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The ten oldest F3000 drivers


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#1 HistoryFan

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Posted 03 September 2009 - 20:44

I saw that Jan Lammers drove in International F3000 in the mid 90s. It was more than 15 years after his F1 debut.
Then I thought: Who were the 10 oldest driver competing in International F3000?

Can you help me?

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#2 F3000man

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Posted 03 September 2009 - 21:14

I saw that Jan Lammers drove in International F3000 in the mid 90s. It was more than 15 years after his F1 debut.
Then I thought: Who were the 10 oldest driver competing in International F3000?

Can you help me?


Brainstorming...

I bet Severino Nardozzi is the oldest man. He raced for some events in 1995 at a moment he was 49 years old. I cannot guarantee this information but considering the birthdates I've got from WATN in OldRacingCars, this is the reality.

Chanoch Nissany, during last F3000 rounds ever as of 2004. He was 41 years old.

Alain Filhol was 44 on his few races in 1995.

Jan Lammers was 39 when he did his last season in 1995. BTW, 1995 had a huge number of old drivers: Lammers, Filhol, Nardozzi, Hans Fertl, Policand, Taylor...

James Taylor (does somebody know anything else from him?) debut in 1995 (when else could it have been?) at 39 of age. He made his last season in 1998, when he was already 43.

Guido Dacco and Fritz "Pierre Chauvet" Glatz raced at 80s on a very advanced age. Dacco was 45 in his last season, 1987. Chauvet, one year younger, left F3000 in 1988, therefore at the same age of 45.

And many other guys that raced at least one event at an advanced age although not too advanced to reach 40. Marco Apicella, Hans Fertl, Tim Davies...

I can be wrong, but wasn't Alessandro Santin one of the oldest as well?

#3 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 03 September 2009 - 21:52

Include the Japanese series and Hoshino must be up there, best ever Japanese driver, just happend to be born to early.

:cool:

#4 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 03 September 2009 - 21:54

Had to look him up.

Won the Japanese Championship age 46.

Shame he never got the chance for real in F1.

:cool:

#5 ensign14

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Posted 03 September 2009 - 22:16

James Taylor (does somebody know anything else from him?) debut in 1995 (when else could it have been?) at 39 of age.

Gentleman racer, from the British sportscar scene, who had a few years in Interserie at the wheel of Schumacher's old Jordan converted via mudguards into a sportscar. I seem to remember reading that he had had a big accident that ended his career.

#6 Thundersports

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Posted 03 September 2009 - 23:46

James Taylor was last seen at the A1 ring in an Interserie (1993?)race driving the Jordan still in 7 up colours, I can't remember whether he had a shunt or the car caught fire but it came back to the pits in a sorry state. Would I be correct in thinking he was the drummer from the late 70s/80s band Kool and the gang? I seem to remember F3000 appearences pre 1995 poss as early as 1992 but I stand to be corrected.

Another "oldie" would be the mercurial Ranieri Randaccio who ran in the 1991 British F3000 championship with Lee Cooks "Team Berkeley" apparently sponsored by the hotel he and Stefano Sebastiani aka "Stingbrace" managed.

Policand should be Policard (Jerome) a frenchman who dove for Roger Orgees Omegaland racing in British F3000 to good effect I wouldn't said was an oldie as by 1995 I think he was only in his late 20s.

Frederico Careco aka Pierre Chauvet competed in the British series in 1989.

Edited by Thundersport, 03 September 2009 - 23:53.


#7 Rob G

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 00:17

Policand should be Policard (Jerome) a frenchman who dove for Roger Orgees Omegaland racing in British F3000 to good effect I wouldn't said was an oldie as by 1995 I think he was only in his late 20s.

Policand is the correct spelling, and he was born on October 1, 1964.

#8 Mallory Dan

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 07:52

Robin Smith must have been knocking-on a bit when he did British F3000 in 1990-ish.

#9 ghinzani

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 08:00

Add in Tony Trimmer in 89 with the unloved 88b.

#10 Thundersports

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 13:22

Robin Smith was 1989 in a Ralt RT20.

Other not so spring chickens who found themselves in British F2/F3000 were Nick Adams for Madgewick and David Mercer for Weylock Racing. Klass Zwart also made an appearence at Snetterton in 1994ish.

#11 HistoryFan

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 16:15

Had to look him up.

Won the Japanese Championship age 46.

Shame he never got the chance for real in F1.

:cool:



He had a minimal chance of getting the Benetton at the Japanese GP in 1994 because of his sponsors, but that didn't come true...

But he never drove in International F3000?

Has nobody a top 10 list of the oldest driver?

#12 Formula Once

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 17:05

James Taylor I met in 1994 when he raced for Vortex, he drove to most of the races in his seventies Merc, a 500 something, gold if I remember correctly, together with his wife who spent much of her time reading books in the sun. One time they turned up in the paddock with the Merc riding very low as it was filled with bottles of champagne after they'd travelled across the Reims area for a few days. Very nice people, very laid back. As a driver he was of course just an amateur. I will not forget the day when he spun at La Source and kept revving the engine when he was already way up in the sky while being craned away, driver still in it... There was talk about a history in music, sugesting he had been a member or manager of some famous band. I never bothered to ask the details. Anyone here knows anything more about it? Lammers, by the way, was still quite quick: also with Vortex he won the F3000-race at Kyalami (or F2 as it was called for whatever reason) early in 1995 (when he was 38), beating Tarso Marques and Kenny Brack.

#13 Frank Verplanken

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 17:37

Another gentleman-driver is Val Musetti, who was 43 I believe when he did the 1985 Donington Park finale with a works Lola T950.
Also the late Guido Dacco (born 1942) drove in FIA F3000 up to 1987.
There must be others...

edit : and the full answer is probably somewhere along Richie Jenkins' F3000 Where Are They Now ? at Allen Brown's;) .

Edited by Frank Verplanken, 04 September 2009 - 17:39.


#14 F3000man

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 18:06

James Taylor I met in 1994 when he raced for Vortex, he drove to most of the races in his seventies Merc, a 500 something, gold if I remember correctly, together with his wife who spent much of her time reading books in the sun. One time they turned up in the paddock with the Merc riding very low as it was filled with bottles of champagne after they'd travelled across the Reims area for a few days. Very nice people, very laid back. As a driver he was of course just an amateur. I will not forget the day when he spun at La Source and kept revving the engine when he was already way up in the sky while being craned away, driver still in it... There was talk about a history in music, sugesting he had been a member or manager of some famous band. I never bothered to ask the details. Anyone here knows anything more about it? Lammers, by the way, was still quite quick: also with Vortex he won the F3000-race at Kyalami (or F2 as it was called for whatever reason) early in 1995 (when he was 38), beating Tarso Marques and Kenny Brack.


Tarso Marques, his teammate in Vortex, has recently said James Taylor was the worst driver he ever raced with. In Spa, he was the only driver to brake at the approach of Eau Rouge!

Edited by F3000man, 04 September 2009 - 18:06.


#15 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 18:08

Has nobody a top 10 list of the oldest driver?


I think I have seen a written version in my (or to be more precise David Hayhoe's) F3000 guide, but as I'm moving next week, it's buried under the mass of boxes & books. It could be some while until I find it!

So, the best I can think of is doing it the long way round & going on the link Frank suggests & doing it mathematically yourself. The trouble is though... no-one has been able to confirm Nardozi's date (or even the correct spelling - bit of a mystery man all round), so it would only be a provisional list anyway. If I get time soon, I'll have a look but it would only be a rough top 10.




#16 F3000man

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 18:09

Let's not forget that James Hunt tested a Pacific Grand Prix's Reynard-Mugen in Snetterton in late 1989 whilling to come back to motorsport for a full International Formula 3000 season. If he did this, he would be 43 at that time.

#17 Twin Window

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 21:04

...James Hunt tested a Pacific Grand Prix's Reynard-Mugen in Snetterton in late 1989...


Yes he did (although they were plain Pacific at the time), but I think it was more of a publicity exercise for Marlboro and Eddie Irvine (who James was advising at that time) rather than with a view to making a racing come-back...

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#18 Gary C

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 21:11

what crash helmet colours is he using in that pic ??

#19 Tim Murray

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Posted 04 September 2009 - 22:25

Looks like he might have borrowed Eddie's.

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#20 Thundersports

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Posted 05 September 2009 - 08:05

James Taylor really is a curiosity......going to start a separate thread I think.

#21 COUGAR508

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Posted 05 September 2009 - 09:20

Yes he did (although they were plain Pacific at the time), but I think it was more of a publicity exercise for Marlboro and Eddie Irvine (who James was advising at that time) rather than with a view to making a racing come-back...

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(copyright unknown)


Thanks for posting the pic, Twinny. I was not previously aware of that test. Was it well publicised or covered in the media? I was an avid reader of Autosport at the time, and don't recall it being mentioned...

#22 HistoryFan

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Posted 05 September 2009 - 13:38

I have all drivers who raced in International F3000 over 40 years:

Severino Nardozzi (ITA): Magny Cours 1995 (Omegaland/Reynard Judd): 49 years
Guido Dacco (ITA): Enna 1987 (EuroVenturini/Dallara Ford): 45 years
Pierre Chauvet (AUT): Dijon 1988 (Magdwick/Reynard Ford): 45 years
Alain Filhol (FRA): Barcelona 1995 (SARL/Reynard Ford): 44 years
James Taylor (GBR): Nürburgring 1998 (GP Racing/ Lola Zytek): 42 years
Channoch Nissany (ISR): Monza 2004 (Coloni/Lola Zytek): 41 years

And we have the test drive from James Hunt in 1989 with Pacific aged 43 years.

#23 ghinzani

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Posted 05 September 2009 - 20:21

How old was the graet Dollop himself, Jean Pierre Frey? Also Marcel Tarres couldnt have been a spring chicken.

#24 Nanni Dietrich

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 10:46

Brainstorming...

...

I can be wrong, but wasn't Alessandro Santin one of the oldest as well?



Don't think.
Alessandro Santin won the Italian Formula 3 Championship in 1984, and he was 26 at the time if I remember well. Then he progressed to F3000, racing until 1988, so he was 30.

#25 Formula Once

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 11:20

He wasn't the oldest, but Paolo delle Piane was older then he claimed to be

#26 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 12:07

Having sifted through the mound of books about to be moved I have finally found the following: (Please note this was correct at Dec 2002)

The 9 Oldest Drivers to START a F3000 race:

Pierre Chauvet, 45 yrs, 3 months, 2 days (1988)
Guido Dacco, 44yrs, 10 months, 9 days (1987)
James Taylor, 42 yrs, 11 months, 8 days (1998)
Val Musetti, 42 yrs, 8 months, 15 days (1985)
Slim Borgudd, 38 yrs, 9 months, 28 days (1986)
Tim Davies, 36 yrs, 0 months, 7 days (1986)
Richard Dallest, 35 yrs, 7 months, 13 days (1986)
Hans Fertl, 35 yrs, 6 months, 0 days (1995)
Marcel Tarres, 35 yrs, 2 months, 4 days (1986)


From the files I have the following non-qualifiers were all over 35:

Pascal Witmeur, 36, (1991)
Oscar Pedersoli, 35, (1986)
Tony de Tommaso, 37 (1988)
Bernard de Dryver, 35, (1988)

Hope that helps!

#27 Formula Once

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 12:57

Jan Lammers is missing from that list. His last F3000 race was in 1995 at (I think) Pau, he turned 39 on June 2 that year.

#28 ghinzani

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 16:03

How old was the graet Dollop himself, Jean Pierre Frey? Also Marcel Tarres couldnt have been a spring chicken.


So I was right about Tarres, but Frey appears to have been a lot younger than I thought...

Jean-Pierre Frey (born January 6, 1955)



#29 rdmotorsport

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 18:02

So I was right about Tarres, but Frey appears to have been a lot younger than I thought...


I have both known and worked with Val Musetti for a good while yet I cannot remember him entering a F3000 race,perhaps you can inform me.

#30 Simon Arron

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 18:21

I have both known and worked with Val Musetti for a good while yet I cannot remember him entering a F3000 race,perhaps you can inform me.

A one-off in a works Lola, Donington Park 1985. Fulvio Ballabio was his team-mate.

#31 rdmotorsport

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 18:36

A one-off in a works Lola, Donington Park 1985. Fulvio Ballabio was his team-mate.



With what team and how did the big man do in qualie and race?

Edited by rdmotorsport, 07 September 2009 - 18:36.


#32 Tim Murray

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 18:49

Lola Motorsport - 20th on the grid - finished 15th.

#33 HistoryFan

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 19:24

@Richie: Thank you!

#34 rdmotorsport

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 19:30

Lola Motorsport - 20th on the grid - finished 15th.



many thanks for that

#35 Thundersports

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 20:42

The Ice cream man in F3000! :)

#36 rateus

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Posted 07 September 2009 - 23:10

Lola Motorsport - 20th on the grid - finished 15th.


Both of which were effectively last - 20th of 21 in practice, as Capelli had to sit out the sole dry qually session, and classified ahead of only Livio in the race, the latter noted as a late DNF. That said, the Autosport race report refers more than once to the 'Lola show' that Musetti and Ballabio put on so it would appear Val had some fun.

#37 Zippel

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 00:03

what crash helmet colours is he using in that pic ??


Irvine had a Senna inspired helmet at the time so its the yellow with green and blue stripes.

#38 ensign14

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 07:52

It was meant to be orange, but it was a very yellowy orange...

#39 rdmotorsport

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 08:16

The Ice cream man in F3000! :)



why ice cream man?

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#40 Tim Murray

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 09:33

Presumaby because his cars quite often featured 'sponsorship' from Bernigra icecream. As Val has claimed that he did quite well in his career despite never having had a sponsor, I wonder if he just carried the Bernigra colours as a favour to family or friends.

#41 rdmotorsport

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 10:14

Presumaby because his cars quite often featured 'sponsorship' from Bernigra icecream. As Val has claimed that he did quite well in his career despite never having had a sponsor, I wonder if he just carried the Bernigra colours as a favour to family or friends.




Hi Tim,

I realise the ice cream connection now,Bernigra Ice cream was owned by Vals uncle and the only sponsorship Val had his uncle would pay the race entrance fee in return for the name on the car.

The Mussetti family have (or had) a fair ammount of real estate around the West End of London plus a excellent restaurant but Val source of income was made from his film stunt work which obviously paid well

#42 Tim Murray

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 10:32

Thanks for confirming that, Rodney.

I've just looked Val up on IMDB - interesting to see what he's appeared in over the years, both as actor and stuntman:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0615651/

#43 PS30-SB

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 12:26

Having sifted through the mound of books about to be moved I have finally found the following: (Please note this was correct at Dec 2002)

The 9 Oldest Drivers to START a F3000 race:

Pierre Chauvet, 45 yrs, 3 months, 2 days (1988)
Guido Dacco, 44yrs, 10 months, 9 days (1987)
James Taylor, 42 yrs, 11 months, 8 days (1998)
Val Musetti, 42 yrs, 8 months, 15 days (1985)
Slim Borgudd, 38 yrs, 9 months, 28 days (1986)
Tim Davies, 36 yrs, 0 months, 7 days (1986)
Richard Dallest, 35 yrs, 7 months, 13 days (1986)
Hans Fertl, 35 yrs, 6 months, 0 days (1995)
Marcel Tarres, 35 yrs, 2 months, 4 days (1986)


From the files I have the following non-qualifiers were all over 35:

Pascal Witmeur, 36, (1991)
Oscar Pedersoli, 35, (1986)
Tony de Tommaso, 37 (1988)
Bernard de Dryver, 35, (1988)

Hope that helps!


But you're not including any of the Japanese drivers. Don't they count? EG:

Mutsuaki SANADA ( born 2nd May 1942 ) - Japanese F3000 Round 3 'All Star Race' Nishi Nihon circuit - 10th May 1987
Taku AKAIKE ( born 6th August 1947 ) - ditto
Masanori SEKIYA ( born 27th November 1949 ) - Japanese F3000 'Nippon Shinpan Super Cup Rd.2 - Sugo - 28th July 1991
Keiji MATSUMOTO ( born 26th December 1949 ) - ditto
Masahiro HASEMI ( born 13th November 1945 ) - ditto
Kazuyoshi HOSHINO ( born 1st July 1947 ) - ditto
Kunimitsu TAKAHASHI ( born 29th January 1940 ) - ditto

Some of these guys raced later than the two races I've pulled out as examples......




#44 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 19:15

But you're not including any of the Japanese drivers. Don't they count? EG:


I was only responding to the original question asked.


I did also mention that the files I was quoting on was the International/European F3000, so it wasn't a deliberate snub.. more what I was quoting from. As I said, all of my normal resources are buried in boxes & suitcases at the moment, so I'm going from what I can find/rescue.

Not sure if HistoryFan wants the oldest from the whole scheme of things - but that would also mean British F3000 & Italian F3000, both of which were separate series. I know Oliver Martini was over 35 by the time he last raced in the latter.

#45 HistoryFan

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Posted 09 September 2009 - 10:36

We could also mention the other F3000 series.
There were some series in Argentinia and Mexico, too, I think? And in Australia?
Were there also such old drivers?

#46 rateus

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Posted 09 September 2009 - 11:52

We could also mention the other F3000 series.
There were some series in Argentinia and Mexico, too, I think? And in Australia?


I'm not sure any of these would qualify as strictly F3000 series - in fact I'm not even sure Argentina had an equivalent series at that time.

The Mexican 'F3000' series was a spec series using pensioned-off Indy Lights chassis - possibly the original March-based cars, certainly the first-generation Lola IL cars were used for a while. iirc the engines were changed from Buick to Chrysler for Mexican use, and the series went through a number of names during its existance. More details and results at http://www.gdecarli.it/ thanks to TNFer Jimmy Piget.

The Australian series is presumably Formula Holden - another spec engine (the titular Holden), usually installed in F3000 cars of early-90s vintage. I've never seen any detailed results for this series so couldn't tell you how long it ran for, but it was eventually replaced by/rebranded as Formula 4000.

Both these series occupied the same place in their national scenes as Japanese F3000, but unlike that neither ever ran to European F3000 specification.

#47 HistoryFan

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Posted 09 September 2009 - 12:41

There is a Australian Formula 2 championship today in Australia, don't know whether this series followed on Formula Holden or F3000/F4000...

#48 Zippel

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Posted 10 September 2009 - 02:09

Wiki has a bit of history on Formula Holden and its numerous name changes. Completely forgot it was 'Formula Brabham' for a time there.

http://en.wikipedia..../Formula_Holden

#49 HistoryFan

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 21:02

Plamen Kralev is driving in GP2 Asia this season for Trident - with 37 years.

#50 hansfohr

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Posted 12 March 2010 - 10:45

The 9 Oldest Drivers to START a F3000 race:

Pierre Chauvet, 45 yrs, 3 months, 2 days (1988)

Nope, Christian Danner was much older!

Twenty years after winning the inaugural F3000 title in 1985 he had a one-off outing for Durango in the 2005 Italian F3000 championship at Misano, aged 47! :clap:

Edited by hansfohr, 12 March 2010 - 10:49.