May 15, 1986 – Italian driver, Elio de Angelis, passed away 26 years ago today, as a result of injuries suffered during testing of the Brabham BMW BT55 Formula One race car.  During the test at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, the rear wing from the BT55 at high speed,resulting, in the loss of downforce to the rear of the car which lost control and cartwheeled over a track barrier.  The resulting crash caused the car to catch fire while Elio was still inside.  The resulting impact did not kill Elio as he only suffered a broken collar bone and some minor burns on his back.  He succumbed to smoke inhalation as he was unable to remove himself from the wreckage soon after the crash.  The slow response by the lack track marshals at the circuit were also responsible for his time inside the cockpit.

Because of the lack of proper safety procedures and personnel at the track and the resulting tragic circumstances which lead to his death, radical changes were introduced in the months following his accident to ensure the safety of the drivers during testing..

Death of a Gentleman

Belgium’s Circuit Zolder, was bright and sunny on that Saturday afternoon – 30 years ago today, as Gilles powered his #27 Ferrari 126 C2 sideways through the Kleine chicane.  His determination was never more intense, as he opened up the throttle of his crimson steed, disappearing over the hill heading toward Terlamenbocht corner.   He was on his last qualifying lap for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix and was racing hard to out qualify his 2nd season team mate and recently made nemesis, Didier Pironi.  It was to be Gilles final lap.

With eight minutes left in the qualifying session, Villeneuve came over the rise and found Jochen Mass on his cool down lap through the left-handed Butte bend before the Terlamenbocht corner. Jochen saw Gilles approaching at high speed and moved to the right to let him through on the racing line. At that same moment, Gilles also moved right to pass the Jochen’s March. The Ferrari hit the back of March and was launched into the air at about 120–140 mph. The Ferrari was airborne for over 100 yards before it slammed down nose-first onto the ground – the force so incredible, that it buckled the nose and the front part of the cockpit. But that was just the beginning of the Ferrari’s destructive dance. The car then catapulted itself high into the air and began a series of horrifying cartwheels – then bounced off an earthen bank behind the guardrails on the right side of the entry to Terlamenbocht, before finally resting itself on the edge of the track.   The car just barely avoided landing on the slow-moving March of Jochen as it made the turn.

What was left was a scene of utter devastation. The wreckage was strewn around the crash scene for over 500 feet. The remnants of the chassis, bearing witness to the violence of the crash, sat on the track, with the entire front section ripped off at the point where the driver once sat. The force was so extreme that Villeneuve was thrown from the car with his seat & safety belts still attached to him – his helmet having flown off and rolled some distance from his body.

The on-track medics were on him in less than a minute and began their attempts to revive him. They found him unconscious, his body visibly flaccid and his pupils dilated. Once on scene and after examining Gilles, FIA doctor, Professor Sid Watkins concluded he probably had suffered a cervical spine fracture with high spinal cord injury. Watkins later commented on the surreal scene stating that he noticed that Gilles’ feet were quite bare as his shoes and socks were thrown off during the crash.

Eleven minutes after the crash, his was on a stretcher, on a military helicopter and flown to the University of St. Raphael Hospital at Louvain.

At the hospital it was confirmed that Gilles was still unconscious and was suffering from severe injuries to his neck and brain-stem: officially a fracture of the cervical vertebrae and the severing of the spinal cord. His vital functions were being maintained by a life-support system.

Once it was determined that there was nothing more that could be done and the situation was thoroughly explained to his wife, Joann, the decision was made to remove Gilles from life support.

Later that evening, the hospital made the official statement which simply read:

“Gilles Villeneuve died at 9:12pm on 8th May 1982.”

I remember I was getting ready to leave that evening and as I was about to go out the door, when my attention was caught by the news reporter on the TV set.  He started to tell of the accident and subsequent death of a driver during the Formula 1 qualify session in Belgium.  As I approached the TV set to listen to the details, I saw the picture of a race car on the corner of the screen and the brief details of the accident and his death.  I was stunned as the news report ended and could not believe what I had just seen and heard.

I grew up in an era when most of the F1 racing world came to me via the print media.  We didn’t have cable TV at the time and there was little to virtually no race coverage on the networks.  I followed the F1 circus through sources such as Autoweek, On Track magazine and for a more colorful and polished account of any given F1 race – Road & Track.  I could usually count on the results in the L.A. Times sports section the next day after the race, but I would mainly get all the racing details weekly from Autoweek.

The following day or possible the next, I picked up a copy of the L.A. Times and read the brief article of Gilles accident and death.  The news further adding to my sadness for the driver I had so diligently kept up with over the past few years, having died so tragically.  Through the articles in the aforementioned magazines, I later read in greater detail, about everything that had transpired on that fateful qualifying day.

Over 10 years ago, I wrote a brief article for my website titled “Remembering Gilles“.  In it, I briefly summarized his career, his talent and raw, natural ability as a driver.  But most importantly I wrote about the man who was Gilles Villeneuve and what he meant to me.  A man who’s priorities were far from what most drivers of that era, lived and drove by.  A driver who’s character, morals and values were there for all to see and admire, as well as criticize.  Such were the strength of his convictions, his passion for racing, his commitment to his family and his love of life in general, that it leaves little wonder, after all this time, why Gilles is still so highly regarded in the racing community -  and why I continue to consider “Il Piccolo Canadese* “, my racing hero.

30 years later… Always remembered.

Vic

“He left us because of something incomprehensible. His fatality has deprived us of a great champion, one that I loved very very much. People used to say that one day he’ll quit Ferrari but I never believed it because Gilles and I had formed such an affection for each other we were like father and son.

My past is scarred with grief…  father, mother, brother, sister, wife… my life is full of sad memories. I look back and I see my loved ones …and among my loved ones I see the face of this great man: Gilles Villeneuve.” – Enzo Ferrari on the death of Gilles Villeneuve

[images via internet and are copyright by their respective owner]

* (Enzo Ferrari called Gilles, “Il Piccolo Canadese” – the tiny Canadian. A term of endearment Il Commendatore had for Villeneuve.)

Websites of Interest:

Gilles Villeneuve – The Last Day.
30 years ago: A totally shamelessly subjective, but yet honest view on Gilles Villeneuve.
Ventisetterosso
Gilles Villeneuve – Wikipedia
Gilles Villeneuve Museum

On May 01, 1994, the racing world lost one of the most enigmatic and naturally gifted drivers that ever sat behind the wheel of a Formula One race car.  A national hero in his native Brazil, He is considered one of the best drivers that ever sat behind the wheel of a Formula One car.

Ayrton passed away, 18 years ago today, as his car lost control due to a mechanical failure on the Williams FW16 he was piloting. On the seventh lap of the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna’s car left the racing line at the fast Tamburello corner, running in a straight line off the track and striking an unprotected concrete barrier.  Telemetry shows he left the track at 190 mph and was able to slow the car down by braking to 135 mph in slightly under 2 seconds before hitting the wall at a shallow angle.

Ayrton died at the race track from an injury to his head resulting in a massive brain trauma.

Formula One is still to this day, the lesser without him.

Vic

[images via internet and are copyright by their respective owners]

If you want to get a good sense of who the driver and who the man Ayrton was, then I recommend you watch “Senna”. It is the award winning documentary on Ayrton’s remarkable story, charting his physical and spiritual achievements on and off the track and spans the racing legend’s years as an F1 driver.  Far more than a film for F1 fans, SENNA unfolds his story in a remarkable manner, eschewing many standard documentary techniques in favor of a more cinematic approach that makes full use of astounding footage, much of which is drawn from F1 archives and previously unseen footage.

The car count was a bit down from last week’s event.  Despite this, there were many of the regulars who attended and filled up the parking lot with many of the cars people just love to come and watch,

I covered the parking area and spent more time this Saturday talking with owners and admiring the cars.  Although I didn’t take many static images of the cars, I felt I enjoyed myself more just by looking at the cars instead of trying to find and capture profiles and angles of the tightly parked cars.

You can view the gallery of images from this Saturday’s gathering at my Flickr.

Vic

Cars & Coffee – Irvine, Is the weekly Saturday morning gathering in Irvine, California where hundreds of proud drivers congregate to kick tires and have a cup of coffee. There is something for everyone to enjoy; classics, exotics, concepts, hot rods, motorcycles and motor-sport. And it’s all free, minus the coffee of course.

My nephew, Andrew and I, arrived a bit earlier than usual this morning, hoping to catch a few more cars arriving to the day’s Cars & Coffee event in Irvine. We found a huge crowd and countless cars at today’s gathering that we were almost lost on what we should capture first.  It wasn’t long before my attention was captured by a stunning British Racing Green Jaguar Lightweight E-Type.  I spent a fair amount of time gawking at it’s beautiful shape and absorbing all the detail of this classic race car.  It is cars like this one that compels me to make the weekly drive down to the OC.

After I pulled myself away from the gorgeous green cat, I proceeded to walk the parking lot until another race car caught my attention.  This time it was a Rosso Corsa Formula One Ferrari F-2001.  The F1 car was surrounded by onlookers and photographers trying to get a look and a picture of this Italian racer without someone’s head, arm or camera.  I was able to get a couple of images of the Ferrari – some of which I share in my Flickr set.

We stayed longer than usual as there were just too many cars to look at and photograph.  I ended my morning visit with some last shots of the F1 Ferrari as it was being loaded into it’s transporter.

It was great to see all the cars that turned up this week.  The F1 Ferrari was cool to see at Cars & Coffee, but the Jaguar was the star of this weeks gathering.

You can view the gallery of images from this Saturday’s gathering at my Flickr.

Vic

Cars & Coffee – Irvine, Is the weekly Saturday morning gathering in Irvine, California where hundreds of proud drivers congregate to kick tires and have a cup of coffee. There is something for everyone to enjoy; classics, exotics, concepts, hot rods, motorcycles and motor-sport. And it’s all free, minus the coffee of course.

Vic

WHAT WILL MATTER
by Michael Josephson

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,
not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched,
empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

©2003 (310) 846-4800 www.charactercounts.org Michael Josephson

I took a drive up into the Glendora mountains earlier this afternoon.  On my way to Mt. Baldy, I came across this Shelby Mustang as it’s owner was enjoying his drive along the ridge road.

Happy Anniversary, Maria.

With love, like that of a bottle of Perrier-Jouët*,

Vic

Ain’t there something I can give you
In exchange for everything you give to me
Read my mind and make me feel just fine
When I think my peace of mind is out
Of reach

The scales are sometimes unbalanced
And you bear the weight of all that has to be
I hope you see that you can lean on me
And together we can calm a stormy sea

We love so strong and so unselfishly
And I tell you now that I made a vow
I’m giving you the best that I got, baby
Yes I tell you now, that I made a vow
I’m giving you the best that I got, honey

Everybody’s got opinions
‘Bout the way they think our story’s gonna end
Some folks feel it’s just a superficial thrill
Everybody’s gonna have to think again

We love so strong and so unselfishly
They don’t bother me so I’m gonna keep on
Giving you the best that I got, baby
They don’t bother me, said I’m gonna keep on
Giving you the best that I got, listen baby

Somebody understands me
Somebody gave his heart to me
I stumbled my whole life long
Always on my own, now I’m home

My weary mind is rested
And I feel as if my home is in your arms
Fears are all gone, I like the sound of your song
And I think I want to sing it forever

We love so strong and so unselfishly
And I made a vow so I tell you now
I’m giving you the best that I got, baby
I bet everything on my wedding ring
I’m giving you the best that I got,
Givin’ it to you baby

* A 184-year-old bottle of the world’s oldest champagne that was opened, tasted and was still drinkable.  With notes of “truffles and caramel”, a champagne which only got better and was not ill affected by age.

The morning was particularly cold and clear after yesterday’s storm.  SoCal was visited by a cold front that brought some dramatic lightning and thunder to our area. It might explain why the crowds were a bit light this morning at the Irvine meeting place for Cars & Coffee.  Although cold, the skies were mostly bright and clear with the crowds and cars either staying home or on their way to Long Beach for the annual carnival of speed.  I didn’t mind the thin crowd as it allowed me quality time with the cars that were there.

You can view the gallery of images from this Saturday’s gathering at my Flickr.

Vic

Cars & Coffee – Irvine – Is the weekly Saturday morning gathering in Irvine, California where hundreds of proud drivers congregate to kick tires and have a cup of coffee. There is something for everyone to enjoy; classics, exotics, concepts, hot rods, motorcycles and motor-sport. And it’s all free, minus the coffee of course.

Porsche 911 Turbo… remembering Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. (image © 2012 Victor Varela)

I was surprised to find a long train of sport cars trying to get into the parking area for this morning’s Cars & Coffee.  There was also a larger than usual crowd walking to the lot and strolling through the aisles.  The small lot was reserved for everything Porsche and it was filled to capacity.  A fitting tribute to the late Ferdinand Porsche.

This week, I experimented with different settings and locations as the sky was clear and the sun was creating harsh light and shadows.  At first I wasn’t to happy with what I had captured, but after going through the images, I was pleasantly surprised with what I had captured this morning.

You can view the gallery of images from this Saturday’s gathering at my Flickr.

Vic

Cars & Coffee – Irvine – Is the weekly Saturday morning gathering in Irvine, California where hundreds of proud drivers congregate to kick tires and have a cup of coffee. There is something for everyone to enjoy; classics, exotics, concepts, hot rods, motorcycles and motor-sport. And it’s all free, minus the coffee of course.