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), (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap). He did the job for Roger, no question. Or, signing some autographs. One track marshal was killed by the crash and another seriousy injured. At about 09h45 he left the pits again for another testing run. Donohue, who also competed in endurance racing, IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am,. Donohue paced himself that day and took the lead for the first time with 12 laps to go. Warming up for the Austrian Grand Prix, my hero, Donohue, 38, had spun his March at 150 mph and struck his head on a metal bar supporting a sign. Its a goal he had and a goal he checked off. Foyt and Emerson Fittipaldi, among others tangible proof that, stock-car equipment being even, Donohue was a world beater. In 1969, Penske and Donohue raced in their first Indianapolis 500,[14] with Donohue finishing seventh, winning the rookie of the year award. Donohue won. His true passion was racing. I think the people at Indy thought we were the college guys with the crew haircuts and the polished wheels. 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. That sense of realism often hits Mark Donohues son. Most of Donohues wins (28) came in Trans-Am, the United States Road Racing Championship (12) and Can-Am (10). He was helped by Emerson Fittipaldi, Bob Evans and Hans-Joachim Stuck, who arrived to the scene of the accident and parked their cars. (Photo: Bob DOlivo / The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images). He had been a national amateur champion and the Sports Car Club of America driver of the year in 1965. He never regained consciousness. [9] That year, Donohue also won two divisional championships: in SCCA B Class in a GT350 and in SCCA Formula C in a Lotus 20B. If we're right, by next season we could be the dominant team in Formula One.. Please try again. When Penske decided late to enter Formula One full time, Donohue had a difficult decision to make. Once, in 1971, he and Penske showed up at the Canadian Grand Prix and Jackie Stewart, the former world champion, kidded them: Welcome to the major leagues.. It served as the first NASCAR victory for aspiring team owner Roger Penske, a proverbial snowball sent rolling down a path thatd alter the entire American auto racing landscape. 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. At the age of twenty-two,[citation needed] while a senior at Brown, Donohue began racing his 1957 Corvette. In 1967 he became the USRRC champion, winning six out of eight races. We were in Lime Rock and I was in a motorhome and my mom came out and woke my brother and I up so we could watch the end of the race. He also gave us our first NASCAR win. Coming out of turn seven at about 150mph (240km/h), the rear bodywork flew off the car, which became extremely unstable, lifted off the ground, and tumbled down the track. Instead, the Racemark GT had Bedard, also a racer, showering praise. 66 McLaren/Offenhauser that Mark Donohue drove to win the 1972 Indy 500. 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. the email address you entered is invalid. It was, as they say in racing, a freak accident. He took the lot to Lime Rock, Conn., and finished fourth in a sports car race. Clark, J. For Donohue, there was little time to grieve, as his own Le Mans debut was looming. They were embarrassed, and like the streak of success following the 71 Indianapolis 500, they returned to Riverside in 1973 with a heavy chip on their shoulders. Her . A friend once described riding in Donohue's Porsche 911 as a 'Wall of Death thing most of the time. We had a polished yellow tile floor in our garage in Gasoline Alley and took everything out at night and cleaned the floor. We need an obit." Warming up for the Austrian Grand Prix, my hero, Donohue, 38, had spun his March at 150 mph and struck his head on a metal bar supporting a sign. In winning the first IROC championship, Donohue beat the best racing drivers of that era from all of the major championships, such as Denny Hulme, Richard Petty, A. J. Foyt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Peter Revson, Bobby Unser, and Gordon Johncock. And neither found what they expected. I was the chief engineer because I was the only engineer, Cox recalled. A full season of racing for the 1975 Formula One season was planned. Coffay fled the scene. 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. Found a bug?SuggestionsCopyrightNeed help?Business DevelopmentGeneral inquiry, PopScreen - Video Search, Bookmarking and Discovery Engine. Mark Donohue races to the win at the the 1972 Indy 500. Losing a driver is something you cant replace. 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. [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. Mark Donohue (1937-1975) - Find a Grave Memorial This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. This time, the interlopers would leave no doubt as they set out to prove their reputations for calculated dominance. DON HUNTER, BILL OURSLER, THE MANUFACTURERS, Elana Scherr: On the Count of Three (Wheels), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. First to go was his marriage, says Argetsinger. A bad week or the dark horse from F1 testing? 25 Years Ago Remembering Mark Donohue | Catchfence Today, he works. In his career, Donohue started 311 races and won 119 of them, a winning average of 38 percent. Donohue's death was announced by a spokesman for Roger Penske, a close personal friend and his team boss. Penske and Donohue did not stop acid-dipping after this, however. 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. Both Donohue and Penske changed teams to American Motors Corporation in 1970 and won their third championship in 1971. In 1968 he was USRRC champion again, winning five of eight, and he was also Trans-Am champion, winning 10 of 13. George Follmer, Donohue's old Trans-Am teammate, took over testing the 917-10 for Donohue, who said: It just doesn't feel right. At first, the former Indianapolis 500 winner was thought to have just a mild concussion. Between 1971 and 1972, Penske Racing (along with Donohue as the primary test and development driver) was commissioned by Porsche to help develop the 917-10 to compete in the Can-Am series. Fellow racer and former teammate Sam Posey called Donohue, a gunslinger who also happened to have designed the gun.. He was hit on the side of his helmet with debris as his car, which had suffered a punctured tire, went out of control in prerace practice and crashed through four rows of wire catchfences and some billboards along the Oesterreichring race course. His average speed around the 2.66-mile (4.28 km) high-banked oval was 221.120 mph (355.858 km/h). Donohue took three victories and the series championship, besting the likes of Petty, Allison, David Pearson, A.J. On the phone, the editor said, You gotta come back in. (He was operated on at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta by Drs. No one knew, but Mark Donohue had just 10 days to live. J. Funk and J. L. One-hit wonder: Mark Donohue and his 1973 Riverside win helped elevate Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. this email address already registerd with us. That is something I would have never had if I didnt go to races. He answered, "It will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear.". 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. 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 Mark Donohue died last night. 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. Every time David Donohue sees that car, he sees his father. He was so key in the operation when he was there its something we had to rebuild. Acid-dipping car bodies was prevalent with competing Trans-Am teams also. The real Mark came out.. During their enormous success in Trans-Am, Penske and Donohue would begin to experiment with their Camaros. 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 66 Penske Racing entry went on to win at Indianapolis in 1972 to give Roger Penske the first of his 17 Indy 500 wins. He was, I feel, the finest road race driver this country has ever produced, Allison told Hemmings Motor News years later. We started with a Lola 4-wheel drive, and in 1971 we got a McLaren. We werent out there to have fun. Email or password is incorrect. Appeal from that part of an order of the Supreme Court (Platkin, J. With his marriage to Sue falling apart, Donohues personal life was in turmoil. But there was one phase of racing that he had never really taken part in, what he called his personal missing link. This was in the Formula One cars, perhaps this dangerous sport's most dangerous, which run on the grand prix circuit. through one of the fastest turns on the track. An experienced race driver named Walt Hansgen (who worked for Inskip Motors in New York & Rhode Island) recognized Donohue's ability[2] and befriended him, eventually providing an MGB (through Inskip Motors in Providence, RI and prepped by their race shop Competition Engineering)[8] for Donohue to race at the 1964 Bridgehampton Mark was an engineer from Brown University, Penske said. Le Mans proved frustrating for Donohue. On August 9, 1975, Donohue drove the 91730 to a world closed-course speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. I imagine it must feel like watching another man in bed with your wife. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. Donohue's rocketed 7 through four wire catchfences and several roadside billboards. 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]. Mark felt he had to devote all his time to the team. Neither Donohue or Penske forgot that remark, even after Donohue drove an astounding race and finished third. GRAZ, Austria, Aug. 19 (AP)Mark Donohue, who ended an eightmonth retirement as an auto driver last year because he couldn't keep away from racing, died tonight of injuries suffered Sunday at the Austrian Grand Prix. 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. Donohue was about to have his race victory taken away for cheating, but Roger Penske stepped in. "Donohue is no angel out there on the track Parnelli Jones", "Donohue, on the Way Out, Views Things From Top; Calendar of Motor Sports", "1965 Sebring 12-Hour Grand Prix of Endurance Race Profile", "1966 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors", "1967 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors", "Mark Donohue Named '500' Rookie of Year", "Mark Donohue set Indy speed record in 1972", "1973 Winston Western 500: Donohue Dominates", "Hall of Fame Members (Mark Donohue Jr.)", "Mark Donohue, Sports Cars, Class of 1990", Mark Donohue's IROC and NASCAR stats at racing-reference.info, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_Donohue&oldid=1136103335, Brown University School of Engineering alumni, International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees, SCCA National Championship Runoffs winners, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2014, Pages using small with an empty input parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, run as the Daytona 3 Hour Continental (196263), 24 Hours of Daytona (196671/ 1973/ 1975present), This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 19:22. We started to look at data Mark was an engineer at Brown (University), and that was certainly part of it, but we were committed. He was sleeping at the shop, and he couldnt say no to Rogercouldnt decline more development, more cars, more projects., Weary and still recuperating from leg injuries sustained in an awful crash at Road Atlantawhich briefly left him allegedly abusing alcoholDonohue announced his retirement at the end of 73. The guy that is most like Mark that Ive ever met is David, said Don Cox. In 1967 and 1968, Trans-Am schedule included two of the most prized endurance races in the world, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The front of the car was torn away, leaving Donohue, still strapped to his safety seat, with his legs dangling outside the car. This. With the Corvette money, he also bought a trailer to hold the car and a station wagon to tow the trailer.. The email you entered is not registered with us. Ferraris chief engineer Mauro Forghieri glared at it and said, Theyll never let you run that wing at Le Mans. Mark replied, Well, I wouldnt want to run this wing at Le Mans, would I?, Partly because we were both engineers, Mark and I hit it off, recalls Patrick Bedard. As one of the best test drivers and developers in the business, he would get the car ready, then Penske would have to turn it over to a younger hotshot. But the intended hotshot, Peter Revson, was killed in a grandprix accident in March, 1974. The bumpy, rain-soaked course around J.F.K. Donohue demolished Al Unser's IMS track record of 170.221mph with a 181.2mph practice lap on May 12, a day that still makes Penske chuckle. He died on August 19, 1975 in Graz, Styria, Austria. They continued to use the "lightweight" car in 1968, at the Sebring 12-hour race. Video of the Day: Donohue breaks closed-course record He finished the race in his McLaren-Offy setting a record speed of over 162mph (261km/h),[16] which stood for twelve years. Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? The track chosen for the speed record attempt was the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Donohue qualified his Penske midway the grid, and took it to the morning warm-up session before the start of the race.