432 replies to this topic

[Red Flag]

Indeed. Ned Jarrett is a former NASCAR champion who became a commentator after retiring. His son Dale has followed the same career trajectory. Ken Squier is the closest thing NASCAR have to Murray Walker. Barney Hall's a radio commentator, I believe

In other related news, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, who now races in NASCAR, got a bit lucky in the Daytona 500 yesterday:

[maryportfuncity]

When Michael Schumacher made his comeback into F1 I said in this very thread that he didn't have one more win left in this level of the sport, let alone the championship he said he could win. Ahead of what must surely be his last ever F1 season, what does anyone else reckon? I still think he won't win a GP this year.

[Red Flag]

He won't win in normal conditions unless Mercedes build a much better car. However, if the circumstances play into his hands (and he has shown he's still just as adept at handling things like rain as he was in his prime), he could snatch one. But it's very unlikely given that he hasn't as much stepped on the podium yet, let alone got close to winning, though that's as much down to the domination of Red Bull and the gulf between the top 3 teams and the rest as it is down to Schumacher being older and slower than he once was, and that's unlikely to change this year. I should imagine Vettel will win the title again, as he gets ever closer to Michael's records

[our Sydney]

_{I said this on a previous post, I think Mr Schumacher is heading for a big crash. The Mercedes car is close enough to the pace that it should be doing occasional podium placings. This combined with the previous record of the team principle and the team in it's first season and how the team as a whole performed before he joined it all put alot of pressure on him. I think this was demonstrated by his increasingly agressive driving last season and the aparently bigger chances he was taking with his own and fellow drivers safty as the season went on. He should have retired at the end of last season, I think this season he will get even more agressive and take further chances until somthing big happens.
Best regards
Syd}

[maryportfuncity]

Hmm, interesting opinion. There hasn't been a fatality in an F1 race since Ayrton Senna was killed chasing Schumi's illegally modified car which explains Schumi's subsequent fit of tearful remorse when he equalled Senna's total of wins; cos deep down he knew he was a MURDERER!!!!!

Well, for a long time anyway.

[Rotten Ali]

It's more a music topic post but Jim Nabors is best known for his annual rendition of Back Home Again In Indiana at the Brickyard. This year he won't be there again in person since he is due some heart operation. Instead they will be showing a special tape recording and I guess it may well be his final fairwell, so the speedway have it in the can ready to be rolled out from here on in case he does not make it back in person ever again.

[Paul Bearer]

Trending at the mo on twitter Lee Richardson speedway rider.

[Red Flag]

Must have missed the passing earlier in the week of American motorsport legend Carroll Shelby. A winner of Le Mans in 1959 and briefly an F1 driver, he was most well-known for founding the Shelby American sports car tuning company which famously developed special versions of the AC Cobra and Ford Mustang

EDIT: Ah, missed the thread

[maryportfuncity]

One serious injury, some minor ones after that pit fire yesterday. Back in the day when some dead pools allowed "any one..." picks this would doubtless have prompted a debate about whether any one F1 mechanic was allowable, or whether the dead pooler would have to specify the team.

[Octopus of Odstock]

Les Leston, former Grand Prix racing driver, turned racewear accessory kingpin and a former DDP pick by my good self, has died after a long illness - http://www.classican...n_19202012.html - not a good year for the drivers of the 1950's, that's the 5th this year.

[maryportfuncity]

Lee Richardson; speedway rider. Mutterings in the British speedway community about how needless this accident was and how different safety barriers would have prevented it being fatal. Massive interna injuries after he hit metal hoardings.

[Lard Bazaar]

Motorcycle rider Mark Buckley killed at the North West 200 road race in Northern Ireland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...reland-18128784

[Octopus of Odstock]

Two more racing passings lately - Gerard Pillon, who raced sportscars and in F2, was killed in a road accident, aged 75, last Saturday, whilst Ian Burgess, who started 16 Grand Prix's in the late 1950's and early 1960's died this morning, aged 81.

[Rotten Ali]

I liked this quote on the autosport forum web site today...

"AJ Foyt looks bad. There was a betting pool for which would expire first AJ or Jim Nabors."

I must say that I too watched a clip or two of AJ in the build-up programme that he looked quite unwell. How many more years he has in him is a prime question but I guess not many more than 10 for sure.

[maryportfuncity]

And meanwhile, Ross Brawn is talking up Michael Schumacher's performance last weekend and clearly suggesting the man who has started more F1 events than anyone else continues his career into 2013.

[charon]

Former F1 http://en.wikipedia....i/Roy_Salvadori @ 90

[Octopus of Odstock]

Paul Pietsch, the last surviving pre-war Grand Prix driver, the oldest (until recently) Grand Prix driver, the first Grand Prix driver to reach 100 years of age and a DDP pick for 2 teams, has died, aged 100 - http://www.auto-moto...ot-5034459.html.

But I'm not sure if he'll get an obit - he's been dead a week, but also as Roy Salvadori now has a full obit in the Telegraph, it might need an Independent "Motor racing special" of Salvo, Burgess, Leston and Pietsch for it to be recognised in the UK press. All the proper obits are in German right now.

[maryportfuncity]

Former F1 driver Anthony Davidson fractured a couple of bones in his spine at Le Mans this weekend. BIG accident to rival wee Alan McNish's crash last year.

[Paul Bearer]

Gareth Roberts, rally driver killed in Italy

[maryportfuncity]

Jorge Lorenzo got taken out this weekend, very close to a full-scale calamity involving a few of the field on the opening lap.