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Driver Deaths In British Motorsport Series
Motorsport of any type, or at any level, is dangerous by its very nature. However the nature of the media often means that only deaths in high-profile series, with mainstream TV coverage, are reported in the press. For example, the deaths of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli within a week of each other in 2011, received significant press attention while other recent deaths did not. This can give a misleading impression to the general public as to the number of deaths that occur in the sport as a whole. The list below shows drivers that have died racing in British national or club car racing series since 1970. The list only includes drivers to have died during a race and only those competing in British domestic series. The deaths are spread across the major existing circuits in the country, with only Knockhill and Rockingham Motor Speedway Rockingham Motor Speedway is a former racing motorsport venue in Rockingham, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom, near the town of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dan Wheldon
Daniel Clive Wheldon (22 June 1978 – 16 October 2011) was a British motor racing driver who won the 2005 IndyCar Series season, 2005 IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship for Andretti Autosport, Andretti Green Racing (AGR). He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 Indianapolis 500, 2005 and 2011 Indianapolis 500, 2011, and was co-winner of the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR). Wheldon began competitive karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to Open-wheel car, open-wheel car racing in the U.S. F2000 National Championship, the Atlantic Championship, Toyota Atlantic Championship and Indy Lights. He began driving in IndyCar with Panther Racing in 2002. The following year, Wheldon moved to AGR, finishing as runner-up in the 2004 IndyCar Series, 2004 championship. He won the drivers' title in 2005 with the record for most victories (including that year's Indianapolis 500) during a season. In the 2006 IndyCar Series, 2006 season, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mallory Park
Mallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley, in central England. Originally used for grass-track until 1955, a new, basically oval hard-surfaced course was constructed for 1956, with a later extension forming a loop with a hairpin bend.Britain's Top Circuits, race circuit guide, 1966 hard copy (free supplement with ''Motor Cycle''), Accessed 2015-05-02 With the car circuit measuring only it is amongst the shortest permanent race circuits in the UK. However, chicanes introduced to reduce speeds in motorcycle events mean that the Superbike Circuit is now slightly longer, at . Shorter UK circuits are Lydden Hill, Brands Hatch Indy circuit, Scotland's Knockhill and Silverstone's diminutive Stowe circuit. The Circuit The circuit has a number of formations, founded on a basic one-mile oval, with the majority of configurations including the northerly extension to the tight, 180° ''Shaw' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snetterton Circuit
Snetterton Circuit is a motor racing course in Norfolk, England, originally opened in 1953. Owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, it is situated on the A11 road north-east of the town of Thetford and south-west of the city of Norwich. The circuit is named after the nearby village of Snetterton to the north-west of the circuit, although much of the circuit lies in the adjoining civil parish of Quidenham.Ordnance Survey (1999). ''OS Explorer Map 237 - Norwich''. . The circuit hosts races from series including the British Touring Car Championship, British Formula Three Championship and British Superbike Championship. From 1980 to 1994, the track hosted the UK's first 24-hour race, the Willhire 24 Hour. From 2003 to 2013 the Citroën 2CV 24 Hour Race was held at Snetterton on the 200 Circuit. After a short stint racing at Anglesey the 2CV 24Hr race has again returned to Snetterton and is usually held around the August bank holiday weekend. Pre-racing hist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park is a motor racing circuit in Lincolnshire, England, south of Louth, owned and operated by MotorSport Vision, a business associated with former racing driver Jonathan Palmer. Sited on former parkland across a steep-sided valley with dips and crests, the circuit features sharp changes in gradient, including one section called ''The Mountain'' where bikes can become airborne by up to several feet. Its mix of challenging corners has led to its nickname as the Mini- Nürburgring. History Located in the Lincolnshire Wolds, Cadwell Park was established in by Mr Mansfield Wilkinson of Louth. His sons originally used the land for racing their own motorbikes against each other. Originally the gravel-drives of the country estate measured , with tarmac and concrete being added in 1938, with widening and lengthening in 1953, and lengthened again in 1961 with the addition of the Donington Curve.Britain's Top Circuits, race circuit guide, 1966 hard copy (free supplement with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marcel Albers
Marcel Albers (April 29, 1967 – April 20, 1992) was a Dutch motor racing driver. Having progressed through the ranks of the Dutch formulae, including a Formula Ford championship win in 1989, Albers moved to the Opel Euroseries for 1990, going on to finish a creditable sixth in the championship. A move to British Formula Three for 1991 followed and again impressed, finishing fifth in the championship. He also finished third at the prestigious Marlboro Masters, finishing behind Scotsman David Coulthard and Spain's Jordi Gené. These performances had installed Albers to be one of the title favourites for the 1992 British championship. After a win in the opening round at Donington Park, Marcel retired from the second round at Silverstone and then qualified on the front row for round three. Marcel was killed in April 1992 at Thruxton in Hampshire, during round 3 of the 1992 British Formula Three season. Having recovered from earlier gearbox troubles, he was running behind his tea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Warwick (racing Driver)
Paul Jason Warwick (29 January 1969 – 21 July 1991) was a British racing driver. Career Paul Warwick was born in Alresford, Hampshire, and was the younger brother of fellow racing driver Derek Warwick. He began his junior career in British stock car racing in 1981 in the Ministox formula, before progressing to Superstox for the 1984 season, aged just 15 (due to altering his age on his race licence) racing against many older and much more experienced racers, under the Spedeworth organisation at tracks such as his local Aldershot Stadium and Foxhall Stadium, Ipswich. His brother Derek was the English and World Champion in the formula. Paul became National Champion in 1984 at Ipswich, East Anglian Champion and also British Champion in 1985 at Wisbech. In his first season of Formula Ford 1600 in 1986, he won eight of the 12 Dunlop-Autosport Star of Tomorrow rounds on his way to the title and scored a championship double by claiming the Townsend Thoresen Junior FF1600 series ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thruxton Circuit
The Thruxton Circuit is a motor-racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, about 30 miles north of Southampton. It has hosted motorsport events including the British Touring Car Championship, British GT Championship, British Formula One Championship, British Formula Three, and GB3 Championship. It is often referred to as the "Fastest Circuit in the UK" where drivers can reach speeds of over and has earned the reputation of being a true driver's track. To illustrate this, Damon Hill drove his Williams Formula One car around the circuit at an average speed of in 1993. The site also houses the headquarters of the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC). History The site was originally constructed in 1942 as RAF Thruxton, a World War II airfield which was home to both the RAF and USAAF and was used for troop-carrying aircraft and gliders, including operations during the D-Day landings. Also, the paratroopers who took part in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Hawkins (racing Driver)
Robert Paul Hawkins (12 October 1937 – 26 May 1969) was an Australian motor racing driver. The son of a racing motorcyclist-turned-church minister, Hawkins was a capable single-seater driver but really made his mark as an outstanding sports car competitor driving Ford GT40s and Lola T70s. In 1969 Hawkins was included in the FIA list of graded drivers, an elite group of 27 drivers who by their achievements were rated the best in the world. Hawkins was hugely popular and known as ''Hawkeye''; the son of a gentleman of the cloth he was a colourful character with a wide colourful vocabulary.Peter Swinger, "Motor Racing Circuits in England : Then & Now" (Ian Allan Publishing, , 2008) He was also famous for being one of two racers to crash into the harbour at the Monaco Grand Prix. Early racing career Hawkins began racing in Australia with an Austin-Healey in 1958. He left Australia and arrived in England in 1960. He found employment with the Donald Healey Motor Company Ltd., und ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Croft Circuit
Croft Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Dalton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. The tarmac circuit is long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit. The circuit holds meetings of the British Touring Car Championship, British Rallycross and Pickup Truck Racing race series. History The first records of racing at Croft date back to the 1920s, but it was after the Second World War that Croft circuit became a significant motorsport venue. At the beginning of the Second World War an airfield named RAF Croft was built on the site now occupied by the circuit. RAF Croft also known as Croft Aerodrome, was mainly used as a bomber airfield. It was home to a number of different aircraft types including Wellington, Lancaster, Whitley, Stirling and Halifax bombers. There were a number of notorious accidents mainly involving returning bombers missing their runway. One bomber made it all the way back ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oulton Park
Oulton Park is a hard surfaced track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was previously known as the Oulton Estate. The racing circuit is owned and operated by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation. Circuit The track is characterised by rapidly changing gradients, blind crests and several tight corners. The full circuit is . The highest part of the course is Hill Top. Paddock facilities are reasonable in size with large areas of hard-standing and some power points. The race track can be adapted for shorter courses. The "Foster's" Circuit, which is , comprises half of the "Cascades" corner followed by the "Hislop's" chicane, it then heads onto Knickerbrook and up the 13% gradient of Clay Hill to work its way round to the start/finish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marco Simoncelli
Marco Simoncelli (; 20 January 198723 October 2011), nicknamed Sic (), was an Italian professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the MotoGP World Championship for 10 years from 2002 to 2011. He started in the 125cc class before moving up to the 250cc class in 2006. He won the 2008 250cc World Championship with Gilera. After four years in the intermediate class, he stepped up to the top MotoGP class in 2010, racing with the Honda Gresini Team. He died in an accident at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. Career Early career Marco Simoncelli was born in Cattolica but grew up and lived in Coriano with his family since childhood. He started racing minibikes at the age of seven in his hometown of Coriano, moving on to the Italian Minimoto Championship in 1996 at the early age of nine. He won the Italian Minimoto Championship in 1999 and 2000 while also became the runner-up in the 2000 European Minimoto Championship. The following year, he stepped up to the Italian 125cc Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Towcester, Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the first race in the newly created World Championship of Drivers. The race rotated between Silverstone, Aintree and Brands Hatch from 1955 to 1986, but settled permanently at the Silverstone track in 1987. The circuit also hosts the British round of the MotoGP series. On 30 September 2004, British Racing Drivers' Club president Jackie Stewart announced that the British Grand Prix would not be included on the 2005 provisional race calendar and, if it were, would probably not occur at Silverstone. However, on 9 December an agreement was reached with former Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone ensuring that the track would host the British Grand Prix until 2009 after which Donington Park would be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
