He never regained consciousness. Penske's new Penske Racing complex in Mooresville, North Carolina is decorated with various murals of Donohue and his racing cars, most notably the AMC stock car and the various Porsche prototypes that Donohue drove through his career. There was little question then that Donohue, who would testdrive the new car and help supervise its development, would come out of retirement. Email or password is incorrect. 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. 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. [citation needed] He graduated from Brown in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. There was also Earl McMullen and Bill Cox, who worked for the teams sponsor, Sun Oil. He won the first event he entered, a hillclimb[2] in Belknap County, New Hampshire. But he kept complaining of headaches and Mario Andretti, who also has an obsession with grand prix racing, said Donohue was lapsing in and out of consciousness, Donohue was rushed to a hospital at Graz where grays revealed blood clot on the brain. At first, the former Indianapolis 500 winner was thought to have just a mild concussion.
In search of Team Penske racing legend Mark Donohue - Autoweek It was August 9, 1975. For him, it was a check in the box, Penske recalled. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Czarnecki saw the brilliance, humor and darkness -- all part of Donohues character. Walt Czarnecki, Team Penske vice chairman and among the operations early members, has a deep admiration and respect for what Donohue meant to the Penske organization. He was just 22 years old when he had won his first race, a local hill climb. A 25-year-old passenger in the Infiniti, a woman from Olney, was seriously hurt and taken to the hospital. He tried to be a team manager; that didnt work. His body will be flown to the United States tomorrow and the funeral will take place Monday in Summit, N. J., where Donohue grew up and first got caught up in the hotrod phenomenon. A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 1 P.M. in St. Teresa's Church.
Mark Donohue profile on SnapLap He was one of the best American roadracers in history, but his biggest triumph was on the oval at Indianapolis, where in 1972 he won the 500. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I can hardly wait to get back to work with our car, he said. Nine weeks before the Le Mans race, while testing a GT40 Mk II in the rain, Donohue's friend and former teammate Walt Hansgen lost control and crashed his car into an escape road barrier, suffering fatal injuries. The search for Mark Donohue concludes in the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey just outside of New York City. The driver must accept the risks involved, which I didand I spent my time in the hospital as a result.. He knew racing drivers couldn't come back.
An investigation determined tire failure caused Donohues fatal crash, and the family won a $12 million settlement. When Penske Racing took delivery of a Ferrari 512M, for instance, they immediately fabricated a bigger rear wing. Found a bug?SuggestionsCopyrightNeed help?Business DevelopmentGeneral inquiry, PopScreen - Video Search, Bookmarking and Discovery Engine.
Mark Donohue Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images When she brought us in to see the finish, I dont think she knew he had won. 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
Mark Donohue - Human Side of Racing He was just that way. Mark Donohue was an enigma. He was really the first person that I knew in racing that not only had the driving skills, but also the technical knowledge. [2], Donohue was hired on March 29, 1964, by Jack Griffith [Griffith Motors, Syosset, N.Y./Plainview, N.Y.] as design engineer for the Griffith, formerly TVR Grantura Mk III, powered by a Ford 289 cid (4.7l) V8 engine. Mark Neary Donohue Jr. (March 18, 1937 August 19, 1975), nicknamed "Captain Nice,"[1][2] and later "Dark Monohue,"[2] was an American race car driver and engineer known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories.[3][4][5][6]. When Mark . He just decided it was time to get out, and he wanted to do the Formula 1 program, Penske said. I'd always thought that I'm not as good a driver as I am capable of figuring out how to make the car the quickest, he once said. He lost his life doing what he wanted to do, which is one thing, but it took us a long time to get over that.
Maryland DUI Driver Who Killed 3 Gets More Prison Time for Trying to The supposition is that a support post from one of the advertising signs caught Donohue's helmet. Clark, J. Donohue was obsessed with finding any possible advantage through engineering -- and loopholes in the rules. Donohue chronicled his entire racing career in the book, The Unfair Advantage (co-written with noted motorsports and engineering journalist Paul Van Valkenburgh). He was so key in the operation when he was there its something we had to rebuild. [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. His son, David, told me: The legend was that my dad and Roger conquered all. An investigation determined tire failure caused Donohue's fatal crash, and the family won a $12 million settlement. 4445.
The Unfair Advantage, at Indy - Mark Donohue's 1970 Lola T-153 Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Our car experts choose every product we feature. He will be ranked with A. J. Foyt, Dan Gurney and Andretti in the leading group of American drivers. 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. A bad week or the dark horse from F1 testing? To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. During testing at Road Atlanta, Donohue recommended larger brake ducts, believing that more cooling would slow the brakes' degradation during a race. Late in 1973, when Penske decided to build a Formula One car for the 1975 season, Donohue knew what would happen. Forgot password?
A doctor's take: Jules Bianchi brain injury He would greet those who didnt know him with a smile, but he was so focused and obsessed with making the race car go fast, he was distant. 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. . Mark obviously brought an air of professionalism. 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. 1975 Camaro Racemark GT Bob Bailey. He also gave us our first NASCAR win. Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The practice sessions were marred by serious accidents; Brian Henton destroyed his Lotus after sliding in an oil patch, and Wilson Fittipaldi broke his hand when crashing at the Rindt Kurve. I saw him race at Lime Rock in an Elva, and (longtime Penske friend and later president of the IROC series) Jay Signore said I should watch this guy. Painkillers affected his memory, and he began drinking heavily to deal with the pain. I think I was the first guy to assert that Mark was a better driver than an engineer, says Bedard. To appreciate what Donohue and Penske accomplished that day, lets consider three important points: Its safe to say Donohue, an Ivy League-educated engineer, was Penskes muse when it came to auto racing; the burgeoning team owner offered Donohue a driving job at a funeral for Donohues friend, Walt Hansgen, his co-driver in sports cars whod helped guide young Donohues career to that point. A mechanical engineering graduate from a wealthy New Jersey background, Donohue won everything in sight on the US scene, in every major category. There were victories in stockcar racing against Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and the other Southern drivers; in the TransAm series, where three times he captured the season title competing against the best sedans the Detroit factories could produce; in the 24 hours of Daytona, against the best international sports cars endurance pilots, and in the initital Pocono 500 in 1971 against A. J. Foyt, Bobby and Al Unser, Mario Andretti and the other stars from the United States Auto Club championship circuit. * Most laps led. Donohue won in 1972, driving for Penske. Donohue took three victories and the series championship, besting the likes of Petty, Allison, David Pearson, A.J. The key factors behind F1s Premier League-style managerial revolving door, The tangible steps Alpine has taken to meeting its humble F1 2023 targets, The tangible steps Alpine has taken to meeting its humble F1 2023 targets Today, he works. He could drive a car in the 24-hour race at Daytona, a Trans-Am Car, an Indy car and a NASCAR car. It would have really been great watching those two together in the later years if it had gotten that far.
Mark Donohue Fatal Crash | PopScreen In everything he droveeven an Elva Courier and a Cobra, cars he didnt develophe still won. I dont remember him changing a bit.. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Mark was an engineer from Brown University, Penske said. Every time David Donohue sees that car, he sees his father. He did it at Talladega, Ala., in the turbocharged Porsche he drove to the 1973 CanAm title. I did everything I could to keep up. 1968 would be a banner year for Donohue in the Trans-Am series, as he successfully defended his 12 Hours of Sebring victory by partnering with Craig Fisher and driving his Penske Chevrolet Camaro to victory. When you see the car in real life, it becomes so much more real.. After coming out of retirement with his former boss, Penske, Donohue returned to Formula One, entering into the final two races of the 1974 Formula One season. He was so gentlemanly, he was boring. In the four-race series, Donohue won the first and third of three races at Riverside and the final race of the year at Daytona. He won three national sports car championships as an amateur before he turned professional in 1966, first as the late Walt Hansgen's codriver, then for the rest of his life with Penske. 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). Despite this, Donohue still dominated the series, even though he suffered three DNFs during the season due to mechanical problems with the M6A. He was passionate about racing. 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. The 38yearold Donohue underwent a threehour operation at a hospital here Sunday to remove a blood clot from his brain. Several minutes later Donohue regained consciousness and spoke with his rescuers, who took him to Knittelfeld hospital. The victory was the first for Penske in the Indy 500. 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. Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? Drexel University 1973 Lexerd (Yearbook), pp. Acid-dipping car bodies was prevalent with competing Trans-Am teams also. What we learned from Friday practice at F1's 2023 Bahrain GP. He said, Just follow me. Following Mark Donohue on a two-lane road with no street lights was an exercise.
Racing Heroes - Mark Donohue | Hemmings Donohue co-drove in the No. 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.
It was hard to believe because Donohue and team owner Roger Penske were then the cleverest guys in racing. Donohue began his Trans-Am series campaign in 1967, winning three of twelve races in a Roger Penske-owned Chevrolet Camaro. Anyone can read what you share. I always said driving wasn't really a dangerous situation. ), (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap). Donohue was able to obtain two fifth places in the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp and in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but scored five DNF's in the first 11 races of the season.A few days before going to Zeltweg for the Austrian Grand Prix, scheduled to be contested on 17 August 1975, Penske and Porsche attempted to set the world closed-course record. Donohue raced at Indianapolis each year following,[15] finishing second in 1970 and 25th in 1971. Harry Gant was a champion in 1985, Ricky Rudd was a champion in 1992 and Mark Martin became a five-time champion; all three failed to secure NASCAR championships. 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 . His first marriage ended in divorce and some friends blamed racing. Allison, the runner-up finisher, will forever be in awe of what he witnessed from Donohue, with whom hed eventually work while driving for Penske.
Secrets of the mysterious 1975-77 Camaro Racemark GT Her . During the development of this motor, the German Porsche engineers often asked Donohue if the motor finally had enough power. That day at Indy, Bobby Unsers Eagle dominated the contest before Unser dropped out. 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. Its been 43 years since Donohues death, but he remains Penske Racings cornerstone. He wanted to know how we were doing. DUI accident in the history of this county," Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said at a news conference. David followed his father into sports car racing for Porsche. He answered, "It will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear.".
Mark Donohue (1937-1975) - Find a Grave Memorial He did it through sheer force of will. J. Funk and J. L. He died from severe head injuries sustained August 16 in practice for the Austrian Grand Prix at Graz, Austria. Losing a driver is something you cant replace. On the phone, the editor said, You gotta come back in. I get all of these tiny little stories from everybody where my dad grabbed this guy as a kid and sat him in the car -- and that motivated him enough to go to engineering school. 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. A track marshal was killed by debris from the accident, but Donohue did not appear to be injured significantly. The Porsche engineers obliged, but the new ducts interfered with the bodywork closure pins that attached body panels to the car. Its made me realize its an honor to be his son. As an American driver, he had done it all. 1975, resulting from an accident two days earlier during practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
One-hit wonder: Mark Donohue and his 1973 Riverside win helped elevate 1 Killed in Multi-Car Crash in Olney, Police Say Le Mans proved frustrating for Donohue. Michael is another guy but there is this thing between Mark and David, even in terms of their life experiences. I always said driving wasn't really a dangerous situation. 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. One night I was in Philadelphia and was following Mark to the old shop in Newtown Square. The two proved to be like-minded peas in a pod. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. 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. He had been a national amateur champion and the Sports Car Club of America driver of the year in 1965. So they fiddled with it in non-meaningful ways, then Mark went back out. He gained 11.5 secondsthe quickest Ferrari in the field and fourth overall. Donohues dad was often racing in the United States or Canada for a fledgling operation called Penske Racing. He joined Roger Penske, a former sports car rival who had set up his own team, the following year as a fulltime professional. First to go was his marriage, says Argetsinger. Every dime I had I put into cars, he said. The book documents his career from his first races to his final full season of racing the year before he was killed. Amongst his friends, he liked practical jokes and liked catching people out on things. Donohue was fiercely motivated and was one of the first drivers to bring a sense of mechanical engineering to his craft.