mark donohue accident

He was just that way. Mark Donohue was an enigma. He died from severe head injuries sustained August 16 in practice for the Austrian Grand Prix at Graz, Austria. The Griffith company closed its doors in November, 1966. I dont remember him changing a bit.. A 25-year-old passenger in the Infiniti, a woman from Olney, was seriously hurt and taken to the hospital. Donohue won in 1972, driving for Penske. In auto racing, though, even thinking man's drivers can get killed by punctured tires. He was helped by Emerson Fittipaldi, Bob Evans and Hans-Joachim Stuck, who arrived to the scene of the accident and parked their cars. He just decided it was time to get out, and he wanted to do the Formula 1 program, Penske said. Racing is a very weird circus that way. I think at that point we started to bring the sport to a higher level, Penske said. Penske, along with Donohue's wife, Eden, and father, Mark Sr., were at Donohue's bedside. At Donohue's bedside were his wife of eight months, Eden; his father, Mark Sr., a retired patent lawyer, and Roger Penske, for whom he drove since 1966 and a close personal friend. I had just put in 30 consecutive hours of writing, editing, and laying out race reports for CAR Weekly, which we sometimes spelled Weakly because there were only five of us and we possessed merely the slimmest notion of what we were doing. Advertisement. When he came out, he was a different person. That is something I would have never had if I didnt go to races. Mark told me, Sometimes you just have to get it done., That was my take, too, says Michael Argetsinger, who has just written a riveting biography called Mark Donohue: Technical Excellence at Speed (David Bull Publishing, $39.95). In 2003, in commemoration of Penske Racing's 50th NASCAR win, Nextel Cup driver Ryan Newman drove a Dodge Intrepid painted to resemble Donohue's 1973 AMC (with a No. On 09 August he reached an average speed around the 2.66 mile high-banked oval, of 221.120 mi/h (about 355 km/h), this has been a World record for several years.Donohue and the Penske team then made the trip to Austria. But this was a safe driver, a man who knew his limits, his car's limits and didn't go over the edge, as they say in racing. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Donohue began working with cars while growing up in the nineteenfifties in a comfortable neighborhood in Summit, N. J. The original Penske Racing team included Penske, Donohue, chief mechanic and crew chief Karl Kainhofer. The No. Donohue was hit in the head by a fence post and knocked . It became official last September. This account has been suspended due to strange activity. Acid-dipping car bodies was prevalent with competing Trans-Am teams also. GRAZ, Austria, Aug. 19 (AP)Mark Donohue, who ended an eightmonth retirement as an auto driver last year because he couldn't keep away from racing, died tonight of injuries suffered Sunday at the Austrian Grand Prix. Once, Penske rented a Formula One car for Donohue and in 1971, in his first start in one of these singleseat, opencockpit racing cars, he finished third in the Canadian Grand Prix. In the 1971 Indianapolis 500, Donohue started second and led 52 of the first 66 laps before breaking a gearbox. It would have really been great watching those two together in the later years if it had gotten that far. It meant immediate surgery. FIA grants Hamilton medical exemption to wear nose studs, Hamilton: F1 retirement talk from Button and Hill not "helpful, Hamilton: F1 retirement talk from Button and Hill not "helpful The book was re-released in 2000 by Bentley Publishers (Cambridge, Massachusetts). Directing other drivers, making suggestions, helping mechanicseven sweeping up around the garagewere not enough. Its a goal he had and a goal he checked off. Sometimes, I would leave early and take my own car to the airport because I didnt want to put up with him. Donohue chronicled his entire racing career in the book, The Unfair Advantage (co-written with noted motorsports and engineering journalist Paul Van Valkenburgh). That day at Indy, Bobby Unsers Eagle dominated the contest before Unser dropped out. Nine weeks before the Le Mans race, while testing a GT40 Mk II in the rain, Donohue's friend and former teammate Walt Hansgen lost control and crashed his car into an escape road barrier, suffering fatal injuries. Then they put both cars in the race, number 15 and 16, one car being 250 pounds lighter. He was one of the best American roadracers in history, but his biggest triumph was on the oval at Indianapolis, where in 1972 he won the 500. Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? Why Las Vegas is key to F1's growth plans, Mercedes: New W14 sidepod design wont copy F1 rivals, Mercedes: New W14 sidepod design wont copy F1 rivals 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. Seeing another man driving your car, a car you know so well. Going racing meant anywhere and everywhere, and the two chose to tackle stock cars. When she brought us in to see the finish, I dont think she knew he had won. The four-race schedule consisted of three races at Riverside and a finale on Daytonas road course. I got into racing because it seemed like an easy thing to do. This time, the interlopers would leave no doubt as they set out to prove their reputations for calculated dominance. He was a partner, he was a friend and a critical piece of the foundation of our race team.. Although photographs of Donohue with the more aerodynamic 1974 Matador coupe exist and are published, he did not drive it in competition. Its made me realize its an honor to be his son. He obsessively lived at the shop, working as many as 20 hours a day. Painkillers affected his memory, and he began drinking heavily to deal with the pain. Donohue was considered a leading Trans-Am driver of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Were far from having too much horsepower, he asserted. Donohue raced at Indianapolis each year following,[15] finishing second in 1970 and 25th in 1971. The winner of the 1972 Indianapolis 500 and the Can Am in l973. But there was one phase of racing that he had never really taken part in, what he called his personal missing link. This was in the Formula One cars, perhaps this dangerous sport's most dangerous, which run on the grand prix circuit. A headache resulted, however, and worsened. Then, in 1977 a chicane, named Hella-Licht, was installed at that point of the track, bringing the length of the circuit to 5.941 kilometers.Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. was survived by his second wife Eden, the couple had only recently married; and his two sons from his previous marriage, Michael and David. In the 19721973 season, driving an AMC Matador for Penske Racing in NASCAR's top division, the Winston Cup Series, Donohue won the season-opening event at Riverside. Password Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. He is known for Formula 1 (1950) and The Trans-Am Challenge (1972). In 1967 he became the USRRC champion, winning six out of eight races. He tried to get a car dealership; that didnt work. It would have been really fun to watch the two of them because they are so much alike. He won the Can Am championship in 197, the TransAm title in 1968, 1969 and 1971. We brought some technology. The search for Mark Donohue concludes in the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey just outside of New York City. We had the tragic crash in practice and he seemed like he was all right, but he ended up losing his life. He won Indy and we juiced him up and he was out there giving a speech and he was so funny that his sense of humor came out and everybody loved it. The book told how Donohue learned to exploit the antilock braking system and the powerful turbocharged engine of several prototype Porsches, as well as how he learned from various mishaps, including a near-fatal crash. 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. A friend once described riding in Donohue's Porsche 911 as a 'Wall of Death thing most of the time. The singleseat, opencockpit Formula One cars used in grand prix racing have been called torpedoes. Ford immediately signed Donohue to drive one of their GT-40 Mk II race cars campaigned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the Holman & Moody racing team. What I realize now is that I wouldnt have succeeded in my other businesses if Mark hadnt completely taken over the race team., In the Penske garage at Indy in 71, someonecertainly not Donohue or Penskeerected a sign that said: Those of you who think you know it all are particularly annoying to those of us who do., .css-dhtls0{display:block;font-family:GlikoS,Georgia,Times,Serif;font-weight:400;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-dhtls0:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-dhtls0{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-dhtls0{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 61.25rem){.css-dhtls0{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.2;}}Elana Scherr: On the Count of Three (Wheels), Elana Scherr: Dodge Challenger Challenge Accepted. He was the thinking man's driver, maybe because, unlike most of his rivals, he had an Ivy League education and maybe because looking at that cherubic face, which was several years younger than his racescarred body, there was no other way to explain how this kid was winning. During a practice session for the race, Donohue lost control of his March after a tyre failed, sending him into the catch fencing at the fastest corner on the track, Vest Hgel Kurve. Donohue raced in seven of the eight races that year, winning six (at Las Vegas, Riverside, Bridgehampton, Watkins Glen, Pacific Raceways, and Mid-Ohio) and finishing third at the Laguna Seca Raceway round behind Lothar Motschenbacher and Mike Goth. I'd always thought that I'm not as good a driver as I am capable of figuring out how to make the car the quickest, he once said. He did it at Talladega, Ala., in the turbocharged Porsche he drove to the 1973 CanAm title. With Donohues methodical approach and his commitment to work for Penske fulltime that counted for a lot Penske said. August 19, 1975 in Graz, Styria, Austria (car accident) Birth Name: Mark Neary Donohue Jr. Mini Bio (1) Mark Donohue was born on March 18, 1937 in Haddon Township, New Jersey, USA. In all, he won 57 major races and more than $1million. 1968 would be a banner year for Donohue in the Trans-Am series, as he successfully defended his 12 Hours of Sebring victory by partnering with Craig Fisher and driving his Penske Chevrolet Camaro to victory. Together, they took on Trans-Am, then turned their attention to the Indianapolis 500. Two weeks ago, he took the 1973 CanAm car out of mothballs and set a world speed record for a closed course of 221.160 miles an. A bad week or the dark horse from F1 testing? His condition quickly worsened and he passed away two days later, victim of a blood clot in his brain.Following the fatal accident the sterreichring first turn was tightened in 1976 and the track lenght passed from 5.911 to 5.906 kilometers. 4445. He turned his last race, the first International Race of Champions finalin which top driver from all forms of racing competed into an easy victory Feb. 15, 1974, and then concentrated on his new duties as president of Penske Racing. Amongst his friends, he liked practical jokes and liked catching people out on things. Donohue was fiercely motivated and was one of the first drivers to bring a sense of mechanical engineering to his craft. By clicking on 'Join' button, you confirm that you are over 13 years of age and agree to the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. Aug 21, 2015, 4:28 PM. Police have not yet released his identity. The real Mark came out.. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. He was passionate about racing. He was very quiet, very unassuming, Mario Andretti told Autoweek. How famous was Mark . Seeing it in real life when you come into the museum here, I know one thing -- I fit in it really well. The real engineers were Don Cox [from GM] and Helmut Flegl [from Porsche]. It was largely Flegl who created the Porsche 917-30, whose 1100 horsepower, the SCCA bitched, was killing the Can-Am series. The practice sessions were marred by serious accidents; Brian Henton destroyed his Lotus after sliding in an oil patch, and Wilson Fittipaldi broke his hand when crashing at the Rindt Kurve. It is said that Donohue's head struck either a catch fencing post or the bottom of the wood frame for an advertising billboard located alongside of the racetrack. And given enough time just one more year, maybe he wouldve become Americas first world champion.. A visit to the gravesite on a gray, cold, foggy March day revelaved little toy race cars on the gravestone, along with a plastic checkered flag -- a testament the life of Mark Donohue. Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. He will be ranked with A. J. Foyt, Dan Gurney and Andretti in the leading group of American drivers. Donohue demolished Al Unser's IMS track record of 170.221mph with a 181.2mph practice lap on May 12, a day that still makes Penske chuckle. It affected the whole team. In 1974, he quit driving and became president of Penske Racing. Racing was Donohues obsession. 1975 Camaro Racemark GT Bob Bailey. See the article in its original context from. Even with only three caution flags, the race lasted 12 minutes shy of five hours, a brutal exercise for the majority of the right-turn-averse stock car regulars, but nothing a veteran of the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring hadnt already experienced. (Photo: Bob DOlivo / The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images). They also acid-dipped the body on the Camaro and had to caution people not to lean against it, for fear it would dent. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. As one of the best test drivers and developers in the business, he would get the car ready, then Penske would have to turn it over to a younger hotshot. But the intended hotshot, Peter Revson, was killed in a grandprix accident in March, 1974. We need an obit.. Mark Donohue racked in 59 career wins for Team Penske in several different series. A full season of racing for the 1975 Formula One season was planned. The Ferrari lived up to none of Marks calculations, and he was devastated, Bedard recalls. Mark Donohue returning from retirement to lead Roger Penske's Formula 1 team looked like a perfect match. Found a bug?SuggestionsCopyrightNeed help?Business DevelopmentGeneral inquiry, PopScreen - Video Search, Bookmarking and Discovery Engine. He said, Just follow me. Following Mark Donohue on a two-lane road with no street lights was an exercise. Bahrain GP: F1 technical images direct from the pitlane, What we learned from Friday practice at F1's 2023 Bahrain GP, What we learned from Friday practice at F1's 2023 Bahrain GP As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I realized then that if I wanted to do better in this business I had to spend more time on my car, he said. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. I imagine it must feel like watching another man in bed with your wife. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/08/21/archives/mark-donohue-returns-to-die.html. They discovered that using a drag racing trick of dipping a car in an acid bath would eat away small amounts of metal, which in turn made the car incrementally lighter, and allowed it to be driven faster. To be sure, it seems what we now know as The Penske Way gained steam with Donohue as its pied piper. The tangible steps Alpine has taken to meeting its humble F1 2023 targets, Why "grounded" Hamilton remains confident in Mercedes' F1 recovery, Why "grounded" Hamilton remains confident in Mercedes' F1 recovery It includes information and additional photography that was not available before the first edition was published. Instead, the Racemark GT had Bedard, also a racer, showering praise. After an initial run of four laps, Donohue entered the pits for a routine check-up and a few adjustments. In February of '65 Donohue was named as comptroller at Griffith Motors but was soon spirited away from Griffith by Roger Penske early in 1966. After going to the hospital in Graz the next day, Donohue lapsed into a coma from a cerebral hemorrhage and died. An investigation determined tire failure caused Donohues fatal crash, and the family won a $12 million settlement. In addition, the horrific events at the 1973 Indianapolis 500 and the subsequent death of his friend, Swede Savage, pushed him to quit. We went to the Speedway in 1971 and we had this card that translated the speed on the stopwatch to your average speed. Unfortunately, Donohue lost a life after an accident during practice for 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. So they fiddled with it in non-meaningful ways, then Mark went back out. He gained 11.5 secondsthe quickest Ferrari in the field and fourth overall. I always said driving wasn't really a dangerous situation. He began to spend more than time. There was little question then that Donohue, who would testdrive the new car and help supervise its development, would come out of retirement. Mark Donohue and Roger Penske had planned an hard assault to the 1975 Formula 1 Championship, but the season soon turned out to be difficult. When you see the car in real life, it becomes so much more real.. Mark Donohue's Fatal Crash - sterreichring 1975 (42 years ago) Humphrey The Auto Racing Fan 1989 2.38K subscribers Subscribe 54 Save 13K views 5 years ago Notice Age-restricted video. He did the job for Roger, no question. A track marshal was killed by debris from the accident, but Donohue did not appear to be injured significantly. And my wife gave me permission, so when something like that happens you have to go. The key factors behind F1s Premier League-style managerial revolving door, The tangible steps Alpine has taken to meeting its humble F1 2023 targets, The tangible steps Alpine has taken to meeting its humble F1 2023 targets Cars that Donohue raced include: AMC Javelin, AMC Matador, Chevrolet Camaro, Eagle-Offy, Elva Courier, Ford GT40 MK IV, Ferrari 250LM, Ferrari 512, Lola T70, Lola T330, Lotus 20, McLaren M16, Porsche 911, Porsche 917/10, Porsche 917/30, Shelby Cobra, and Shelby Mustang GT350R. The Penske PC1 was developed but the car proved problematic and midway through the season they decided to switch to a March 751 chassis. The Porsche engineers obliged, but the new ducts interfered with the bodywork closure pins that attached body panels to the car. "Going down the back straightaway, the wing, which produced a tremendous amount of downforce at high speeds, came off the back of the car," Donohue claimed. Today, he works for Porsche Cars North America as client relationship manager. In 1968 he was USRRC champion again, winning five of eight, and he was also Trans-Am champion, winning 10 of 13. Mark Donohue spent many late nights in the bungaloo in front of the original Penske garage in Newtown Square, Pa. Marks wife, Sue, raised young David and his older brother Michael.

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