In the 1971 Indianapolis 500, Donohue started second and led 52 of the first 66 laps before breaking a gearbox. Mark Donohue's Fatal Crash - sterreichring 1975 (42 years ago) Jayski's Mark Donohue Tribute - Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site Stay close to the outside curbing, brake hard, and turn in . Cresser v CDTS, 1 (2015 NY Slip Op 03227) Mark Donohue. Late in 1973, when Penske decided to build a Formula One car for the 1975 season, Donohue knew what would happen. In all, he won 57 major races and more than $1million. Mark Donohue (1937-1975), pictured here with wife Eden and nicknamed "Captain Nice", was an American race driver who is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp Can-Am Penske Porsche 917-30 and as the 1972 Indianapolis 500 winner in a Team Penske-entered McLaren.Sadly, he perished in an accident during practice for the 1975 Austrian Formula One Grand Prix. Had there been a Drivers' Championship in place at the time, he would have won three of them (his last in 1971) while driving Camaros in 1968 and 1969, and an AMC Javelin in 1971, all for Roger Penske Racing. 1975 Camaro Racemark GT Bob Bailey. One night I was in Philadelphia and was following Mark to the old shop in Newtown Square. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. IndyCar St. Petersburg: Dixon leads Herta in incident-packed opening practice, Bahrain GP: F1 technical images direct from the pitlane, Bahrain GP: F1 technical images direct from the pitlane 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. I didnt expect that at all, David Donohue, 51, said. We brought some technology. Mark felt he had to devote all his time to the team. The No. Today, he works for Porsche Cars North America as client relationship manager. He was young Roger Penskes equal. "Going down the back straightaway, the wing, which produced a tremendous amount of downforce at high speeds, came off the back of the car," Donohue claimed. During the day, being the state of health still worrying, he was airlifted to the Universittsklinik of Graz where he was operated by Dr. Fritz Heppner. 4445. Goldberg Segalla, LLP, Albany (Mark Donohue of counsel), for respondents. During their enormous success in Trans-Am, Penske and Donohue would begin to experiment with their Camaros. Donohue finished in 12th place at the Canadian Grand Prix, but failed to finish at the United States Grand Prix. How Gulf deal has boosted Williams's F1 commercial strategy, Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return, Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return A full season of racing for the 1975 Formula One season was planned. Mark told me, Sometimes you just have to get it done., That was my take, too, says Michael Argetsinger, who has just written a riveting biography called Mark Donohue: Technical Excellence at Speed (David Bull Publishing, $39.95). Neither Donohue or Penske forgot that remark, even after Donohue drove an astounding race and finished third. He won the Can Am championship in 197, the TransAm title in 1968, 1969 and 1971. David followed his father into sports car racing for Porsche. The only engineering Donohue went back to concerned race cars. When she brought us in to see the finish, I dont think she knew he had won. When Donohue took the Ferrari to Le Mans, the car attained only 205 mph on the straight versus the Porsche 917s 235 mph. He gave us a lot of credibility and was the keystone of our racing. Donohue raced in several NASCAR Grand American races and a NASCAR pony car division from 1968 until 1971. He began to spend more than time. A bad week or the dark horse from F1 testing? His lone NASCAR race win was just part of his narrative, but that victory another hurdle in auto racing cleared in partnership with Penske helped ignite a flame thats lasted over 50 years across different genres of the sport and in turn elevated the quality and intelligence of American racing. He sustained a fatal head injury from the crash. the email address you entered is invalid. It is core to the myth of Mark that he was just an okay driver but a genius engineer. That is something I would have never had if I didnt go to races. He just decided it was time to get out, and he wanted to do the Formula 1 program, Penske said. By clicking on 'Join' button, you confirm that you are over 13 years of age and agree to the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. The search for Mark Donohue concludes in the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey just outside of New York City. Not that Donohues career or his one win in NASCAR needed validation, but IROC has long crystallized what fans thought of the talent in drivers who never outwardly succeeded in the Cup Series. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Donohue, 38, Dead Of Racing Injuries - The New York Times On his second lap, while at about 260 km/h a rear tire of his March 751 - Ford suddenly blew, the out of control car went through the fence for about 180 feet, over a guard-rail and into a ravine. - Remembering Mark Donohue - FormulaSpy Together, they took on Trans-Am, then turned their attention to the Indianapolis 500. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Riverside was over 2.6 miles long and the duration of the race 500 miles meant this particular event was more of an endurance contest. Why Las Vegas is key to F1's growth plans, Mercedes: New W14 sidepod design wont copy F1 rivals, Mercedes: New W14 sidepod design wont copy F1 rivals 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. The lightweight car was featured on an episode of Dream Car Garage on Speed TV in 2005. I got into racing because it seemed like an easy thing to do. J. Funk and J. L. A visit to the gravesite on a gray, cold, foggy March day revelaved little toy race cars on the gravestone, along with a plastic checkered flag -- a testament the life of Mark Donohue. Brian Redman drove it once in 1974, and that was it for the car as far as Penske campaigning it. Both Olvey and Trammell got their start in trackside medical response in similar fashion: Answering a bulletin board call for med students to help out at the Indianapolis 500 - Olvey in about 1969, Trammell in 1972. The Penske grand prix car proved a disappointment and Donohue's best finish this season was a fifth place in the British Grand Prix. Portrait of American racing driver Mark Donohue as he poses with his car after winning the Indianapolis 500 race, Speedway, Indiana, May 1972. . Settlement of Mark Donohue's Estate Reached - Los Angeles Times To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. On August 9, 1975, Donohue drove the 91730 to a world closed-course speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. This. 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. I always said driving wasn't really a dangerous situation. Mark obviously brought an air of professionalism. The bumpy, rain-soaked course around J.F.K. We were there to go racing.. The book told how Donohue learned to exploit the antilock braking system and the powerful turbocharged engine of several prototype Porsches, as well as how he learned from various mishaps, including a near-fatal crash. This account has been suspended due to strange activity. What we learned from Friday practice at F1's 2023 Bahrain GP. Donohue did not start the first race of the year at Circuit Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City due to problems getting the engine to start. In an interview then, he talked of his disappointing grand prix showing. He won three national sports car championships as an amateur before he turned professional in 1966, first as the late Walt Hansgen's codriver, then for the rest of his life with Penske. He was my original partner in racing, Penske told Autoweek. We went to the Speedway in 1971 and we had this card that translated the speed on the stopwatch to your average speed. 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. Every dime I had I put into cars, he said. Mark Donohue drove the Porsche 917-30 Can-Am after making various aerodynamic and suspension modifications. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Bernie Ecclestone hopes BBC agrees new Formula 1 UK TV deal, Stroll was "protecting" injured wrist during Bahrain GP practice, Stroll was "protecting" injured wrist during Bahrain GP practice On his second lap, while at about 260 km/h a rear tire of his March 751 Ford suddenly blew, the out of control car went through the fence for about 180 feet, over a guard-rail and into a ravine. And neither found what they expected. I imagine it must feel like watching another man in bed with your wife. Back to Victory Lane, Every Indy 500 Winner from the Dawn of Time, In search of Team Penske racing legend Mark Donohue. He was a winner at the 24 Hours of Daytona and in stock cars. He is buried in Saint Teresa Cemetery in Summit, Union County, New Jersey.R.I.P Mark Donohue \u0026 Manfred Schaller. A headache resulted, however, and worsened. He won many races for us and the first IROC championship with the Porsche. The hotrod phenomenon came East from California and caught me up in it, he once explained.