Author Topic: drivers! (Read 3165 times)

D. Clay · « **on:** April 27, 2006, 02:45:27 PM »

My sig is a famous in some circles photo of driver Jim Clark. He had just got out of his car and turned toward the camera after his team mate had been killed in the same race. He was the first non-American to win the Indy 500 since 1918. It was in a modified Lotus Formula car that was the begining of the rear engine modern era. He was rivals with John Surtees who was one of the few people to be world champion in F1 cars and motorcycles. Clark himself died in a crash at the age of 32 in the late 1960's. This was before the driver's strike led by Jackie Stewart, for increased safety. The driver's feet were still in front of the suspension and even the tracks themselves were unsafe as you can see in this photo of the crash site - barbed wire fence tree trunks and all.
http://eis.net.au/~bramwell/hockenheimcrash.htm

I was curious as to the favorite driver's of other members and who they think are the greatest.

lordschleife · « **Reply #1 on:** April 27, 2006, 03:47:45 PM »

Jim clark ruled
The tracks may have been dangerous back then, but also some of the greatest, look at all the stale short boring track we have these days

I'm sure safety of racecars has moved on enough now to enable racing again on some of the old style circuits, but it'll never happen

Have you ever played Grand Prix Legends?

Febi Guibo · « **Reply #2 on:** April 27, 2006, 04:25:29 PM »

well, I'm only a casual motorsports fan, but I guess I'll go with Gilles Villeneuve... very classy guy, and there's something special about his son's success.

He's on the 'course record' plaque at Lime Rock too...!

(sadly, both drivers passed in their early 30s... this is reading like an honor roll of delta bluesmen)

mrjezza · « **Reply #3 on:** April 27, 2006, 06:54:52 PM »

While not consistent enough to be a champion, some of the greatest manoeuvers I've ever seen in F1 were by Juan Pablo Montoya. JPM was wild, unpredictable and entertaining AND he drove for Williams BMW... is there a better combination?

lordschleife · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2006, 05:57:44 AM »

Well you should have seen how JPM drove in F3000!
Overtaking by driving down the grass on the straights at the old hockenheim, storming through the field at monaco, then getting a penalty for cutting the chicane, then trying to fight through again, ending up with a puncture and some suspension damage, broken front wing when in about 4th I think? Carrying on regardless without pitting and still managing to finish 6th with about 3 wheels on his car
Lapped the entire field in another F3000 race
Thought we had a successor to Gilles there, but I think after a short while in F1 the williams guys told him it was better to drive a car in F1 at 9/10ths and bring it home than at 11/10ths and risk crashing
An attitude thats all too prevailant in modern F1 - that's not really racing to me, still keeps the sponsors happy i suppose

lordschleife · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2006, 06:00:02 AM »

Oh Zanardi in the 96-98 CART years was another great driver to watch in that vein, I remember the vancouver '97 race where he had a problem with his brakes, kept going down the escape road and having to fight his way back up throught the field again - v. entertaining, finished 4th in the end I think.