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He was helped by Emerson Fittipaldi, Bob Evans and Hans-Joachim Stuck, who arrived to the scene of the accident and parked their cars. Driver who fled fatal Olney crash gets 20-year sentence. I got into racing because it seemed like an easy thing to do. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. We may earn money from the links on this page. Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. (born March 18 1937 in Haddon Township, New Jersey, United States - died August 19 1975 in Graz, Austria) was an American racing driver who most notably drove in Formula One and sports cars. 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). It was at Hangsens funeral that Roger Penske approached Donohue to drive for him. He had one religion: testing. Mark wasnt an emotional guy. DON HUNTER, BILL OURSLER, THE MANUFACTURERS, Elana Scherr: On the Count of Three (Wheels), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Donohue, too, recognized the accomplishment as something of a walk-off home run for his career, briefly retiring following his IROC championship before returning later that year with Penske to compete in the final two Formula 1 races. racing was concerned, he had done it all. The highlight of his entire career was winning the . Aug 21, 2015, 4:28 PM. Mark won the 1972 Indianapolis 500 when David was just five. 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 A motorist was killed early Tuesday in a single-car crash in Montgomery County, police said. But he was still, a great driver. Mercedes: New W14 sidepod design wont copy F1 rivals, FIA grants Hamilton medical exemption to wear nose studs, FIA grants Hamilton medical exemption to wear nose studs Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp "Can-Am Killer" Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1972. He knew racing drivers couldn't come back. Toy cars at the gravesite of Mark Donohue in Summit, New Jersey. By the end of the crash, the front end of the car was missing, and Mark's legs were fully outside the car, with his only injury . Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? 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 was just 22 years old when he had won his first race, a local hill climb. And my wife gave me permission, so when something like that happens you have to go. David Donohue drives his dad's 1972 Indy 500-winning car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2016. They were just forging ahead, David Donohue recalled. We went to the Speedway in 1971 and we had this card that translated the speed on the stopwatch to your average speed. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Donohue raced in the inaugural IROC series in 197374, racing identical, specially-prepared Porsche RSRs. They continued to use the "lightweight" car in 1968, at the Sebring 12-hour race. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/08/21/archives/mark-donohue-returns-to-die.html. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. We went to Phoenix and tested it with the wings off and then put the wings on and couldnt believe how fast it was. Donahue qualified fourth and passed Bobby Allison for the lead on Lap 10. But his thinking man's approach to racing, while successful on the track, was difficult off. Coffay fled the scene. His car was almost inexplicably fast, so much so that, according to Donohues book The Unfair Advantage, race winner Al Unser sought him out after the race and said: Look, weve been competitors for a long time, and you have your way of doing things and I have mine, but when you come here and run six miles an hour faster than everyone else I gotta shake your hand.. The lightweight car was featured on an episode of Dream Car Garage on Speed TV in 2005. He was so key in the operation when he was there its something we had to rebuild. Their performance on the track also quickly turned heads. In 1971, of the ten races that the Over 2.5L Class cars participated in, Donohue won seven of them, including the final six races in a row, with AMC winning the Manufacturers' championship for the first time ever. 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. He tinkered his way all through Pingry School, Brown University and a job as a mechanical engineer with the Pulverizing Machinery Corporation in Summit. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. But if his father, Mark Sr., a successful patent lawyer, never envisaged a racing career for his son, neither cid young Mark. Mark was an engineer from Brown University, Penske said. I got to know Mark and hired him to run our Can-Am car. Twelve identically prepared cars is the mantra forever engrained in those who followed the International Race of Champions, and IROCs inaugural season, ranging from the fall of 1973 to the winter of 1974, was one of Donohues finest showings. It would have really been great watching those two together in the later years if it had gotten that far. [12] In his first race for Penske, at Watkins Glen in June 1966, Donohue qualified well but crashed the car at the top of a hill, destroying it. In everything he droveeven an Elva Courier and a Cobra, cars he didnt develophe still won. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. DUI accident in the history of this county," Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said at a news conference. He knew, maybe all along, that he would come back. Racing was Donohues obsession. Make sure you track out all the way for Turn 7. We were in Lime Rock and I was in a motorhome and my mom came out and woke my brother and I up so we could watch the end of the race. 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. Twice before he had had serious accidents and he walked like a man who had had his knees shattered and put back together again. Worse yet, when Donohue wasnt racing, he was working 18- to 20-hour days at the teams small race shop, located in a garage in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb, and later, a more modern facility in nearby Reading. The track chosen for the speed record attempt was the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. He was just that way. Mark Donohue was an enigma. The 38yearold Donohue underwent a threehour operation at a hospital here Sunday to remove a blood clot from his brain. 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 But Donohue knew that time was running short and his skills and reflexes weren't getting any better. Porsche, Penske, and Donohue quickly started the development of the 917-30, complete with a reworked aerodynamic "Paris" body and a 5.4-liter turbocharged flat-12 engine whose output could be adjusted from about 1,100 to 1,500 bhp[citation needed] by turning a boost knob in the cockpit. We werent out there to have fun. Directing other drivers, making suggestions, helping mechanicseven sweeping up around the garagewere not enough. He began to spend more than time. I could see what was coming, he said. Sometimes, I would leave early and take my own car to the airport because I didnt want to put up with him. There was also Earl McMullen and Bill Cox, who worked for the teams sponsor, Sun Oil. The two proved to be like-minded peas in a pod. 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. Midway through the 1975 F1 season, Penske abandoned the troublesome PC1 and started using the March 751. 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. Between 1971 and 1972, Penske Racing (along with Donohue as the primary test and development driver) was commissioned by Porsche to help develop the 917-10 to compete in the Can-Am series. He joined Roger Penske, a former sports car rival who had set up his own team, the following year as a fulltime professional. Amazingly, Donohue only suffered an internal derangement of his knee with meniscus damage and limited cruciate plus collateral ligament damage. And, according to Cox, Roger certainly did his part in coming up with next projects.. A bad week or the dark horse from F1 testing? 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. A track marshal was killed by debris from the accident, but Donohue did not appear to be injured significantly. The pressures of racing and designing the car took their toll on Donohue. During a post-race inspection, race stewards discovered that the car was 250 pounds lighter than the 2,800-pound minimum weight requirement. Auto Race Car Driver. This account has been suspended due to strange activity. Mark felt he had to devote all his time to the team. 66 McLaren/Offenhauser that Mark Donohue drove to win the 1972 Indy 500. Mark Donohue died last night. [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. Most of Donohues wins (28) came in Trans-Am, the United States Road Racing Championship (12) and Can-Am (10). Its been 43 years since Donohues death, but he remains Penske Racings cornerstone. Donohue's racing tradition is carried on by his son, David Donohue, a successful road racer in his own right. In fact, Mark often wasnt the engineer at all. His instant F1 success led to no further involvement in the category, Mark instead concentrating on his blossoming Indy career, winning the big one in 1972. . The book was published shortly before Donohue's death. 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. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. It was. In 1961, Donohue bought the Elva and battled with another young racing star, Peter Revson, for the SCCA divisional championship. He was so gentlemanly, he was boring. Together, they took on Trans-Am, then turned their attention to the Indianapolis 500. [2][6], Donohue won the SCCA national championship in an Elva Courier in 1961. Back to Victory Lane, Every Indy 500 Winner from the Dawn of Time, In search of Team Penske racing legend Mark Donohue. 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. Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return, IndyCar St. Petersburg: Dixon leads Herta in incident-packed opening practice, IndyCar St. Petersburg: Dixon leads Herta in incident-packed opening practice Its something that Ive looked at since I was really young as a kid, Donohue said. During the development of this motor, the German Porsche engineers often asked Donohue if the motor finally had enough power. Prior to racing in Formula One, Donohue was a racer in the Ford GT40, Trans-Am, Indy car, NASCAR, Can-Am and IROC racing series. A headache resulted, however, and worsened. And neither found what they expected. 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. Mark Donohue is killed during a practice session for the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. He obsessively lived at the shop, working as many as 20 hours a day. They sent the legal weight car through the technical inspection with the number 15 and again with the number 16 on it. 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.. 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. Prof. Fritz Heppner, head of the neurosurgical department at Graz Hospital, said irreparable damage had been done to that part of the brain that controls involuntary body functions. The only engineering Donohue went back to concerned race cars. After going to the hospital in Graz the next day, Donohue lapsed into a coma from a cerebral hemorrhage and died. I think the people at Indy thought we were the college guys with the crew haircuts and the polished wheels. Its a goal he had and a goal he checked off. He sustained a fatal head injury from the crash. Portrait of American racing driver Mark Donohue as he poses with his car after winning the Indianapolis 500 race, Speedway, Indiana, May 1972. . 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. Event the win at the 1972 Indianapolis 500 created more sleepless nights, because the win did not come on his own terms. 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. Its always great that history is reviewed and remembered and adds more to the prominence and significance of the event to bring it all together. The 1972 Indy win was a classic race for the man who not only drove the race car but also served as its engineer and mechanic back at Penske Racing. Search instead in Creative? The four-race schedule consisted of three races at Riverside and a finale on Daytonas road course. The front of the car was torn away, leaving Donohue, still strapped to his safety seat, with his legs dangling outside the car. The 1975 season turned out to be a difficult one for Donohue and Penske. Hed eventually swap leads with Richard Petty, but took the reins of the race for good for the final 75 circuits, lapping the entire field in the process. Le cavalier du diable : Toutes les informations de diffusion, les bandes-annonces, les photos et rediffusions de Le cavalier du diable avec Tl 7 Jours Im sure David really missed out on a lot. 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. Think about the championships we won together, the first Indy 500 victory for the team, three Trans-Am championships. 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. Five weeks after winning the 500, Donohue was testing his Can-Am Porsche 917-10 at Road Atlanta when the car got airborne at 160 mph. 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. Oops! At the Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue's career, along with Roger Penske's Formula One aspirations, took a tragic turn. 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.