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Fred Luther and one of the world's first (if not the first) automobile powered motorcycles

21-Jun-23 historicracing.com

Fred Luther was a pioneering motorcycle rider who had been competing since 1915. By 1934 his life must have become somewhat mundane as he came up with the idea of building a motorcycle to break the Land Speed Record....continue reading

LEGENDS SERIES

Grover Bergdoll

08-Jul-23 historicracing.com

Grover Cleveland Bergdoll was a wealthy early aviator, racing driver and notorious World War I draft dodger who fled to Germany to avoid service....continue reading
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The Donington Grand Prix in 1937

21-Apr-23 historicracing.com

The Donington Grand Prix in 1937. The first chance the British public had to see the Mercedes and Auto Union cars racing and, what a spectacle it proved to be! Though the reputation of the machines preceded them, no-one was prepared for that first lap. ...continue reading

Valdir Fauirin twin engined special

19-Apr-23 historicracing.com

Now then! The history of motoring has seen any number of twin-engined adventures, usually to nobody’s worthwhile benefit. But this wonderful little, Brazilian, home-build race car from 1971, was a bit special. Even for that sphere of novelty....continue reading

Behold the GAZ-TP

17-Apr-23 historicracing.com

Built in 1954, under official approval from the Supreme Presidium of the Soviet Socialist Republic, it’s claimed to have been the world’s first car ever jet-driven land vehicle, loaded, as it was, with the motivational extracts of a MIG-17....continue reading

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Events on January 16th


Interesting and notable events from the history of motor sport.

1955

Juan Manuel Fangio won the Argentine Grand Prix in a Mercedes W196 in what was the highest temperatures a F1 championship GP had been contested until the Bahrain GP in 2005.

Buenos Aires, Argentina...In 40° C heat in what was the highest temperatures a F1 championship GP had been contested until the 2005 Bahrain GP at Sakhir. (Though botf Reims in 1959 and Dallas in 1984 did match it)

Called by Autosport the Argentine Inferno, only locals Fangio and 5th place finisher Roberto Mieres completed the entire 233 miles without relief drivers. seperating them at the finish was the second place Ferrari of José Froilán González which was also driven by Nino Farina and Maurice Trintignant. the third place Ferrari of Nino Farina also driven by Maurice Trintignant and Umberto Maglioli and the third place Mercedes of Hans Herrmann which was shared with Karl Kling and Stirling Moss.

Only 7 of the 21 starters finished the 3 hour race.

 

 





1965

Round 2 Tasman Cup Levin, New Zealand. Won by Jim Clark driving a Lotus-Climax

2002

Former Formula One driver Ian Ashley was arrested at Heathrow airport for carrying offensive weapons.

Former Formula 1 driver Ian Ashley has been released on bail after being arrested at London's Heathrow Airport, allegedly trying to carry offensive weapons onto a flight to Seattle. Security staff at Terminal Four discovered a three-inch penknife and pliers concealed in Ashley's socks and found a screwdriver hidden in a spectacle case. Ashley (54) was later bailed to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on February 1. Ashley was detained after being charged under the Aviation and Security Act Ashley - who was nicknamed "Crashley" during his racing career - had to abandon racing after only four Grands Prix races. He had a huge accident in qualifying for the German GP in August 1975 when he crashed his Williams at Nurburgring's daunting Pflanzgarten and broke both his ankles. He made a comeback in 1977 driving an Obex Oil Hesketh but flipped while cresting one of Mosport Park's famous bumps and somersaulted over the barriers and into a television tower. Ashley was seriously hurt again. He later turned to a career as a pilot of executive jets in the United States but returned to racing in the late 1990s driving in the British Touring Car Championship and in TVR Tuscans.

LOST THIS YEAR

Basil van Rooyen

19/4/1939 - 14/9/2023

Ken McAlpine

21/9/1920 - 8/4/2023

Craig Breedlove

23/3/1937 - 4/4/2023

Slim Borgudd

25/11/1946 - 23/2/2023

Jean-Pierre Jabouille

1/10/1942 - 2/2/2023

Ken Block

21/11/1967 - 2/1/2023

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