He sustained a fatal head injury from the crash. Brad Keselowski is second with 54 wins in NASCAR Xfinity and Monster Energy Cup Series racing. They won the race, finished third overall, and went on to win 10 out of 13 races that year. I can hardly wait to get back to work with our car, he said. Password Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? Goldberg Segalla, LLP, Albany (Mark Donohue of counsel), for respondents. Two weeks ago, however, he showed he had not lost his skill at getting a race car around a track when he set a world speed record of 221.160 miles an hour for a closed course. Donohue, equipped with a mechanical-engineering degree from Brown University, approached car setup not with pet theories or traditional wisdom but with a slide rule, an overarching grasp of how physics strives to thwart a race cars mission, and 300 push-ups daily. Donohue was hit in the head by a fence post and knocked unconscious. What controls the frontline in the latest F1 design tech battles, Why Autosport is changing how it ranks F1 drivers from 2023 onwards, Why Autosport is changing how it ranks F1 drivers from 2023 onwards 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Donohue paced himself that day and took the lead for the first time with 12 laps to go. 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. Losing a driver is something you cant replace. He flew under the radar a lot, but he was always there. Donohue. The Penske PC1 was developed but the car proved problematic and midway through the season they decided to switch to a March 751 chassis. During a practice session for the race, Donohue lost control of his March after a tyre failed, sending him into the catch fencing at the fastest corner on the track, Vest Hgel Kurve. He is buried in Saint Teresa Cemetery in Summit, Union County, New Jersey.R.I.P Mark Donohue \u0026 Manfred Schaller. Donohue was about to have his race victory taken away for cheating, but Roger Penske stepped in. Mark obviously brought an air of professionalism. The Ferrari lived up to none of Marks calculations, and he was devastated, Bedard recalls. In 1970 new Javelin team owner Roger Penske and driver Mark Donohue would breathe new life into the AMC team. Brian Redman drove it once in 1974, and that was it for the car as far as Penske campaigning it. 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.. Mark Donohue returning from retirement to lead Roger Penske's Formula 1 team looked like a perfect match. 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. Mark Robert Bonhag, 56, of the Highland, Md., area was driving north on New Hampshire Avenue in the . Mark Donohue. He busted a gut when we got back to the shop. Then there was Marks other side. It meant immediate surgery. 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. Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return, IndyCar St. Petersburg: Dixon leads Herta in incident-packed opening practice, IndyCar St. Petersburg: Dixon leads Herta in incident-packed opening practice The Newtown Square facility was a small, 4,000 square-foot garage out back with a small bungalow in front of the shop. He became a great friend of mine, Penske said in an IMS tribute to Donohue. Make sure you track out all the way for Turn 7. Mark was an engineer from Brown University, Penske said. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. It was an epic stomping; he led over 361 miles that day, and in perusing the finishing order Bobby Unser finished fourth while West Series drivers Ray Elder, Jimmy Insolo, Jack McCoy and Richard White, all of whom made regular stops at Riverside, finished third, fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively it was clear this was a race decided by the interlopers, the kind of race we no longer see in modern-day NASCAR, where drivers have been cross-trained and educated on technology and data to the point each race contains 38 different versions of the Donohue prototype. 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. Penske, along with Donohue's wife, Eden, and father, Mark Sr., were at Donohue's bedside. Except I knew it wouldnt last, recalls Penske Racings timer/scorer Judy Stropus. With the Corvette money, he also bought a trailer to hold the car and a station wagon to tow the trailer.. At the age of twenty-two,[citation needed] while a senior at Brown, Donohue began racing his 1957 Corvette. The setup he designed for his car didnt have as much speed as teammate Gary Bettenhausens setup. [11] Earlier that year, co-driving with Hansgen, Donohue finished third at the 24 Hours of Daytona and second at the 12 Hours of Sebring. [citation needed] Hansgen arranged for Donohue to become his teammate in 1965, co-driving a Ferrari 275 at the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race,[2] which they finished in 11th place. 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. Donohue disagreed. It is core to the myth of Mark that he was just an okay driver but a genius engineer. He will be ranked with A. J. Foyt, Dan Gurney and Andretti in the leading group of American drivers. After the Arab oil embargo in 1973, it led the SCCA, IMSA and other race series to impose fuel limitations on motor sport racing as a whole, which hampered the performance of the 917/30, making it uncompetitive in the Can-Am series. He had one religion: testing. He gave us a lot of credibility and was the keystone of our racing. George Follmer, Donohue's old Trans-Am teammate, took over testing the 917-10 for Donohue, who said: It just doesn't feel right. Mark Donohue SCCA national champion early in a career Donohue was born in New Jersey on March 18, 1937, and became involved in racing as a senior at college. I was at Lime Rock, Connecticut, Donohue said. Donohues dad was often racing in the United States or Canada for a fledgling operation called Penske Racing. The trip to the airport was like the Mille Miglia. 1975 Camaro Racemark GT Bob Bailey. The team was third at Daytona and second at Sebring. The Penske team leader, Heinz Hofer, said Donohue had told him after the crash that the left front tire had been punctured as he was traveling about 160 m.p.h. Forgot password? There was also Earl McMullen and Bill Cox, who worked for the teams sponsor, Sun Oil. My friends began warning me., Racing was becoming an obsession, but in 1965, he realized: Maybe I can make a living out of something like to do. 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. Hangsen was killed testing a car for the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. 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. We need an obit.. A bad week or the dark horse from F1 testing? who retired from one of the greatest careers in auto racing history at age 36, unretired at 37 and died Tuesday night at 38 of brain injuries suffered in a crash before the Austrian. Donohue raced in the inaugural IROC series in 197374, racing identical, specially-prepared Porsche RSRs. . The Penske grand prix car proved a disappointment and Donohue's best finish this season was a fifth place in the British Grand Prix. 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. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that all memorial donations be sent to the Auto Racing Fraternity Foundation, 13539 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, Queens. 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. this email address already registerd with us. The No. Instead, the Racemark GT had Bedard, also a racer, showering praise. A Montgomery County man who crashed his car and fled from the wreck, leaving three of his friends dead or dying, on Thursday was sentenced . There, he was Godthat was his way of distinguishing himself. His divine touch extended to his street cars; a friend once described riding in Donohues Porsche 911 as a Wall of Death thing most of the time., The relentless pursuit of perfection eventually took its toll. He finished the race in his McLaren-Offy setting a record speed of over 162mph (261km/h),[16] which stood for twelve years. At about 09h45 he left the pits again for another testing run. They changed the grille and taillight to the 1968 model, and then painted both cars identically. Donohue was obsessed with finding any possible advantage through engineering -- and loopholes in the rules. I could see what was coming, he said. We think we've made a major discovery. Don Cox would later join the team in 1969 after working as an engineer for General Motors. Choose a Username Available! 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. Mark Donohue was 38 and a sports car champion and 1972 Indianapolis 500 winner. He approaches things the same way. My definition of too much horsepower is when all four wheels are spinning in every gear., Burge Hulett, Donohues lifelong friend, told Bedard: Mark was actually a bit of a doofus, awkward everywhere except behind the wheel. racing was concerned, he had done it all. Mark won the 1972 Indianapolis 500 when David was just five. Michael is another guy but there is this thing between Mark and David, even in terms of their life experiences. David followed his father into sports car racing for Porsche. The only engineering Donohue went back to concerned race cars. He tried to be a team manager; that didnt work. Your message has been sent. Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. (born March 18 1937 in Haddon Township, New Jersey, United States - died August 19 1975 in Graz, Austria) was an American racing driver who most notably drove in Formula One and sports cars. 4 yellow car with sports car driver and race car builder Bruce McLaren for Shelby American Racing. He took the lot to Lime Rock, Conn., and finished fourth in a sports car race. Donohue chronicled his entire racing career in the book, The Unfair Advantage (co-written with noted motorsports and engineering journalist Paul Van Valkenburgh). August 19th marks twenty-five years ago that Mark Donohue passed away from brain trauma, which was caused from an accident while practicing for a Formula 1 event. The winner of the 1972 Indianapolis 500 and the Can Am in l973. 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. But if his father, Mark Sr., a successful patent lawyer, never envisaged a racing career for his son, neither cid young Mark. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue's career, along with Roger Penske's Formula One aspirations, took a tragic turn. I dont remember him changing a bit.. The search for Mark Donohue concludes in the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey just outside of New York City. That was the most striking thing I ever saw him do. Our car experts choose every product we feature. When you see the car in real life, it becomes so much more real.. Mark Donohue died last night. Auto Race Car Driver. [citation needed]. Donohue recently had arrived in Austria for the Austrian Grand Prix at the sterreichring race track following the successful closed-course speed record attempt at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama just a few days earlier. [citation needed] He graduated from Brown in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Were far from having too much horsepower, he asserted. 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. Continuing the practice of reducing weight allowed them to place weights of certain sizes strategically in specific locations within the car, thus helping to balance the car while being driven on the limit. And given enough time just one more year, maybe he wouldve become Americas first world champion.. 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. 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. Donohue and Hawkins completed only twelve laps due to differential failure and finished 47th. 1975, resulting from an accident two days earlier during practice for the Austrian Grand Prix. By 1973, the "Captain Nice" nickname he had earned earlier in his career was being supplanted by the nickname "Dark Monohue". As Roger Penske said, Mark wasnt flashy, but he put the numbers on the board.. 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. With Donohues methodical approach and his commitment to work for Penske fulltime that counted for a lot Penske said. I always said driving wasn't really a dangerous situation. 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. Seeing another man driving your car, a car you know so well. Three years later, Mark was gone, dead from a cerebral hemorrhage suffered in a crash during practice for the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at sterreichring. He was, I feel, the finest road race driver this country has ever produced, Allison told Hemmings Motor News years later. His 59 wins remain the most of any driver for Team Penske. Portrait of American racing driver Mark Donohue as he poses with his car after winning the Indianapolis 500 race, Speedway, Indiana, May 1972. . That got everybodys attention -- the polished wheels, the way our guys looked, the way the cars were prepared and obviously, the performance was good. The front of the car was torn away, leaving Donohue, still strapped to his safety seat, with his legs dangling outside the car. 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