Remembering the fallen

[erwin greven]

Bottom post of the previous page:

His trucks:

DAF NTT 2800 "De Neus" (The Nose) (1982)

Drivers: De Rooy/Straetmans

DAF 3300 4x4 "De Koffer" (The Suitcase) (1983)

Drivers: De Rooy/Roggeband/Perry

DAF 3300 4x4 "Tweekoppige Monster" (Two Headed Monster) (1984)

Drivers: De Rooy/Roggeband/Geusens

DAF 3300 4x4 "The Bull" (1985)

Drivers: De Rooy/De Saulieu/Ketelaars

DAF 3600 4x4 Turbo Twin (1986)

Drivers: De Rooy/De Saulieu/Geusens

DAF 3600 4x4 Turbo Twin II (1987)

Drivers: De Rooy/Geusens/Van de Rijt

DAF Turbo Twin 95 X1 (1988) #600

Drivers: De Rooy/Geusens/Duisters

The mythical overtaking of a car by a truck at 200km/h in the 1988 Dakar



There have been countless epic moments in the history of the Dakar Rally but one stands above them all: a truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar 1988.

The memorable duel sustained by both vehicles at more than 200 km / h on the sands of Africa remains one of the most iconic images in the world of motorsports.


The happy 80s

The duel –a truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar- took place during the ‘crazy’ 80s when the world of motorsports lived a fever for power and extreme performance. Examples of this are the wild Group B of the World Rally Championship, the Group C in the Endurance Championship and the Dakar trucks. Speed was the only thing that mattered.

It was an especially creative – and sometimes foolish – time for car engineers. Despite being criticized for the reckless increases of power across vehicles the FIA kept on looking the other way.

As rumours grew of a cross-disciplinary power cap an exodus began towards the famous Rally, a lessee–fair paradise, free from regulation and restrictions. This was how the legendary image of that truck overtaking a car came to be.


The dream of a Dutch millionaire

Jan De Rooy, a wealthy Dutch businessman, owner of the largest transport company in his country, caught the fever of the moment and started nurturing a very particular dream: to defeat a Dakar car with a truck.

He enrolled in the Dakar in 1982 for the first time with an ordinary 200hp DAF. Although he had to abandon, he became convinced his dream was feasible.

Over the years he perfected his concept. He wanted to win the toughest race in the world with a mechanic ‘monster’ of several tons of weight. And he would not stop until he managed to do so.

Today, this goal may seem extravagant to say the least but, in those times, with no speed or power limitations, it didn’t seem so crazy. Almost everything was allowed from a technical point of view.

Meanwhile, De Rooy kept on trying and having to abandon. When he finally made it to the chequered flag it was in the 38th position. The year after he went up to the 34th. A truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar 1988 was coming

Jan’s ‘missiles’

Spurred by his poor results and inspired by the spirit of the time, he started to work on several ‘experiments’. The first of these was the DAF ‘Tweekoppige Monster‘, a twin-engine truck with two cabins and an engine on each axle.

Although the machine boosted a whopping 800 hp, Jan had to retire. Despite the (relative) failure, the beast became one of the most extravagant models in memory.

DAF F3300, the Turbo Twin I

In the following season, he entered a DAF F3300 with two engines, a front one with 420hp that propelled the rear axle, and another one with 340hp which did the same with the front one.

He was the winner of his category, although he lost the title after receiving a fifteen-hour penalty for carrying out prohibited repairs, falling to second place.

DAF FAV 3600 Turbo Twin or Turbo Twin I

De Rooy returned in 1986 with the backing of the DAF manufacturer, who trusted in the Dutchman’s perseverance and skill. From this joined venture the DAF FAV 3600 Turbo Twin was born boasting two 500 hp turbocharged engines associated with automatic gearboxes.



Such power, together with a reduced load of just three spare wheels and a basic set of tools, allowed it to fire its 10.5 tons at 200 km / h.

The new model was able to fight face to face with the cars and stayed in the Top 10 until there were only three stages to go. Then its front axle broke and De Rooy had to say goodbye to his title hopes.

Turbo Twin II

Despite the disappointment, De Rooy returned the following season having made several modifications to reduce the truck’s weight to one ton. He also installed the lighter cabin from the DAF 3600 and carried out several aerodynamic improvements.

He had an overwhelming victory in the truck category, but he didn’t even make the top ten of the general classification. A step before a truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar 1988.


The 1.200 hp beast: DAF Turbo Twin X1

At last the ultimate desert beast was born, the DAF Turbo Twin X1. It had two 600hp engines and six turbos, three of them with variable geometry in each propeller for optimal performance. It also had two automatic and synchronized gearboxes which were operated with a single lever. Its eternal torque made it an unbeatable contender in the dunes.




It went from 0 to 100 km / h in 8.5 seconds and had a self-limited top speed of 220 km / h. In that edition, he entered two units. One of them was driven by his friend Theo Van de Rijt and it was to serve as an assistant to the other, driven by De Rooy.

It was in that race that Jan engaged in the famous duel finally passing the Peugeot 405 T16 of Ari Vatanen at over 200 km / h and leaving one of the best moments in the history of the raid.

The tragedy

Tragedy struck just a few days after De Rooy’s feat. It happened at the Djabo-Adadez stage near the Tenere desert. The DAF of his colleague Van de Rijt suffered a brutal accident after jumping a dune at about 200 km / h.



The truck rolled over six times. As a result of the impact, co-pilot Kees van Loevezijn was expelled from the cockpit through the windshield and died on the spot. The driver and the mechanic were seriously injured.

After the accident, the team decided to retire from the race. They were fifth in the standings. His dream vanished forever. Race organizers, the Thierry Sabine Organization (TSO), banned the T4 truck category as a result.

https://matraxlubricants.com/3260-2/

[Everso Biggyballies]

Jan de Rooy. A true Dakar Legend




This pic below from 1985 is of one of the Legendary vehicles that Jan de Rooy brought to the Dakar in its traditional Paris-Dakar days.
Twin engined, Control centre at each end etc. Just a great concept albeit too complicated and unreliabl. It was likely that it was vehicles like this that sparked my fascination with the Paris Dakar back in the day. Sadly the current event lacks the character and indeed the characterS that made the event so special back in the day.



Thank you Jan de Rooy

RIP

[sebbbl]

How cool is that?!

https://www.spreaker.com/user/downanddi ... l-w-wright

Notorious NASCAR Legend of L.W. Wright Passes Away at Age 76

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsport ... at-age-76/

[Hardy]

Wilson Fittipaldi Jr.( born 25 December 1943 - Died 23 february 2024).

He had been hospitalized since December 25th, a date that, in addition to Christmas, also marked the former pilot's eightieth birthday. At lunch, he got involved with a piece of meat and the family was unable to clear his airway. Rushed to the ER at Prevent Senior Hospital, he went into cardiac arrest. He was in the hospital for almost two months.

Source: https://motorsport.uol.com.br/f1/news/m ... /10579138/

[erwin greven]

[Everso Biggyballies]

Rally driver, co-driver killed in New Zealand

A young 15year old rally driver and his co-driver tragically lost their lives in a crash during the Arcadia Road Rallysprint in New Zealand on Sunday.
26 February 2024

Fifteen-year-old Brooklyn Horan was competing in the closed-course event with co-driver, 35-year-old Tyson Jemmett when they were involved in a single-car crash.

According to police the car left the road and became submerged in a river.

Both competitors were killed.

MotorSport New Zealand released the following statement before the drivers had been idenitifed in local media: “MotorSport New Zealand is saddened to confirm two competitors have died after an incident at the Arcadia Road Rallysprint in Paparoa on Sunday 25 February.

“The two competitors, a driver and their co-driver, were involved in a single-car incident that saw their vehicle leave the road. Police and emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 2:00pm, however, tragically, the competitors had died before their arrival.

“MotorSport New Zealand will now undertake a full and thorough investigation into the incident at the Arcadia Road Rallysprint. This will involve working with the event organisers, and their volunteer officials. This includes a full review of the timeline of events before and after the incident as well as the effectiveness of the procedures and regulations in place. MotorSport New Zealand will also work with all investigating agencies such as NZ Police and WorkSafe.

“Modern motorsport safety standards are incredibly high and are subject to millions of dollars of investment annually around the world. MotorSport New Zealand's event, vehicle, and competitor safety regulations have been continuously improved over our 75+ year history and are heavily derived from the overarching regulations set by motorsport's global governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

“All rallysprint events are required to have a bespoke safety plan as a condition of their event permit. This safety plan is reviewed and approved prior to a permit being issued. MotorSport New Zealand is committed to ensuring the best safety standards are always enforced and in place at all events.

“The event took place on Arcadia Road in Paparoa which was closed to the public for the duration of the event under the authority of the local Road Controlling Authority. It is too early in the investigation to comment on what the main contributing factors to the crash were, however, it does not seem as though the road was in a detrimental or unsafe condition.

“Whilst the identities of the driver and co-driver have not yet been released, the NZ Police have released their ages. The driver was 15 and the co-driver was 35. MotorSport New Zealand offers Junior Competition Licences for competitors aged 12 to 15. There are heightened requirements that these junior drivers must meet in order to gain their competition licence as well as restrictions placed on the types of events and vehicles they are permitted to compete in.

“Junior drivers are commonplace in motorsport in both New Zealand and globally with drivers such as Hayden Paddon, Liam Lawson, Scott Dixon, and many others all competing prior to their 16th birthdays and before they held a civil driver's licence.

“Our thoughts and condolences again go out to the families and loved ones of the two competitors who so tragically passed away. We have begun extending formal support offers to those immediately involved in the incident and will continue to support the wider motorsport community during this tough time.”

Speedcafe extends its condolences to the friends and family of those involved.

.https://speedcafe.com/rally-driver-co-d ... w-zealand/

15 years old isso tragically young to die in an event. Thoughts and condolences to friends and family of both the deceased

RIP.Brooklyn Horan and Tyson Jemmett

[SBan83]

So they were basically unable to get out of the submerged car in time and drowned?

[erwin greven]

[Everso Biggyballies]

Strangely although pictured with the Miura they dont mention it as a highlight of his creations. That was the car that was his first major success and was ground-breaking at the time.... a transversely mounted V12, lets not forget this was in the mid 1960s. I still think of the Miura as one of the most beautiful sportscars ever. That led to many other Lambos.... Espada, Countach Diablo to name a few.

He also designed the first ever V8 Ferrari road car, the mid engined 308 GT4 and of course the wonderful Lancia Stratos rally sportscar, De Tomaso Pantera, Alfa Romeo Montreal, Bugatti EB110, Just about any Maserati of note from Khasmin and Ghilbi to Quattroporte. The list goes on.

He also designed some down to earth stuff as well as all the exotics. He was responsible for the first generation of VW Polo, the first BMW 5 series, 2nd Generation Renault 5 "Supercinq" plus many more

Marcello Gandini certainly left his mark on the automotive world with some truly iconic and legendary work.


RIP

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Just a short note to acknowledge that it is 50 years ago today, March 22, that Peter Revson was killed in the Shadow F1 car while testing at Kyalami.

Saw Revvie drive a number of times at Mosport in assorted machinery. First time was in 1966 in his tidy Brabham BT8 easily winning the 2-litre race as a support event to the CanAm. Later, in the Hass Lolas and factory McLaren CanAm cars. Of course, he did a bloody good job in the McLaren F1 cars at Mosport, too.

Fondly remembered... RIP.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just a short note to acknowledge that it is 50 years ago today, March 22, that Peter Revson was killed in the Shadow F1 car while testing at Kyalami.

Saw Revvie drive a number of times at Mosport in assorted machinery. First time was in 1966 in his tidy Brabham BT8 easily winning the 2-litre race as a support event to the CanAm. Later, in the Hass Lolas and factory McLaren CanAm cars. Of course, he did a bloody good job in the McLaren F1 cars at Mosport, too.

Fondly remembered... RIP.

I was lucky enough to witness him winning the British GP at Silverstone in 1973, the same year that he won the Canadian GP at Mosport as Manfred hinted at.

Somewhere I have a photo I took of Revson at Silverstone that year travelling round the track as part of the wonderful celebrations they used to do.... the winning car, driver and podium winners plus dignitaries all circulating on the back of a flat bed car. Sadly it was not the best quality on an otherwise miserable day as far as the weather was concerned.

Edit: Found the photo I posted here in a Revson tribute I posted on his Birthday last year. @Manfred Cubenoggin made his own "Revvie" comments in the post that follows. The post after that shows and mentions the little fracas / dustup that Revson and Posey had at Riverside in 1970

Link to those posts: viewtopic.php?p=444211&hilit=Peter+Revs ... 1367,-Post

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bev Brock, longtime partner of Peter Brock, dies from cancer


Bev Brock, longtime partner of Australian racing champion Peter Brock, has died aged 77 two years after being diagnosed with cancer.

A constant fixture in the pits during his races, the pair were together for almost three decades, and had two children together.

Beverley Brock has died at the age of 77. The matriarch of the Brock clan succumbed to cancer at her home in Melbourne, surrounded by her family, early on Sunday morning

She is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.

Brock, universally known as ‘Bevo’ throughout the motorsport world, was the rock who anchored the legendary Peter Brock for close to 30 years.

She was a constant presence at racetracks across the country, often while lap charting Peter’s races in the early days and then organising the giant signing sessions for his fans in the later days.

But Bevo was much more than just the anchor for the Bradman of Bathurst.
She lived a life dedicated to others and was involved with a number of charities including the Brock Foundation.

Over the last few years she focused her time and passion on The Skyline Foundation, Melbourne Rotary, Public speaking and her ever expanding family.

She fought her cancer diagnosis for two years, maintaining close contact with her giant circle of friends and offering advice and support despite her own illness.
Beyond her own family, Bevo was the mother figure for many dozens of people who she helped throught their life challenges.

When times were bad, Bevo was always at the other end of the line with support and advice and comfort.

“Her loss will be immense as her presence, wisdom and support can never be matched,” her children James, Robert and Alexandra said in a statement announcing her passing.
A memorial service for Beverley Brock is being organised with details to be announced.

Our thoughts are with the Brock family and all of Bev’s many friends.

. https://autoaction.com.au/2024/04/07/rip-bev-brock



Director of Brock documentary praises 'extraordinary' Bev

Kriv Stenders, who directed a 2020 documentary on Peter Brock, said he was shocked to learn of Bev Brock's passing.

"She's probably one of the most remarkable, extraordinary, resilient, ferocious women I’ve ever met in my life," Stenders told ABC Melbourne radio.

He said that Bev Brock was integral to her partner's success throughout the 70s and 80s.

"Peter would not be Peter Brock without Bev," Stenders said.

"Bev was there from the very beginning, cooking dinners, organising sponsorships, she was a machine … she was the heartbeat.

RIP BEV BROCK

[erwin greven]

Fatal Accident In Paddock At Barcelona

Gerhard Freundorfer, Team Manager of Proton Huber Competition

9 April 2024, 2:31 PM

The following statement has been issued after a tragic accident in the paddock at the Circuit de Catalunya this morning:

The European Le Mans Series deeply regrets to have to report that on Tuesday 9 April 2024 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during the 4 Hours of Barcelona event an incident occurred in the Michelin Le Mans Cup paddock.

In the morning during set up, Gerhard Freundorfer, Team Manager of Proton Huber Competition, was involved in a fatal accident with his team truck. He was quickly attended by the circuit medical staff but, unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries.

Frédéric Lequien, CEO of Le Mans Endurance Management: “On behalf of the whole endurance family I would like to extend all of our deepest condolences to the family of Gerhard Freundorfer, especially to his wife Karola, and the Proton Huber Competition team. This is a very sad day for the endurance family.”

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO): “This morning we woke to the news of the death of Gerhard Freundorfer, which has saddened everyone involved in endurance racing. Gerhard was a member of the endurance family, and he will be sadly missed by all. I wish to extend the condolences of everyone at the ACO to Gerhard’s family and friends.”

Josep Lluís Santamaría, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Managing Director: “On behalf of the Circuit we deeply regret this accident and would like to extend our deepest condolences to Gerhard’s family, friends and the entire paddock of the European Le Mans Series.”

All at DSC pass on their sincere condolences to Gerhard’s family and friends and to all in the Huber and Proton teams.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2024/04/ ... elona.html

[erwin greven]

[SBan83]

For a second, I thought it was George Lucas.

[erwin greven]