The doctors in Graz, Austria, said yesterday that the racing driver would have been crippled for life had he survived. Its as if his father is in his presence. Drexel University 1973 Lexerd (Yearbook), pp. A headache resulted, however, and worsened. We were the college kids with the crew cuts and the polished wheels, Penske said. I could see what was coming, he said. Continuing the practice of reducing weight allowed them to place weights of certain sizes strategically in specific locations within the car, thus helping to balance the car while being driven on the limit. He was really the first person that I knew in racing that not only had the driving skills, but also the technical knowledge. Event the win at the 1972 Indianapolis 500 created more sleepless nights, because the win did not come on his own terms. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that all memorial donations be sent to the Auto Racing Fraternity Foundation, 13539 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, Queens. The rookies looking to make their mark on F1 in 2023, What controls the frontline in the latest F1 design tech battles, What controls the frontline in the latest F1 design tech battles I think at that point we started to bring the sport to a higher level, Penske said. By clicking on 'Join' button, you confirm that you are over 13 years of age and agree to the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. Allison, the runner-up finisher, will forever be in awe of what he witnessed from Donohue, with whom hed eventually work while driving for Penske. At the age of twenty-two,[citation needed] while a senior at Brown, Donohue began racing his 1957 Corvette. The Penske team leader, Heinz Hofer, said Donohue had told him after the crash that the left front tire had been punctured as he was traveling about 160 m.p.h. Two weeks ago, however, he showed he had not lost his skill at getting a race car around a track when he set a world speed record of 221.160 miles an hour for a closed course. . He never regained consciousness. Not that Donohues career or his one win in NASCAR needed validation, but IROC has long crystallized what fans thought of the talent in drivers who never outwardly succeeded in the Cup Series. In his career, Donohue started 311 races and won 119 of them, a winning average of 38 percent. Goldberg Segalla, LLP, Albany (Mark Donohue of counsel), for respondents. The driver must accept the risks involved, which I didand I spent my time in the hospital as a result.. Donahue qualified fourth and passed Bobby Allison for the lead on Lap 10. Walt Hangsen, a former SCCA champion and road racing veteran who even make a pair of F1 starts, helped Donohue get a ride in John Mecoms Ferrari 250LM at Sebring in 1965. Donohue held the record for 11 years, until it was broken by Rick Mears at Michigan International Speedway . Mark obviously brought an air of professionalism. But in eight months of retirement, the quiet, wellspoken kid from the other side of the tracks learned that the hobby that had become an obsession still haunted him. It is there at Saint Teresa Cemetery and Mausoleum that Donohue is buried alongside his mother and father. through one of the fastest turns on the track. Then, in March, 1974, Peter Revson, Penske's first choice as driver for the Formula One car that was to make its debut later in the season, was killed in an accident practicing for the South African Grand Prix. Mark Donohue began racing at the age of 22 in a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette . Mark felt he had to devote all his time to the team. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Our car experts choose every product we feature. We need an obit.. The search for Mark Donohue concludes in the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey just outside of New York City. David followed his father into sports car racing for Porsche. Why "grounded" Hamilton remains confident in Mercedes' F1 recovery. He won three times in IndyCar competition and won the 1973 NASCAR Cup Series race at Riverside Raceway in Riverside, California, driving an AMC Matador. Amazingly, Donohue only suffered an internal derangement of his knee with meniscus damage and limited cruciate plus collateral ligament damage. Its been 43 years since Donohues death, but he remains Penske Racings cornerstone. By 1973, the "Captain Nice" nickname he had earned earlier in his career was being supplanted by the nickname "Dark Monohue". It was at Hangsens funeral that Roger Penske approached Donohue to drive for him. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. What can be better in life, a better ideal?, In 1966, Penske told him: Try it for a year, you're still a young man, and if it doesn't work out you can always go back to engineering.. They continued to use the "lightweight" car in 1968, at the Sebring 12-hour race. How famous was Mark . Harry Gant was a champion in 1985, Ricky Rudd was a champion in 1992 and Mark Martin became a five-time champion; all three failed to secure NASCAR championships. To appreciate what Donohue and Penske accomplished that day, lets consider three important points: Its safe to say Donohue, an Ivy League-educated engineer, was Penskes muse when it came to auto racing; the burgeoning team owner offered Donohue a driving job at a funeral for Donohues friend, Walt Hansgen, his co-driver in sports cars whod helped guide young Donohues career to that point. I got into racing because it seemed like an easy thing to do. Donohue did not start the first race of the year at Circuit Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City due to problems getting the engine to start. I get all of these tiny little stories from everybody where my dad grabbed this guy as a kid and sat him in the car -- and that motivated him enough to go to engineering school. Search instead in Creative? Mark Donohue was one of the daredevil drivers of the 1970's. He exuded boyhood charm, was a speed demon behind the wheel, and was a legend of US racing, with wins at Daytona, the Indy 500, and Trans-Am Champion. Back to Victory Lane, Every Indy 500 Winner from the Dawn of Time, In search of Team Penske racing legend Mark Donohue. The two proved to be like-minded peas in a pod. He knew racing drivers couldn't come back. I saw him race at Lime Rock in an Elva, and (longtime Penske friend and later president of the IROC series) Jay Signore said I should watch this guy. After going to the hospital in Graz the next day, Donohue lapsed into a coma from a cerebral hemorrhage and died. When he came out, he was a different person. Hangsen was killed testing a car for the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was a partner, he was a friend and a critical piece of the foundation of our race team.. Then they put both cars in the race, number 15 and 16, one car being 250 pounds lighter. It became official last September. He began to spend more than time. After coming out of retirement with his former boss, Penske, Donohue returned to Formula One, entering into the final two races of the 1974 Formula One season. On his second lap, while at about 260 km/h a rear tire of his March 751 Ford suddenly blew, the out of control car went through the fence for about 180 feet, over a guard-rail and into a ravine. He obsessively lived at the shop, working as many as 20 hours a day. In 1961, Donohue bought the Elva and battled with another young racing star, Peter Revson, for the SCCA divisional championship. He was on for a second appearance at the Glen, but a practice accident saw Mark being replaced by David Hobbs. The Newtown Square facility was a small, 4,000 square-foot garage out back with a small bungalow in front of the shop. He was just that way. Mark Donohue was an enigma. (He was operated on at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta by Drs. He tried to be a team manager; that didnt work. We were there to go racing.. Today, he works for Porsche Cars North America as client relationship manager. My friends began warning me., Racing was becoming an obsession, but in 1965, he realized: Maybe I can make a living out of something like to do. A full season of racing for the 1975 Formula One season was planned. He will be ranked with A. J. Foyt, Dan Gurney and Andretti in the leading group of American drivers. The 38yearold Donohue underwent a threehour operation at a hospital here Sunday to remove a blood clot from his brain. The 917-30 is referred to as the "Can-Am killer" [18] as it dominated the competition, winning all but two races of the 1973 Can-Am championship (which is an untrue statement, because OPEC killed the Can-Am series in 19751976). He was very quiet, very unassuming, Mario Andretti told Autoweek. Truth is, they often didnt know if something would work., Thirty-three years after the big crash, Penske told Argetsinger: Mark was my best friend [this, despite Donohue once spearing his boss with an AMC Javelin in the pits, tossing Penske 15 feet]. When Mark Donohue died in Austria 40 years ago this week, motor racing lost not only a hugely successful driver, but also someone who would surely have enjoyed a long and productive career on the other side of the sport. His Porsche 917-30 was so dominant it was called the Can-Am Killer, as he won seven of eight races and the 1973 Can-Am Championship. In 1974, he quit driving and became president of Penske Racing. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. That was the most striking thing I ever saw him do. Mark Donohue and Roger Penske during a break in the Indy-car action at Michigan International Speedway n 1974. Toy cars at the gravesite of Mark Donohue in Summit, New Jersey. The email you entered is not registered with us. He sustained a fatal head injury from the crash. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. They were just forging ahead, David Donohue recalled. Donohue was able to muster fifth-place finishes at the Swedish Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix, but the new Penske PC1 chassis proved problematic, as evidenced by three retirements in the first six races. He did it through sheer force of will. Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? Complete Canadian-American Challenge Cup results, Inskip Family History & Competition Engineering staff. It is strangely rewarding in a way I never thought racing would be for me, personally. Among the most impressive cars in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is the beautiful blue and yellow No. Racing was Donohues obsession. But where other youngsters were souping up cars to impress girls, I was only interested in the mechanics, Donohue said.
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