Showing posts with label IndyCar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IndyCar. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2015

Dario Franchitti - Why I Quit Racing

I'm a big racing fan. Any sport where there is serious risk every time you go out there, that's what I love. IndyCar is dangerous, in the same way as Formula 1, MotoGP and other sports where you reach speeds over 100 km/h on the warm-up lap!

One of the biggest stars in the motorsports world has definitely been Dario Franchitti. The IndyCar Series Champion in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 he also won the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012. This guy knows how to race. This guy knows how to win too.



So why did he quit getting into a car back in 2013? After a massive crash he was told by doctors that he should just walk away from it.



As he says himself:

It wasn’t some big dramatic scene. I wasn’t devastated or anything. Besides, my sole focus was on getting better. I just wanted to be able to live my life normally again.
An awesome chap. Not too many people can be that cold and calculating. He'd been racing since the early 80's and, as he states in a recent interview, his parents remortgaged the house to get him through his first year in karting.

Jackie Stewart was key in helping him further his career, and Dario recollects his first meeting with Jackie:

"He was brilliant though. He put me at ease completely. We were doing a Christmas quiz, all the team, and one of the questions was about Stirling Moss. Jackie opened his suit pocket, pulled out his phone, flipped it down [and called Stirling] to double-check the answer. I thought to myself: 'Wow. This is the big time. Holy smokes.'" 

I can only hope that future drivers can be as magnanimous and gentlemanly as Dario.



kthanxbai!

Jumblerant

Thursday, February 23, 2012

I found me a new hero!

I've been a Formula 1 racing fan for many years now, going back to my childhood in the 80's.

Fast women and loose cars; its what I do.

Anyway, I've been living in a country that doesn't have an F1 presence, for the last 15 years and even though I'm originally a Brit, none of the UK based drivers really excite me.

And then I found him when our eyes met over a YouTube video.

A driver who is hungry for a win, has proven himself in the past, is willing to push the boundaries slightly, and best of all, works for a British F1 team.

Lady and gentlemen, I present to you - Vitaly Petrov. My new Formula 1 driver.

And why the hero part in the blog title? Because as well as having to deal with the British media on a daily basis, garner sponsorship for himself and, it appears, fight for his drive every season, he still has to drive exceptionally fast around a track with other, like-minded nutters.

We haven't had a death in Formula 1 since Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton de Silva Senna in 1994, but five drivers have died while driving a Formula One car at the Nürburgring; only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has had more casualties!

Sadly Dan Wheldon died in October in Las vegas whilst racing in IndyCar, so these guys are not just fancy hair and interesting accents. This is serious stuff.

So, well done Vitaly - and good luck!




kthanxbai!

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