Scary sport

My mother cried a river before she finally convinced me that my sport is a dangerous one.  Yes, I was into car racing when I arrived in Cebu City in 1969. Well, who wouldn’t, when your gasoline is free, being a marketing representative for Getty Oil Company, an oil conglomerate owned by then the  richest American, Jean Paul Getty.  Just to show you how risky the sport is, in the book The Top 100 F1 Drivers Of All Time.  Over 30 racers died after smash up, some burned beyond recognition.  I’m writing here the more popular drivers.

Ayrton Senna

Of Brazil, three-time world champion should top the list.  Senna was killed when his Williams  FW16 crashed while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix  at Imola in Bologna.  Senna was trying to shrug off Michael Schumacher who was on his tail.  Brazil declared three days of national mourning and in his funeral, his rival, Alain Prost, was one of the pall bearers.

Jim Clark

World champion in 1963 and 1965 died on April 7, 1968 at Hockenheim in a Formula 2 race.  Clark has never driven at Hockenheim and after six laps, he lost control of his car at 170 mph, careened down the track, overturned several times, hit the trees and blew into bits.  In 72 Grand Prix, he was on pole 33 times. 

Gilles Villeneuve

This tiny Canadian crashed to his death at Zolder in August 1982 trying to match teammate Didier Pironi’s lap times as they battled for grid position at the Belgian Grand Prix.  Five years later, after a terrible accident at Hockenheim, Pironi shifted to the equally dangerous sport of powerboat racing.  While cruising off the Isles of Wight in England, his powerboat flipped over, killing Pironi and his two crew members, journalist Bernard Giroux and former F3 racer Jean Claude Guenard.

Bruce McLaren

 On June 2, 1970 Bruce McLaren of New Zealand was testing the latest Mc Laren M8D-Cheverolets at Goodwork, England, when an unsecurely fastened section of the car’s bodywork flew backwards off the car at high speed.  The car was pitched out of control, hit a disused marshal’s post and Bruce was killed instantly.

Wolfgang Von Trips

Nicknamed “Taffy”, Wolfgang Von Trips of Germany completed 27 Grand Prix, winning two in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.  Von Trips tragically tangled with Jim Clark’s Lotus as the two cars braked at the end of the second lap.  Von Trips Ferrari flipped  up into the air, riding along the packed spectator fence, before slamming back onto the track, killing Von Trips and 14 on lookers.

Alberto Ascari

Of Italy was world champion in 1952 and 1953.  He was killed during an impromptu test of a Ferrari Sports car at Monza in 1955  by coincidence on the same day of the same month as his father, Antonio who died during the 1926 French GP at Montlhery.

Jochen Rindt

Of Austria, 1970 World Champion, died on September 5, 1970 while practicing for the  following year’s   Italian Grand Prix when a brake shaft broke on his Lotus 72.  He was married to Nina, a former international model.

Ricardo Rodriguez

In November 1, 1962, Mexican  racer Ricardo Rodriguez slam his Lotus over the lip of the banked Peraltada right hander before the startline.  He suffered multiple injuries and died shortly, afterwards.

Pedro Rodriguez

Older brother of Ricardo who completed 55 Grands Prix and winning two.  In 1971, a week before the British Grand Prix, Pedro drove a Ferrari 512M in an inconsequential Interserie Sports Car Race at the Norisring in Germany.  Going for the lead, he was edged into the wall lapping a slower car.  The Ferrari erupted into flames and Pedro died afterwards.

Francois Cevert

The French racer was pushing too hard in practice for the 73 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen U.S.A, when he crashed heavily at the high-speed uphill esses and was killed.  He was a teammate of another racing great, Jackie Stewart, a three-time world champion.

Dojie Laurel

Our very own Arsenio “Dojie” Laurel, brother of former vice president Doy Laurel, died on November 19, 1967 after his Lotus crashed during the Macau Grand Prix.  Laurel swerved his car to the wall to avoid hitting the spectators.  He was 35 years old.