The church of speed, who are your "saints" of motorsports
Discussion
Good to see somebody has mentioned Vic Elford; one of the most verstatile and skilled drivers there has ever been. Just look at his 1968 season, which is quite jaw dropping. I'm disappointed that 50 years on, nothing has been written to appreciate what he did that year......
Which doesn't say much for the current day motorsport journalists......
Which doesn't say much for the current day motorsport journalists......
?Pericoloso said:
Il commendatore.....Enzo Ferrari.
Where would we be if he'd become a chef or something ?
Eating a Ferrari branded pizza on a Ferrari branded plate with Ferrari branded cutlery on a Ferrari branded table, covered in a Ferrari branded table cloth inside a Ferrari branded Pizzeria, being charged an absolute fortune... possibly.Where would we be if he'd become a chef or something ?
Vitorio said:
A remark about a religious-like dogma in the 919 Ring discussion made me think this would be an interesting topic. If motorsports were a religion, who would you nominate for sainthood, and why?
A few simple rules, nominee must be deceased (AFAIK the catholic church doesnt saint living people either), and have performed one or more "miracles" to the benefit/greater glory of motorsports.
Ill get the obvious one out of the way:
Stefan Bellof, for his absolutely mind numbingly quick, balls out lap of the Ring, setting a record that stood untill just a few days ago.
More martyr than saint. He would've lived longer had he knew how to manage a race and better racecraft.A few simple rules, nominee must be deceased (AFAIK the catholic church doesnt saint living people either), and have performed one or more "miracles" to the benefit/greater glory of motorsports.
Ill get the obvious one out of the way:
Stefan Bellof, for his absolutely mind numbingly quick, balls out lap of the Ring, setting a record that stood untill just a few days ago.
Gerry Marshall for being larger than life and as entertaining in the bar as he was in the car .
I got his autograph at the London motor show when he had Big Bertha on the Vauxhall stand .
John Oxborough for building a road legal Formula Ford single seater and driving it to circuits and racing it .
I got his autograph at the London motor show when he had Big Bertha on the Vauxhall stand .
John Oxborough for building a road legal Formula Ford single seater and driving it to circuits and racing it .
chunder27 said:
Art Arfons
Mike Hailwood
Colin McRae
Stuart Smith stock car driver
Gilles Villeneuve
Wow, what a great Shout!! I don't use this word lightly but Super Stu was my absolute Hero as a kid....I remember being inconsolable when he went out of a World Final at Bradford with a puncture in the early '80's.Mike Hailwood
Colin McRae
Stuart Smith stock car driver
Gilles Villeneuve
Was very saddened by his sudden passing a few years ago....
Why a Sainthood? Well, because he was virtually unbeatable at times, universally loved and loathed in equal measure, but what that did was make everyone raise their game which had the effect of upping the quality of cars and driving I think.
I'd agree with most names on this thread and having seen him drive and seen his personality, Senna would not be on my list. Supremely talented, not of this world and a true great but absolutely no Saint: it might be a British thing, but win at all costs isn't for me......
Sir Stirling Moss would be up there for his honesty with Mike Hawthorn that meant him not becoming the 1958 World Champion, which makes him surpass the epithet of WC for me.
I have to say, I like the thought of Tazio Nuvolari being Sainted - for all those who say Senna is the Greatest of all time, they want to have a look at what this fella got up to...on both two and four wheels....un-worldly!
From Wiki...
His victories—72 major races, 150 in all—included 24 Grands Prix, five Coppa Cianos, two Mille Miglias, two Targa Florios, two RAC Tourist Trophies, a Le Mans 24-hour race, and a European Championship in Grand Prix racing. Ferdinand Porsche called him "the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future."
Edited by shaunroche on Friday 13th July 13:12
So many to choose from!
Jim Clarke who won in most categories, John Surtees who won on 2 wheels and 4, MS who won so many titles (despite crashing into opponents when it suited him), Ayrton Senna who did much the same!
But my current favourites are Marc Marquez for getting the better of the GOAT - again!
Followed by Shane Byrne - a 6 time champion in the BSB.
Johnny Rae in WSB - a 4 time champion with more wins than anyone.
And Lewis Hamilton in F1.
Jim Clarke who won in most categories, John Surtees who won on 2 wheels and 4, MS who won so many titles (despite crashing into opponents when it suited him), Ayrton Senna who did much the same!
But my current favourites are Marc Marquez for getting the better of the GOAT - again!
Followed by Shane Byrne - a 6 time champion in the BSB.
Johnny Rae in WSB - a 4 time champion with more wins than anyone.
And Lewis Hamilton in F1.
OP said:
A few simple rules, nominee must be deceased (AFAIK the catholic church doesnt saint living people either), and have performed one or more "miracles" to the benefit/greater glory of motorsports.
Mr Tidy said:
So many to choose from!
...
But my current favourites are Marc Marquez for getting the better of the GOAT - again!
Followed by Shane Byrne - a 6 time champion in the BSB.
Johnny Rae in WSB - a 4 time champion with more wins than anyone.
And Lewis Hamilton in F1.
...
But my current favourites are Marc Marquez for getting the better of the GOAT - again!
Followed by Shane Byrne - a 6 time champion in the BSB.
Johnny Rae in WSB - a 4 time champion with more wins than anyone.
And Lewis Hamilton in F1.
GravelBen said:
OP said:
A few simple rules, nominee must be deceased (AFAIK the catholic church doesnt saint living people either), and have performed one or more "miracles" to the benefit/greater glory of motorsports.
Sorry, never spotted the deceased bit! And yes, I do wear glasses!Let's have another go then....
Nuvolari for the obvious reasons above
Stu Smith - debatably the Greatest of all time
Jim Clark (spelled correctly being as that is his name) probably the Greatest driver of all time - quick in anything and not a danger to those around him
Surtees for the amazing titles on two and four wheels - even today I get the feeling this isn't given the credit it's due!
But ultimately, Archie Scott Brown - born with one hand, no shin bones and feet pointing backwards, beat many more able bodied and a fierce competitor, do or die attitude, (and he did at spa, racing Masten Gregory) and all round top chap. An absolute inspiration.
Edited by shaunroche on Thursday 19th July 12:57
Émile Constant Levassor
Engineering pioneer, constructor, manufacturer and utter hardcore demon driver. Winner of arguably the first true motor car "race", the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris trial of 1895, driving one of his own Panhard et Levassor of not-very immense 1200cc displacement, he made it to Bordeaux in very good time. Unfortunately, his relief driver for the return leg was sleeping in a hotel, none of the race officials knew which one, and Émile was reluctant to lose his lead. He partook of sandwiches and champagne then a brief postprandial constitutional... being a gentleman, after all... and set off immediately back to Paris.
He won the race in a frankly incredible time of 48 hours 48 minutes, single-handed, having only eaten sandwiches and champers. He was SIX HOURS ahead of the next finisher. In a car with tyres made from bladders, no brakes and on unmade roads of unimaginably bad quality. In a foreshadowing of the racer vs the rules problem that still pervades motorsport, he was disqualified for only having a two-seat car when the race was supposed to be for four-seaters. The second place finisher was also excluded for the same reason, meaning the third-place Peugeot took the win, eleven hours behind Levassor!
During the carnage of the 1896 Paris-Marseilles-Paris race, he swerved to avoid a dog and crashed hard into a tree. He suffered profound injuries (from which he never properly recovered, dying from complications just over year later). He was in the lead at the time. He managed to finish the stage and hand over to his riding mechanic, after driving his wrecked car and tolerating heinous injuries for 36 hours of hard driving to the stage end. Absolute nails
Engineering pioneer, constructor, manufacturer and utter hardcore demon driver. Winner of arguably the first true motor car "race", the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris trial of 1895, driving one of his own Panhard et Levassor of not-very immense 1200cc displacement, he made it to Bordeaux in very good time. Unfortunately, his relief driver for the return leg was sleeping in a hotel, none of the race officials knew which one, and Émile was reluctant to lose his lead. He partook of sandwiches and champagne then a brief postprandial constitutional... being a gentleman, after all... and set off immediately back to Paris.
He won the race in a frankly incredible time of 48 hours 48 minutes, single-handed, having only eaten sandwiches and champers. He was SIX HOURS ahead of the next finisher. In a car with tyres made from bladders, no brakes and on unmade roads of unimaginably bad quality. In a foreshadowing of the racer vs the rules problem that still pervades motorsport, he was disqualified for only having a two-seat car when the race was supposed to be for four-seaters. The second place finisher was also excluded for the same reason, meaning the third-place Peugeot took the win, eleven hours behind Levassor!
During the carnage of the 1896 Paris-Marseilles-Paris race, he swerved to avoid a dog and crashed hard into a tree. He suffered profound injuries (from which he never properly recovered, dying from complications just over year later). He was in the lead at the time. He managed to finish the stage and hand over to his riding mechanic, after driving his wrecked car and tolerating heinous injuries for 36 hours of hard driving to the stage end. Absolute nails
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