That day at Indy, Bobby Unsers Eagle dominated the contest before Unser dropped out. No one knew, but Mark Donohue had just 10 days to live. Since his remarriage eight months ago, those same friends found Donohue relaxed and cheerful, something he had not been while retired. He knew, maybe all along, that he would come back. The two had a tremendous respect for each other and put their own personal egos aside to win races. And given enough time just one more year, maybe he wouldve become Americas first world champion.. We may earn money from the links on this page. When she brought us in to see the finish, I dont think she knew he had won. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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. Donohues dad was often racing in the United States or Canada for a fledgling operation called Penske Racing. As ADAM COOPER recalls, though, it ended in tragedy. 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. We think we've made a major discovery. 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. His fathers absence from the family took its toll, and eventually the marriage dissolved into divorce. I imagine it must feel like watching another man in bed with your wife. One track marshal was killed by the crash and another seriousy injured. Donohue was hit in the head by a fence post and knocked unconscious. In 1969, Penske and Donohue raced in their first Indianapolis 500,[14] with Donohue finishing seventh, winning the rookie of the year award. Seeing it in real life when you come into the museum here, I know one thing -- I fit in it really well. Of 55 Trans-Ams he entered, he won 29. It became official last September. You can go away and the void that you leave gets filled quickly, but when you come back, you are greeted with open arms. Roger Penske and Mark Donohue following Donohue's IROC win in 1974. Donohue went on to win 10 of 13 races, a Trans-Am series record which would stand until Tommy Kendall went 11 for 13 in the 1997 Trans-Am championship, winning the first 11 races that year in his All-Sport liveried Mustang. He answered, "It will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear.". Why "grounded" Hamilton remains confident in Mercedes' F1 recovery. It would have really been great watching those two together in the later years if it had gotten that far. Mark was an engineer from Brown University, Penske said. Back to Victory Lane, Every Indy 500 Winner from the Dawn of Time, In search of Team Penske racing legend Mark Donohue. It was. Hamilton: F1 retirement talk from Button and Hill not "helpful, How Gulf deal has boosted Williams's F1 commercial strategy, How Gulf deal has boosted Williams's F1 commercial strategy He also gave us our first NASCAR win. The driver must accept the risks involved, which I didand I spent my time in the hospital as a result.. The email you entered is not registered with us. Donohue paced himself that day and took the lead for the first time with 12 laps to go. 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. David followed his father into sports car racing for Porsche. Though he walked away from the resulting crash, he fell into a coma the next day and, shortly after, died of a cerebral hemorrhage. At about 09h45 he left the pits again for another testing run. Revson's death made it almost inevitable that Donohue would come out of retirement. "We had stop watches back then, with a timing chart taped on the back that converted seconds to miles per hour, but 180mph didn't exist on the timing chart." 12 At first, the former Indianapolis 500 winner was thought to have just a mild concussion. Bernie Ecclestone hopes BBC agrees new Formula 1 UK TV deal, Stroll was "protecting" injured wrist during Bahrain GP practice, Stroll was "protecting" injured wrist during Bahrain GP practice 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. The highlight of his entire career was winning the . By then, he had remarried to a model from Atlanta named Eden. Le cavalier du diable - Film d'pouvante sur Tl 7 Jours Penske's first race shop in Newtown Square, Pa. All of these tiny little stories you get to put all of these puzzle pieces together and get a much better picture of my father. DON HUNTER, BILL OURSLER, THE MANUFACTURERS, Elana Scherr: On the Count of Three (Wheels), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current. Donohue began working with cars while growing up in the nineteenfifties in a comfortable neighborhood in Summit, N. J. 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. He did it at Talladega, Ala., in the turbocharged Porsche he drove to the 1973 CanAm title. 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.. Had there been a Drivers' Championship in place at the time, he would have won three of them (his last in 1971) while driving Camaros in 1968 and 1969, and an AMC Javelin in 1971, all for Roger Penske Racing. Donohue chronicled his entire racing career in the book, The Unfair Advantage (co-written with noted motorsports and engineering journalist Paul Van Valkenburgh). Its as if his father is in his presence. 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. It was at Hangsens funeral that Roger Penske approached Donohue to drive for him. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue's career, along with Roger Penske's Formula One aspirations, took a tragic turn. During testing at Road Atlanta, Donohue recommended larger brake ducts, believing that more cooling would slow the brakes' degradation during a race. Unfortunately, Donohue lost a life after an accident during practice for 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. Mark Donohue (1937-1975), pictured here with wife Eden and nicknamed "Captain Nice", was an American race driver who is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp Can-Am Penske Porsche 917-30 and as the 1972 Indianapolis 500 winner in a Team Penske-entered McLaren.Sadly, he perished in an accident during practice for the 1975 Austrian Formula One Grand Prix. (key) (Bold Pole position. Ford had developed a new GT, the Mark IV. No, I never worried about the dangers of racing, he said in March, 1974, in New York while being honored at a luncheon. 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 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. * Most laps led. Mark Donohue died last night. The guy that is most like Mark that Ive ever met is David, said Don Cox. Both Olvey and Trammell got their start in trackside medical response in similar fashion: Answering a bulletin board call for med students to help out at the Indianapolis 500 - Olvey in about 1969, Trammell in 1972. In the final race of the season, Javelins finished in first, second and third place, with George Follmer becoming the only other Javelin driver to win besides Donohue. Mark Donohue was 38 and a sports car champion and 1972 Indianapolis 500 winner. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 4 yellow car with sports car driver and race car builder Bruce McLaren for Shelby American Racing. Donohue began the 1975 Formula 1 season as a 38-year-old rookie and the oldest driver on the grid. 8W - Who? - Mark Donohue - Autosport An experienced race driver named Walt Hansgen (who worked for Inskip Motors in New York & Rhode Island) recognized Donohue's ability[2] and befriended him, eventually providing an MGB (through Inskip Motors in Providence, RI and prepped by their race shop Competition Engineering)[8] for Donohue to race at the 1964 Bridgehampton And so, last Sunday, while warming up his car at the Oesterreichring, a hill five hours by train from Vienna in the middle of nowhere, he had an accident. Penske, along with Donohue's wife, Eden, and father, Mark Sr., were at Donohue's bedside. He needed something he could do well., Alas, Penske Racings first F1 car, the PC1, was so mediocre that Donohue persuaded Penske to replace it with a customers March 751, a curious crack in the myth that was Mark. 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. He busted a gut when we got back to the shop. Then there was Marks other side. 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. A mechanical engineering graduate from a wealthy New Jersey background, Donohue won everything in sight on the US scene, in every major category. He began to spend more than time. Donohue raced in several NASCAR Grand American races and a NASCAR pony car division from 1968 until 1971. 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. [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. He was on for a second appearance at the Glen, but a practice accident saw Mark being replaced by David Hobbs. Please try again. Donohue was considered a leading Trans-Am driver of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Conversely, Mark had one of the greatest senses of humor of anybody I ever met. The $9500 price was a 50-percent premium over the fully optioned Camaro Racemark started with. You never saw him in an argument with anybody. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After an initial run of four laps, Donohue entered the pits for a routine check-up and a few adjustments. [17] That race was Penske's first NASCAR win in a long history of NASCAR participation. through one of the fastest turns on the track. 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 he came out, he was a different person. It meant immediate surgery. Penske and Donohue did not stop acid-dipping after this, however. George Follmer, Donohue's old Trans-Am teammate, took over testing the 917-10 for Donohue, who said: It just doesn't feel right. But Donohue knew that time was running short and his skills and reflexes weren't getting any better. [2] Donohue announced that he would retire from racing after the 1973 Can-Am season. 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. To be sure, it seems what we now know as The Penske Way gained steam with Donohue as its pied piper. In August 1975, while practicing for the Austrian Grand Prix in a March 751, a tire failed, causing Donohue to lose control of the car. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Showing Editorial results for mark donohue. With his marriage to Sue falling apart, Donohues personal life was in turmoil. Mark Robert Bonhag, 56, of the Highland, Md., area was driving north on New Hampshire Avenue in the . I didnt expect that at all, David Donohue, 51, said. Hangsen was killed testing a car for the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. 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. 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. Mark Donohue at the 1971 Canadian Grand Prix, Today, we have specialists, but Mark was such a versatile guy, he drove everything for us.. He just decided it was time to get out, and he wanted to do the Formula 1 program, Penske said. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/08/21/archives/mark-donohue-returns-to-die.html. Brian Redman drove it once in 1974, and that was it for the car as far as Penske campaigning it. His lone NASCAR race win was just part of his narrative, but that victory another hurdle in auto racing cleared in partnership with Penske helped ignite a flame thats lasted over 50 years across different genres of the sport and in turn elevated the quality and intelligence of American racing. The book was published shortly before Donohue's death. Donohue co-drove in the No. 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. When Penske decided late to enter Formula One full time, Donohue had a difficult decision to make. It was August 9, 1975. By clicking on 'Join' button, you confirm that you are over 13 years of age and agree to the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. Donohue won in 1972, driving for Penske. . Password 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. Donohue dominated the 1967 race, driving a Lola T70 MkIII Chevrolet for Penske. He was young Roger Penskes equal. 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. the email address you entered is invalid. I dont remember him changing a bit.. 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. In 1961, Donohue bought the Elva and battled with another young racing star, Peter Revson, for the SCCA divisional championship. Mark Donohue & Manfred Schaller's Fatal Crash @ sterreichring 1975 (Aftermath) FatalMotorsportChannel 26.2K subscribers Subscribe 24K views 4 months ago Mark Donohue and Roger Penske had. If he didnt test a car before a race, he didnt have his Peanuts security blanket and would fret that his edge was lost.. I was the chief engineer because I was the only engineer, Cox recalled. Instead, the Racemark GT had Bedard, also a racer, showering praise. Instructions on how to reset your password have been sent to your email. Donohues degree from Brown in Mechanical Engineering got him a job designing filters for air conditioners -- not quite what he had in mind. The victory was the first for Penske in the Indy 500. Why Autosport is changing how it ranks F1 drivers from 2023 onwards, The key factors behind F1s Premier League-style managerial revolving door, The key factors behind F1s Premier League-style managerial revolving door Toy cars at the gravesite of Mark Donohue in Summit, New Jersey. 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. That is where Mark Donohue often slept when he worked his way to near exhaustion at the race shop. 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 He wanted to show he could do it all again. He flew under the radar a lot, but he was always there. As an American driver, he had done it all. 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. [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. 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. Don Cox would later join the team in 1969 after working as an engineer for General Motors. And Mark Donohue couldn't live with retirement. Portrait of American racing driver Mark Donohue as he poses with his car after winning the Indianapolis 500 race, Speedway, Indiana, May 1972. . The driver must accept the risks involved, which I did and I spent my time in the hispital as a result., See the article in its original context from. Donohue, who also competed in endurance racing, IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am,. 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. He had been a national amateur champion and the Sports Car Club of America driver of the year in 1965. We werent out there to have fun. His retirement was short-lived, however, as he was lured back to full-time competitive driving by Penske when he formed a Formula One team, Penske Cars Ltd, to compete in the final two events of the 1974 Formula One World Championship, and to continue competing in 1975 with the new Penske PC1. He joined Roger Penske, a former sports car rival who had set up his own team, the following year as a fulltime professional. Hed drive the truck, hed drive the race car, he would work on the car. Some day, they promised each other, Donohue would try to become the first American since Phil Hill in 1961 to win the world driving chmpionship. For the remainder of the 1970 season, Donohue ran a different Lola, with Chevy power, finishing second (again behind Al Unser) at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July. He said, Just follow me. Following Mark Donohue on a two-lane road with no street lights was an exercise. Through racing and after more than four decades after the tragic death of his father, David Donohue believes he has found Mark Donohue. 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. 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). U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. He was just that way. Mark Donohue was an enigma. The real Mark came out.. 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. He was killed during a practice session for the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. I could see myself helping to develop the Formula One car, setting it up and then having some younger hotshot driver take over. 12 and current Alltel decals) at the fall Rockingham, North Carolina, race. Donohue, 38, Dead Of Racing Injuries - The New York Times