Info Request: Drivers Who Died of Non-Race, Unnatural Causes

Racing events, drivers, cars or anything else from the past.
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Jesper Hvid
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#181

Post by Jesper Hvid »

Bottom post of the previous page:

Theo Pilette and Paul Tavernier were killed in a 1921 road accident underway to a racing event at Brooklands (cancelled out of respect for the victims). This pic probably shows the aftermath. It appeared in an article about the Pilette racing family: http://www.velocetoday.com/one-family-1 ... of-racing/

*** Warning: fatal ***

http://www.velocetoday.com/wp-content/u ... 03-570.jpg

*** Warning: fatal ***

http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWI ... b=ct&n=407
http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWI ... 2=ms&n=408
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Jesper Hvid
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#182

Post by Jesper Hvid »

Christopher Wilder, IMSA driver and serial killer(!), shot by the police in 1984:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wilder
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#183

Post by Jesper Hvid »

Francis Quinn's traffic accident wreck, 1931. From the book about Legion Ascot Speedway.

http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk/images/Benhuset/1931francisquinnfatal.jpg
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#184

Post by Seibara »

Given the okay to bump this. So...

A few off the top of my head.

Road accidents: Andrea De Cesaris (2014, struck while on a motorcycle I believe), Spencer Clark (2006, drunk driving accident), Rick Ward (2001, struck while on a motorcycle)

Plane crash: Caio Felipe Cunha (2007, a minor name, but Cunha's the only racer I've ever come across to die in a civilian airplane accident)

Suicide: Cheryl Glass (1997, jumped from a bridge), Dick Trickle (2013, shot himself)

Murder: Chris Trickle (Shot in 1997, died in 1998; An old law that said that a killer whose victim dies over a year later can't be tried meant no justice, but it didn't matter as his killer wasn't found; The law was thrown out after this), Donnie Ray Crawford (2012, family dispute turned violent)

Other: Matt Hawkins (2009, accidentally shot himself)
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#185

Post by Motorsportrace »

Jesper Hvid wrote: 10 years ago Theo Pilette and Paul Tavernier were killed in a 1921 road accident underway to a racing event at Brooklands (cancelled out of respect for the victims). This pic probably shows the aftermath. It appeared in an article about the Pilette racing family: http://www.velocetoday.com/one-family-1 ... of-racing/

*** Warning: fatal ***

http://www.velocetoday.com/wp-content/u ... 03-570.jpg

*** Warning: fatal ***

http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWI ... b=ct&n=407
http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWI ... 2=ms&n=408
Bigger:
http://www3.autotechnikauktion.de/php/p ... 8/1827.jpg
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#186

Post by Puhis »

Ulf Grönholm, two-time Finnish national rally champion and the father of 2000 & 2002 WRC champion Marcus, traffic accident, 1981. He and his co-driver Bob Rehnström died in a traffic accident on 26th of February, 1981 at Kirkkonummi while practicing for Hankiralli (modern-day Arctic Lapland Rally). Translated from Finnish Wikipedia article (with listed sources):
Grönholm and co-driver Bob Rehnström died while doing final preparations for Hankiralli in the middle of the night, 26th of February 1981, in Kirkkonummi. Grönholm collided with a snowplow that was stopped with lights closed on the road, driver sleeping in the cabin after a long day. The Fiat piloted by Grönholm burst into flames. Both Grönholm and Rehnström died upon impact. The road was not closed for practice.
In other words, it was an illegal (yet common at the time) practice run for an upcoming rally, driving at race speeds on public roads during night.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carl-Otto Bremer, his co-driver Juhani Lampi and co-founder of Hankiralli Lauri Hurme, plane crash, 1962.

Translated from Finnish sources:
Carl-Otto Bremer first found success in slalom before transferring his skills to motorsport in 1956. On the following year, he was 2nd at Midnight Rally in Sweden and 6th in the Thousand Lakes Rally (later known as Rally Finland/Neste Rally Finland). In 1959, Bremer won the over 2-litre sports car class at Eläintarhanajot. His success would continue in 1960, as he won the Finnish national rally championship, Thousand Lakes Rally and placed 9th at the Monte Carlo Rally. He was selected as the Finnish racing driver of the year in 1960. In 1961, he won the Winter Rally at Norway.

Bremer piloted a Saab throughout his rallying career, and is credited for creating its rallying reputation which followed the Swedish marquee throughout 60s and 70s.

On 7th of August, 1962, the plane piloted by Bremer crashed into the shore of his summer cabin at Snappertuna with fatal consequences: Bremer, Juhani Lampi and Lauri Hurme all passed away.
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#187

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

This guys name appears in a search of the forum but only under a summary post of deaths in 2013, with no details. So I thought it appropriate due to the circumstances, although technically it was a race death albeit of natural causes, to add it here.

Two-time German VLN Endurance Racing Champion Wolf Silvester died Jun 22, 2013 because of a heart attack suffered during the VLN race at the Nurburgring. Safety marshalls at Saturday’s race said Silvester apparently lost control of his Opel Astra OPC, and when they approached the stopped car on the track they found him sitting motionless in the seat.

Sounds to be similar circumstances to the death at Bathurst of Denny Hulme in 1992.

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#188

Post by Sedre »

Some of racing drivers from Russia who sadly left us so soon:

Sergey Romaschenko (Sergey Vitalievich Romaschenko), born 20 March 1987 in Ushtobe, Soviet Union, now Kazakhstan, died 16 December 2005 in Moscow, Russia. Had very short but successful career, he finished third in 2004 Formula Rus championship and won championship next year, beating Ivan Samarin and Evgeniy Novikov, but died in traffic accident at the end of the year. He was passenger in car of Vladimir Chernykh, owner of N&A Racing Team, when their car was hit by unspecified car and crashed into truck. Both Chernykh and Romaschenko were killed instantly. Driver of second car was never identified and escaped the place of accident.

Maxin Travin (Maxim Sergeevich Travin), born 3 April 1977, died 19 May 2014, near Kalininets, Moscow Oblast, Russia. Won 2007 Formula Rus championship, participated in Finnish and German Formula 3 championships, won 2011 ATS Formel 3 Trophy. He retired from racing in 2012, but was manager to Russian driver Nikolai Martsenko. Travin died in freak traffic accident when he was riding motorcycle at night on A-107 highway and crashed into moose.

"Alan Berkov" (real name Mukhtar Huseevich Bairamukov), born 20 November 1969 in Svetloe, Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union (now Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia), died 31 October 1998 in Stavropol, Russia. He was one of first Russian open wheel racing drivers who appeared in foreign racing scene after fall of Soviet Union: he participated in 1995 British Formula 3 National Class. His career was very unstable due to lack of fundings and he quickly returned in Russia. Berkov was murdered in late 1998 by his acquaintance who stole his money.
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#189

Post by John »

Assuming that Chris and Dick Trickle were related. Was Dick's suicide in any way related to Chris' death?
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#190

Post by theracer120 »

Going by the internet Chris was Dick's nephew. With that said, Dick took his life because he was suffering from chronic pain.
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#191

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 6 years ago
Two-time German VLN Endurance Racing Champion Wolf Silvester died Jun 22, 2013 because of a heart attack suffered during the VLN race at the Nurburgring. Safety marshalls at Saturday’s race said Silvester apparently lost control of his Opel Astra OPC, and when they approached the stopped car on the track they found him sitting motionless in the seat.

Sounds to be similar circumstances to the death at Bathurst of Denny Hulme in 1992.

Another to die in a race from non accident related problems was James Richard "Dickie" Stoop. He died driving a Porsche 911 in a club race at Croft back in 1968, from a coronary thrombosis.

This obituary appeared in Autosport 24 May 1968.
"It is very sad to have to record the death during a club meeting at Croft last Sunday of Dickie Stoop. Apparently Dickie suffered a coronary thrombosis and died at the wheel of his Porsche 911S, which veered off the track into the bank.

James Richard Stoop had been an amateur racing driver of considerable standing for many years. His first race was the supporting F3 event at the Daily Express Silverstone in 1948, when he drove a GS1, and over the last 20 years he campaigned many types of car, but remained faithful for most of his racing to the marque Frazer-Nash. He competed at Le Mans no fewer than 10 times: in 1950 he was 9th overall and won the 2 litre class, in 1951 he was 19th and in 1955 he was 10th. In 1958 he drove the works spaceframe AC into 8th place, again winning his class. He also took part in long-distance racing at Spa, Rouen, Montlhery and elsewhere, and in 1964 was 3rd overall in the Rand 3 hours co-driving Peter Sutcliffe’s E-type.

He performed prolifically in club racing, not only in Frazer-Nashes but also in triumphs, Healeys, a D-type Jaguar and a Lotus 11. He also drove a Formula 2 Cooper in the late ‘50s, and with the passing of Frazer-Nash line he transferred his loyalties to Porsche. His successive Type 356 Carreras, registered YOU 4 and 5 HOT, brought him a lot of win; having been co-victor in the 1959 Autosport Championship with the Sebring Frazer-Nash, he won the Autosport 3 hours at Snetterton the following year in YOU 4 after a tremendous battle with Chris Summers’ Elite, won his class in 1961, and then won the 2-litre division of the championship in 1962 and 1963. He also had a few races with an RS60 Porsche Spyder, and in 1964 drove a 904.

More recently he had concentrated on club production sports car racing with his silver 911S Porsche, also registered YOU 4; this car was a frequent class winner. A retired RAF officer, he was only 47."
From the race meeting report:
"A sombre shadow was cast over the proceedings however, when Dickie Stoop (2.0 Porsche 911S) died at the wheel of his car on the 3rd lap of race 4. The Porsche mounted the banking at the exit to Barcroft, rolled and crashed through fencing."

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#192

Post by acerogers58 »

James Hylton and his son were killed in a motorway accident last year in Alabama.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nascar-driver- ... 57904.html
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#193

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

acerogers58 wrote: 4 years ago James Hylton and his son were killed in a motorway accident last year in Alabama.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nascar-driver- ... 57904.html
Yes indeed it should be in this thread, but it was actually recorded in a thread dedicated to the tragedy here viewtopic.php?f=32&t=15476

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#194

Post by Bayer »

I think Ulf Norinder's death in 1978 was attributed to suicide.
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#195

Post by Bayer »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 6 years ago This guys name appears in a search of the forum but only under a summary post of deaths in 2013, with no details. So I thought it appropriate due to the circumstances, although technically it was a race death albeit of natural causes, to add it here.

Two-time German VLN Endurance Racing Champion Wolf Silvester died Jun 22, 2013 because of a heart attack suffered during the VLN race at the Nurburgring. Safety marshalls at Saturday’s race said Silvester apparently lost control of his Opel Astra OPC, and when they approached the stopped car on the track they found him sitting motionless in the seat.

Sounds to be similar circumstances to the death at Bathurst of Denny Hulme in 1992.
Very similar to the death of Tony Williams at Thruxton in 1982 in the BARC MG Midget Championship. He had been in a duel for many laps and took the lead on the final corner, but with two hundred metres to the chequered flag he was seen to slump over the wheel. The car swerved to the right and into a barrier. The cause of death was found to be a heart attack.
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#196

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Bayer wrote: 4 years ago
Everso Biggyballies wrote: 6 years ago This guys name appears in a search of the forum but only under a summary post of deaths in 2013, with no details. So I thought it appropriate due to the circumstances, although technically it was a race death albeit of natural causes, to add it here.

Two-time German VLN Endurance Racing Champion Wolf Silvester died Jun 22, 2013 because of a heart attack suffered during the VLN race at the Nurburgring. Safety marshalls at Saturday’s race said Silvester apparently lost control of his Opel Astra OPC, and when they approached the stopped car on the track they found him sitting motionless in the seat.

Sounds to be similar circumstances to the death at Bathurst of Denny Hulme in 1992.
Very similar to the death of Tony Williams at Thruxton in 1982 in the BARC MG Midget Championship. He had been in a duel for many laps and took the lead on the final corner, but with two hundred metres to the chequered flag he was seen to slump over the wheel. The car swerved to the right and into a barrier. The cause of death was found to be a heart attack.
At least they died doing what they loved.... and no one else was damaged in the process.

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)

* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
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