Your most respected racing driver??

Jeremy Cottrell · 10-09-2004, 06:22 PM

I'll start this one off with Niki Lauda. Anyone who gets burned that badly after such a horrific accident and comes back for the World Championship gets my vote - your thoughts??

genrex · 10-09-2004, 08:06 PM

I don't have a most-respected driver. Most of the WC drivers deserve respect, with a few notable exceptions. I like Lauda. My favorite drivers of all time are Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Alain Prost.

I respect Emmo for getting out when he did. After nearly getting killed by one of the young idiots CART was letting loose out there, I am grateful that he retired (but I missed him a lot!). Now, when I see the "moves" made by male and female ricers these days, it makes me think back to that time period.

ErVikingo · 10-09-2004, 08:11 PM

Lauda and what about Zanardi... lost the legs but he's back with a vengeance!!!

Good for him!

campbellcj · 08:56 PM

I have always really admired Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx in particular for their stellar achievements whilst also standing by the cause of safe & sane racing even if it negatively impacted their careers in the short term.

Of course there is Hans Stuck, Brian Redman, Derek Bell...among many others. In more recent times I think Bill Auberlin and Randy Pobst are a couple of the most consistently successful "utility" drivers around in GT racing -- but there are SO many talented folks out there. It is impossible to pick a single favorite!

araine901 · araine901's Garage

I met Max Papis at work one time and I complemented him on his drive for Farrari at Daytona in 95?. He was estatic that I knew who he was and rememberd that drive. We were just giving his team bicycles but he treated me like I was an old frined and we talked about 20 min about all kinds of stuff. Plus when he found out it was my old 911 out front he gave me props so I was pretty stoked. If you havent seen that drive he did it was amazing. Christian Fitipaldi came by a few week later for his bikes and he was a total tool.

makaio · 10-09-2004, 09:07 PM

Jacky Stewart, Michael Shumacher, Cale Yarbourough, Johanes Van Overbeek, and Mike Marsh are my most respected.

dd74 · 10-09-2004, 09:19 PM

Schumacher, Senna, Prost, Stuck and Schmidt (of counsel).

Oh, I thought you asked about my most respected law firm.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Senna. He just seemed to be magic.

I like a lot of the WRC guys too...they seem to be a talented yet humble group of racers. And anyone who can read a course map under race conditions without throwing up has my respect.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Stewart, Senna, Lauda, Schumacher. I guess I'm F1 biased, I know that's unfair but I've been following it longer than other racing.

Has anyone seen a documentary called "The Flying Scot", about Jackie Stewart? I caught it on Speed once. Even my wife liked it. There is a lap of Monaco, filmed from his F1 car, set to - crap, I forget which, but it is a Pink Floyd song. Awesome.

Milu · 10-09-2004, 10:47 PM

The Ferrari driver (Fagioli?) who drove the mille miglia with a carton of Chesterfields and a bottle of brandy instead of the usual navigator, thermos of coffee and some sandwiches.

Much more class than the modern driver, a fit, teetotal, non-smoking prig.

speeder · 10-09-2004, 10:53 PM

Jimmy Clark.

oldE · 10-10-2004, 04:35 AM

Captain Nice. Mark's engineering background enabled him to set up the cars as good as they could get.
Dan Gurney. F1, Lemans, etc.
Gilles Villeneuve.
Mario.

Schrup · Schrup's Garage

John Force (duck).

ronin · 10-10-2004, 08:05 AM

how quickly we forget...

Mario

and yes Paul. I love Force. he's a riot. hell, I watch TFFCs just to see what John's gonna say next

arcsine · 10-10-2004, 09:16 AM

Senna was the most gifted driver I have seen.
I think Jeff Gordon could be very good at whatever racing he tried. He has made lots of money but shame he went to NASCAR.
Certainly Stewart and Schumacher deserve respect.

Zeke · 10-10-2004, 06:20 PM

I like David Hobbs. He was a decent driver and is an announcer that can speak intelligently about whatever kind of race he is announcing. You ask about respect. Hobbs has the ultimate coolness and wry British wit, never goes overboard or out of bounds. Yet, when he is confronted with a fool or some off-the-wall remark, he settles all issues with so few words. How can you not like (respect) a guy like that.

For a dark horse, I'll pick Johnny Rutherford. He is probably the most gentlemanly of the whole lot. I have to like a true gentleman (Hobbs again). I've never seen or heard of Rutherford acting cocky and I'm not perfectly sure that can be said of Hobbs.

If he were a race car driver, I would be nominating Bob Varsha.

cowtown · 10-10-2004, 07:08 PM

I don't really follow a lot of racing, but from casually watching the WRC series, I think those guys have got to be some of the most talented and bravest drivers alive. They have to master every type of surface, with different tires, suspension setups, and temperature ranges.

Jeff Higgins · 10-11-2004, 05:13 AM

Mark Donohue. He would race anything on four wheels and do quite well. He not only could speak intelligently to his (fellow) engineers on race day about car set-up, but much further upstream during the design and build phases. Truly an all-around racer.

John Brandt · 10-11-2004, 06:54 AM

Donahue of course.

also, lets not forget the great Bruce McLaren, who was cut from a similar cloth.

Craig Stevens · 10-11-2004, 07:07 AM

My # 1 Would be Vic Elford. then Derek Bell, Dan Gurney, Hurley Haywood, Jacky Ickx, & Bobby Rahal!! Craig