had a diagnosis of inoperable kidney cancer, although other articles since said he had since recovered.

 

OoO, would he get an obit and is he dying? Sorry if he was going to be a joker on your next DDP team.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Dino Toso, Renault's Director of Aerodynamic Technology is standing down.

 

OoO, would he get an obit and is he dying? Sorry if he was going to be a joker on your next DDP team.

 

Nah, he weren't. The guy who is, is an actor anyway. And Arundell is on my DDP this year & Leston is on the DDP as well. The one I'm keeping up my sleeve is a driver anyway.

 

Toso IS unwell, for sure. But it's risky. Will he get an obit in the motoring press? Without a doubt. But will that translate to a broadsheet? Probably not. Will it get a mention on the BBC? Probably not. (This might change as the beeb have the sport back on TV, so their internet coverage may improve.) But will it be in the Guardian on an AP feed? Quite possibly...

 

Bear in mind Bobby Hamilton was well known in racing circles & didn't get an obit.

 

I would say keep him on a list but definitely put in "ill but questionable obit" category.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

The man behind Watkins Glen, one of the USA's best & most revered motor racing tracks, Cameron Argetsinger, has died aged 87. Link

 

Also former F1 driver Willie Ferguson died in late 2007, from cancer, aged 68. Admittedly, he won't be remembered as an all-time great (or even close) but it's still a surprise he didn't get an obit, even in his native South Africa.

 

Right, that'll do for now.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Chuck Daigh, former Indy 500 & Grand Prix driver, sportscar ace (including a Sebring win) & a F1 car builder & designer, has died - best link for now but full link will come - he was 84 - but despite this it's a bit of a surprise as he seemed quite well.

 

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Dan Murphy, 1980 & 1990's sportscar World Championship driver & former Indy 500 entrant, but perhaps best known as a Indy team boss & builder, has died suddenly, at the age of 66 - again, a forum link but also a tribute.

[M.Lawrenson 11]

Chuck Daigh, former Indy 500 & Grand Prix driver, sportscar ace (including a Sebring win) & a F1 car builder & designer, has died - best link for now but full link will come - he was 84 - but despite this it's a bit of a surprise as he seemed quite well.

 

 

Wasn't Daigh originally Lance Reventlow's mechanic at Scarab? I know he was usually quicker than Reventlow, but how good was he compared to the rest of his contemporaries (Hill, Gurney etc.)?

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

Wasn't Daigh originally Lance Reventlow's mechanic at Scarab? I know he was usually quicker than Reventlow, but how good was he compared to the rest of his contemporaries (Hill, Gurney etc.)?

 

Yep.

In a sportscar, he was their equal - certainly he beat 1961 World Champion (and great friend) Phil Hill a number of times.

 

Had he ever wanted to, I think he could've had some decent results in "better" machinery. But he certainly wasn't at the level of Gurney, who, as is often remarked, was the only racer the great Jim Clark really feared.

[VSBfromH 74]

James Hunt has died

 

... well, this one didn't quite make it to F1.

[TAFKAG 70]

Was he born despisable or did the full-on Ron Dennis experience turn him that way? The man does appear to like robots from Finland, or prodigious UK talents with the capacity for moulding. He f*****g hated Mansell - the polar opposite to Hamilton - didn't he?

 

Although his dad is a bit of a tit & has pushed him into living a life that is not normal by any definition, he was quite withdrawn, shy almost & normally pleasant enough at lower level. I definitely think the "McLaren Experience" has made him into what irks so many people:-

 

Arrogant, more concerned about his image & private life than his career (take note Lewis, and look at Jenson Button now), defensive, eager to attribute blame (Raikkonen), not willing to accept he might be wrong (Alonso alleged & false "braketest" at Bahrain) and dishonest (you didn't look back at the light, LH, the TV pics proved that).

 

He needs to learn a bit of humility & a sense of right & wrong.

 

Ron Dennis is not my most favourite person either (Hell, let's be honest, I can't stand the man), but that's something I have stated before. But to be fair to him, he did employ Gerhard Berger, the antithesis to Dennis' prototypes for a number of years. Stefan Johansson too.

 

 

If dear Bruce McLaren could see what his team has become, if he wasn't already dead, he'd drop straight out because of shock.

You might be able to show Hamilton who's boss out on the track before long.

 

 

Elsewhere, former Toyota F1 head and rally driver Ove Andersson has been killed during a vintage car rally in South Africa.

Edited June 11, 2008 by TAFKAG

[Octopus of Odstock 1,861]

You might be able to show Hamilton who's boss out on the track before long.

 

 

Elsewhere, former Toyota F1 head and rally driver Ove Andersson has been killed during a vintage car rally in South Africa.

 

Well, that's if Hamilton doesn't nerf me off at the first chicance....

 

Great, great shame about Andersson, although I suppose as he lived & breathed rallying, it is fitting he should die the same way.

 

A nice man, of whom many had genuine affection, but his problem at Toyota was he was too nice & laid back to really cut it in the two cut-throat worlds of car manufacturers & Formula 1. The rally world is a much tamer animal.