Mark Donohue. He will be ranked with A. J. Foyt, Dan Gurney and Andretti in the leading group of American drivers. The Griffith company closed its doors in November, 1966. The victory was the first for Penske in the Indy 500. Stroll was "protecting" injured wrist during Bahrain GP practice, Alonso "not thinking" about Bahrain pole despite topping Friday times, Alonso "not thinking" about Bahrain pole despite topping Friday times 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. His son, David, told me: The legend was that my dad and Roger conquered all. By then, he had remarried to a model from Atlanta named Eden. Coming out of turn seven at about 150mph (240km/h), the rear bodywork flew off the car, which became extremely unstable, lifted off the ground, and tumbled down the track. It was August 9, 1975. During testing at Road Atlanta, Donohue recommended larger brake ducts, believing that more cooling would slow the brakes' degradation during a race. 4 yellow car with sports car driver and race car builder Bruce McLaren for Shelby American Racing. He was a winner at the 24 Hours of Daytona and in stock cars. Donohue dominated the 1967 race, driving a Lola T70 MkIII Chevrolet for Penske. Some of his most notable accomplishments included being the Indy 500 rookie-of-the-year, Trans AM champion and a winner in The 24 Hours of Daytona all in 1969. On August 9, 1975, Donohue drove the 917-30 to a world closed-course speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. In the four-race series, Donohue won the first and third of three races at Riverside and the final race of the year at Daytona. Of 55 Trans-Ams he entered, he won 29. Mark wasnt an emotional guy. He began to spend more than time. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. Jackie Stewart interviews Mark Donohue prior to an IROC race in 1974. His body will be flown to the United States tomorrow and the funeral will take place Monday in Summit, N. J., where Donohue grew up and first got caught up in the hotrod phenomenon. A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 1 P.M. in St. Teresa's Church. Donohue began working with cars while growing up in the nineteenfifties in a comfortable neighborhood in Summit, N. J. It was an iconic car, iconic colors for the day and it really brings back memories. We were the college kids with the crew cuts and the polished wheels, Penske said. But supervising the Penske efforts in stock car and Indianapolistype racing did not agree with Donohue. Maybe it was some Austrian rock, but whatever it was, one of Donohue's tires blew at 160 miles an hour. 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Begrudgingly, Donohue used Bettenhausens setup for the race. At about 09h45 he left the pits again for another testing run. But if his father, Mark Sr., a successful patent lawyer, never envisaged a racing career for his son, neither cid young Mark. Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? Penske, along with Donohue's wife, Eden, and father, Mark Sr., were at Donohue's bedside. He was hit on the side of his helmet with debris as his car, which had suffered a punctured tire, went out of control in prerace practice and crashed through four rows of wire catchfences and some billboards along the Oesterreichring race course. Sometimes, I would leave early and take my own car to the airport because I didnt want to put up with him. He would greet those who didnt know him with a smile, but he was so focused and obsessed with making the race car go fast, he was distant. Oops! I was the chief engineer because I was the only engineer, Cox recalled. The highlight of his entire career was winning the . We think we've made a major discovery. The bumpy, rain-soaked course around J.F.K. He is buried in Saint Teresa Cemetery in Summit, Union County, New Jersey.R.I.P Mark Donohue \u0026 Manfred Schaller. No, I never worried about the dangers of racing, he said in March, 1974, in New York while being honored at a luncheon. Showing Editorial results for mark donohue. 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. 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. During his stay at Griffith Mark drove the Griffith-owned Shelby 289 Cobra making his mark on the SCCA circuit. "Donohue is no angel out there on the track Parnelli Jones", "Donohue, on the Way Out, Views Things From Top; Calendar of Motor Sports", "1965 Sebring 12-Hour Grand Prix of Endurance Race Profile", "1966 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors", "1967 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors", "Mark Donohue Named '500' Rookie of Year", "Mark Donohue set Indy speed record in 1972", "1973 Winston Western 500: Donohue Dominates", "Hall of Fame Members (Mark Donohue Jr.)", "Mark Donohue, Sports Cars, Class of 1990", Mark Donohue's IROC and NASCAR stats at racing-reference.info, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_Donohue&oldid=1136103335, Brown University School of Engineering alumni, International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees, SCCA National Championship Runoffs winners, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2014, Pages using small with an empty input parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, run as the Daytona 3 Hour Continental (196263), 24 Hours of Daytona (196671/ 1973/ 1975present), This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 19:22. Alonso "not thinking" about Bahrain pole despite topping Friday times, Why Las Vegas is key to F1's growth plans, Why Las Vegas is key to F1's growth plans They were embarrassed, and like the streak of success following the 71 Indianapolis 500, they returned to Riverside in 1973 with a heavy chip on their shoulders. They changed the grille and taillight to the 1968 model, and then painted both cars identically. The car did a series of cartwheels, and Donohue broke both legs. It is there at Saint Teresa Cemetery and Mausoleum that Donohue is buried alongside his mother and father. A motorist was killed early Tuesday in a single-car crash in Montgomery County, police said. [2] Donohue announced that he would retire from racing after the 1973 Can-Am season. DUI accident in the history of this county," Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said at a news conference. He died in 1975 a day after a crash during practice for the Austrian Grand Prix. [9] That year, Donohue also won two divisional championships: in SCCA B Class in a GT350 and in SCCA Formula C in a Lotus 20B. The pressures of racing and designing the car took their toll on Donohue. Amazingly, Donohue only suffered an internal derangement of his knee with meniscus damage and limited cruciate plus collateral ligament damage. We brought some technology. The two proved to be like-minded peas in a pod. In 1974, he quit driving and became president of Penske Racing. Donohue went on to win the first-ever 500-mile USAC Champ Car Series race at Pocono in 71 and claimed victory at Indianapolis in his return in 1972. His fathers absence from the family took its toll, and eventually the marriage dissolved into divorce. 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. We had the tragic crash in practice and he seemed like he was all right, but he ended up losing his life. Your message has been sent. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. He won the Can Am championship in 197, the TransAm title in 1968, 1969 and 1971. He died on August 19, 1975 in Graz, Styria, Austria. Donohue won in 1972, driving for Penske. Mark won the 1972 Indianapolis 500 when David was just five. That took a couple of years. On his second lap he approached the Vst-Hgel very fast right-hander at the end of the main straight when, at about 162 mi/h (260 km/h), a rear tyre of his March 751-Ford Cosworth suddenly blew up. 1975 Camaro Racemark GT Bob Bailey. 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. He died two days later. No one knew, but Mark Donohue had just 10 days to live. I think I was the first guy to assert that Mark was a better driver than an engineer, says Bedard. [4] He was survived by his wife and two sons from his first marriage. The driver of the Honda was killed. 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. It would have really been great watching those two together in the later years if it had gotten that far. Once, in 1971, he and Penske showed up at the Canadian Grand Prix and Jackie Stewart, the former world champion, kidded them: Welcome to the major leagues.. Email or password is incorrect. Then they put both cars in the race, number 15 and 16, one car being 250 pounds lighter. Event the win at the 1972 Indianapolis 500 created more sleepless nights, because the win did not come on his own terms. 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. Please try again. Its as if his father is in his presence. One track marshal was killed by the crash and another seriousy injured. 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. They won the race, finished third overall, and went on to win 10 out of 13 races that year. Clark, J. Donohue was able to obtain two fifth places in the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp and in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but scored five DNF's in the first 11 races of the season.A few days before going to Zeltweg for the Austrian Grand Prix, scheduled to be contested on 17 August 1975, Penske and Porsche attempted to set the world closed-course record. Mark Donohue did not take a traditional route to racing or to Penskes side. A mechanical engineering graduate from a wealthy New Jersey background, Donohue won everything in sight on the US scene, in every major category. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. 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. Mark Donohue races to the win at the the 1972 Indy 500. the email address you entered is invalid. The latter passed away at 09h20 on Tuesday 19 August 1975, while being treated at a Knittelfeld hospital.Donohue was hit in the head by one of the catch-fence supporting posts and was knocked unconscious. He answered, "It will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear.". DON HUNTER, BILL OURSLER, THE MANUFACTURERS, Elana Scherr: On the Count of Three (Wheels), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. The lightweight car was featured on an episode of Dream Car Garage on Speed TV in 2005. Donohue disagreed. Both Donohue and Penske changed teams to American Motors Corporation in 1970 and won their third championship in 1971. And I know that Roger loved him. Strange and smart, but very driven., The drive set Mark Donohue apart and made him the winningest driver in Team Penske history. The doctors in Graz, Austria, said yesterday that the racing driver would have been crippled for life had he survived. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Although photographs of Donohue with the more aerodynamic 1974 Matador coupe exist and are published, he did not drive it in competition. But there was always that missing link, as he called itgrand prix. Together, they took on Trans-Am, then turned their attention to the Indianapolis 500. But he always had good equipment, too. He finds the same things funny. Donohue was obsessed with finding any possible advantage through engineering -- and loopholes in the rules. Browse 481 mark donohue stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. I could see what was coming, he said. He was, I feel, the finest road race driver this country has ever produced, Allison told Hemmings Motor News years later. Its made me realize its an honor to be his son. David Donohue is proof positive that apples dont fall far from the tree. 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 David followed his father into sports car racing for Porsche. Donohue won in every type of race car he climbed into except for one -- the Formula 1 March 751 that ultimately cost him his life. Czarnecki saw the brilliance, humor and darkness -- all part of Donohues character. He did the job for Roger, no question. It would have been really fun to watch the two of them because they are so much alike. During its production life, there were 192 Series 200 Griffiths built, 59 of the Series 400 and only 10 of the Series 600. Think about the championships we won together, the first Indy 500 victory for the team, three Trans-Am championships. Neither Donohue or Penske forgot that remark, even after Donohue drove an astounding race and finished third. [5][19] Donohue is buried at St. Teresa Cemetery in Summit, New Jersey. He did it through sheer force of will. Except I knew it wouldnt last, recalls Penske Racings timer/scorer Judy Stropus. 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. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. The Penske PC1 was developed but the car proved problematic and midway through the season they decided to switch to a March 751 chassis. A Pennsylvania native by the name of Mark Donohue, the reigning Indianapolis 500 winner, pedaled a red-white-and-blue AMC Matador to his only Cup Series victory in six career starts. On the phone, the editor said, You gotta come back in. 4445. That put Bettenhausen in the lead before a pinhole leak in the Bettenhausen cars cooling system with 12 laps to go put Donohue in the lead and the first of Penske Racings record 16 Indy 500 victories. 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. Her . (Photo: Bob DOlivo / The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images). In 1961, Donohue bought the Elva and battled with another young racing star, Peter Revson, for the SCCA divisional championship. It was hard to believe because Donohue and team owner Roger Penske were then the cleverest guys in racing. It was an epic stomping; he led over 361 miles that day, and in perusing the finishing order Bobby Unser finished fourth while West Series drivers Ray Elder, Jimmy Insolo, Jack McCoy and Richard White, all of whom made regular stops at Riverside, finished third, fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively it was clear this was a race decided by the interlopers, the kind of race we no longer see in modern-day NASCAR, where drivers have been cross-trained and educated on technology and data to the point each race contains 38 different versions of the Donohue prototype. 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 He did it at Talladega, Ala., in the turbocharged Porsche he drove to the 1973 CanAm title. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue's career, along with Roger Penske's Formula One aspirations, took a tragic turn. Ferraris chief engineer Mauro Forghieri glared at it and said, Theyll never let you run that wing at Le Mans. Mark replied, Well, I wouldnt want to run this wing at Le Mans, would I?, Partly because we were both engineers, Mark and I hit it off, recalls Patrick Bedard. Conversely, Mark had one of the greatest senses of humor of anybody I ever met. As Roger Penske said, Mark wasnt flashy, but he put the numbers on the board.. Mark Donohue. [citation needed]. Airport would have sent a stock Camaro flopping around. An out-of-court settlement was reached Wednesday at Providence, R.I., in the appeal of a $9.6-million Superior Court verdict awarded the estate of race driver Mark Donohue, killed during practice . Donohue previously had debuted in Formula One on September 19, 1971, with a Penske-sponsored McLaren at the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, finishing on the podium in third place. Password Not true. [11] Earlier that year, co-driving with Hansgen, Donohue finished third at the 24 Hours of Daytona and second at the 12 Hours of Sebring. 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. The out-of-control car left the track at high speed, tore some 60 meters of the catch-fence on the left side of the track and crashed against the guard-rail, vaulting over it. Three years later, Mark was gone, dead from a cerebral hemorrhage suffered in a crash during practice for the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at sterreichring. The Newtown Square facility was a small, 4,000 square-foot garage out back with a small bungalow in front of the shop. As a person, he was always fun to be around, but I always admired that work ethic he displayed when it was time to race., Donohue was known as Captain Nice. To some, however, Donohue seemed distant and was later nicknamed Dark Monohue., Donohue was a good guy, said long-time racing journalist Robin Miller, who was a young reporter for The Indianapolis Star when Donohue raced at Indy. After the Arab oil embargo in 1973, it led the SCCA, IMSA and other race series to impose fuel limitations on motor sport racing as a whole, which hampered the performance of the 917/30, making it uncompetitive in the Can-Am series.
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