This has been a very long time coming, and I apologize for that, but it is now time to reveal the next member of the Grand Prix Hall of Fame.
Alberto Ascari was born in Milan, Italy in 1913. He was the son of another racer, Antonio, who had a decent amount of success before he was killed in 1925 while leading the French Grand Prix. In spite of this, the younger Ascari had considerable interest in racing and decided to follow in his father's footsteps. In Alberto's early career, he began racing motorcycles without a lot of success. He didn't start racing automobiles regularly until he entered the Mille Miglia in a Ferrari sports car.
Ascari's grand prix career began right after the end of World War 2, driving for Maserati and being partnered with Luigi Villoresi who would become his friend and mentor. His first successes in grand prix racing came in 1948, winning the Sanremo Grand Prix and finishing 2nd in the British Grand Prix. He would win another race for Maserati the following season before joining Scuderia Ferrari in 1950, the first year of the modern World Championship. Ascari finished 2nd in the Monaco Grand Prix and also had a shared 2nd place in the Italian Grand Prix with Dorino Serafini in his first year with the Scuderia. He managed to finish 5th in the final point standings for 1950. Ascari had better results in 1951, netting a 2nd in Belgium, a shared 2nd in France with José Froilán González, and got his first wins in Germany and Italy. Ascari finished 2nd in the points in 1951.
1952 would be the year in which Ascari would cement his legacy. Enzo Ferrari decided to field a car for Ascari in the Indianapolis 500. While it counted towards the world championship at the time, it was considered too expensive to travel to for the European drivers. Ascari would be the only European to compete in the 500 during this period. His race ended after 40 laps; however, this would be the only race he entered in 1952 that he didn't win. Ascari took a clean sweep of wins in Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, The Netherlands and finally in Italy, to dominate the 1952 World Championship.
1953 was not as good of a year for Ascari, but this is not saying much; he would win in Argentina, The Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain and Switzerland. This, to go along with a 4th in France, was good enough to win a second straight driver's title. In 1954, Ascari switched drives, racing with Maserati and Lancia, but not repeating his success with Ferrari. He retired from all 4 races he entered that season. He did win that year's Mille Miglia, however.
He remained with Lancia to begin 1955, and retired from both of his attempts that year. His second race in 1955, in Monaco, he miraculously escaped a horrible fate when he crashed into the harbor after straight-lining a chicane. Four days later, he went to Monza in Italy, initially to watch his friend Eugenio Castellotti test a Ferrari sports car; he and Ascari had been given special permission by Lancia to race in the Supercortemaggiore 1000 km race.
Ascari, before going out for lunch with his wife Mietta, decided to get in the car himself. He got in the car in street clothes and borrowing Castellotti's helmet. Ascari emerged from a fast corner on lap 3 when he skidded; the car then turned on its nose and somersaulted twice. A helpless Ascari was thrown onto the track, suffering multiple fatal injuries. He left behind his wife Mietta and two children at the age of 36. Mietta Ascari told Enzo Ferrari personally that if it weren't for their kids, she would have committed suicide because she couldn't bear to be without Alberto.
Showing posts with label GP Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GP Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
GP Hall of Fame Inaugural Class - Nominee #2
The second nominee for the inaugural Grand Prix Hall of Fame class is Hans Stuck (1900-78).
Stuck began racing professionally in 1923, starting with hill-climb events. He won that year's Baden-Baden event in Germany, and joined the Austro-Daimler works team in 1927, competing in that year's German Grand Prix on the side. Stuck left them in 1931, joining Mercedes-Benz in their sports car efforts.
His acquaintanceship with Adolph Hitler led to Stuck joining up with Ferdinand Porsche and Auto Union's racing efforts in 1933 and became virtually unstoppable, though the car was difficult to drive in regular circuit racing events. In 1934, Stuck won the German, Swiss and Czech Grands Prix for Auto Union, while winning the European Mountain Championship in hill-climbing. In addition, he would have won the European Championship in grand prix racing, had it been contested that year.
Stuck won his second European Mountain title in 1935, in addition to winning the Italian Grand Prix. He had a bit of decline the following year, winning the Tripoli and German Grands Prix, but only runner-up in the European Mountain Championship. 1937 was even worse, not winning a single event.
In 1938, depending on whose story is taken into account, Stuck was either fired from or quit Auto Union. However, after pressure from the German government, he was re-hired, and won his final European Mountain Championship. This would be his final pre-war success.
After the war Germans were banned from racing until 1950; Stuck decided to move to Austria and race there. He did not really have much success in this later period, but won the German Hillclimb championship for the last time, at age 60, thus ending his career on a high note.
Stuck competed in 5 Formula One events, qualifying for three of them. He did not match his early-career success.
Stuck died in 1978, at the age of 77. His son, Hans-Joachim, raced in Formula One himself and had success in sports car racing.
Stuck began racing professionally in 1923, starting with hill-climb events. He won that year's Baden-Baden event in Germany, and joined the Austro-Daimler works team in 1927, competing in that year's German Grand Prix on the side. Stuck left them in 1931, joining Mercedes-Benz in their sports car efforts.
His acquaintanceship with Adolph Hitler led to Stuck joining up with Ferdinand Porsche and Auto Union's racing efforts in 1933 and became virtually unstoppable, though the car was difficult to drive in regular circuit racing events. In 1934, Stuck won the German, Swiss and Czech Grands Prix for Auto Union, while winning the European Mountain Championship in hill-climbing. In addition, he would have won the European Championship in grand prix racing, had it been contested that year.
Stuck won his second European Mountain title in 1935, in addition to winning the Italian Grand Prix. He had a bit of decline the following year, winning the Tripoli and German Grands Prix, but only runner-up in the European Mountain Championship. 1937 was even worse, not winning a single event.
In 1938, depending on whose story is taken into account, Stuck was either fired from or quit Auto Union. However, after pressure from the German government, he was re-hired, and won his final European Mountain Championship. This would be his final pre-war success.
After the war Germans were banned from racing until 1950; Stuck decided to move to Austria and race there. He did not really have much success in this later period, but won the German Hillclimb championship for the last time, at age 60, thus ending his career on a high note.
Stuck competed in 5 Formula One events, qualifying for three of them. He did not match his early-career success.
Stuck died in 1978, at the age of 77. His son, Hans-Joachim, raced in Formula One himself and had success in sports car racing.
Monday, December 20, 2010
GP Hall of Fame Inaugural Class - Nominee #1
With 2010 coming to a close soon, I want to get the ball rolling on the Grand Prix Hall of Fame, which will be a long-term feature of Total GP.
Criteria for drivers nominated include a mandatory 5-year retirement period. Championships are not a requirement, but they certainly will help status.
For the 2011 Hall of Fame class in the drivers category, a focus will be put on the sport's early years. Not only from the modern F1 period that began in 1950, but also drivers who were considered stars during and before World War 2 will also be considered.
A single nominee will be revealed each day until all have been named. The first nominee is:
Louis Chiron (1899-1979) - the only driver from Monaco to appear in an F1 event; he started racing professionally as a teenager and won his first event in 1926, the Grand Prix de Comminges. He went on to win the Marseille Grand Prix, Czech Grand Prix, Italian Grand Prix, Belgian Grand Prix, German Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix. In addition to these, he won the 1933 Spa 24 Hours race with co-driver Luigi Chinetti and placed 7th in the 1929 Indianapolis 500. Chiron started racing in the European Championship in 1931, getting what would be his only career victory in that series in that year's French Grand Prix. His last season there came in 1938.
Chiron's age would catch up with him by the time Formula One began in 1950, though he continued to race. He won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1954, in what was his only career rally victory. He became the oldest driver to compete in an F1 event in 1955, finishing 6th in his home race just weeks before his 56th birthday. He competed in his last F1 event in 1958 and retired from competition. Chiron died in 1979, a little over a month before what would have been his 80th birthday.
Criteria for drivers nominated include a mandatory 5-year retirement period. Championships are not a requirement, but they certainly will help status.
For the 2011 Hall of Fame class in the drivers category, a focus will be put on the sport's early years. Not only from the modern F1 period that began in 1950, but also drivers who were considered stars during and before World War 2 will also be considered.
A single nominee will be revealed each day until all have been named. The first nominee is:
Louis Chiron (1899-1979) - the only driver from Monaco to appear in an F1 event; he started racing professionally as a teenager and won his first event in 1926, the Grand Prix de Comminges. He went on to win the Marseille Grand Prix, Czech Grand Prix, Italian Grand Prix, Belgian Grand Prix, German Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix. In addition to these, he won the 1933 Spa 24 Hours race with co-driver Luigi Chinetti and placed 7th in the 1929 Indianapolis 500. Chiron started racing in the European Championship in 1931, getting what would be his only career victory in that series in that year's French Grand Prix. His last season there came in 1938.
Chiron's age would catch up with him by the time Formula One began in 1950, though he continued to race. He won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1954, in what was his only career rally victory. He became the oldest driver to compete in an F1 event in 1955, finishing 6th in his home race just weeks before his 56th birthday. He competed in his last F1 event in 1958 and retired from competition. Chiron died in 1979, a little over a month before what would have been his 80th birthday.
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