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What happened to these drivers ?

Started by Stefan Ornerdal , Oct 02 2001 14:27

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26 replies to this topic

#1 Stefan Ornerdal

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 14:27

Some questions for you, gentlemen:

1) Does anyone know what happened to these drivers, what are they doing now etc:

Maurice Trintignant
Tim Parnell
Richie Ginther
Trevor Taylor
Chris Irwin
Marc Surer
Mike Thackwell
Alex Soler-Roig
Kurt Ahrens
Mike Parkes

2) Mr Vandervells cars, Thinwall Special and Vanwall, why the word "wall" ?

3) I did a quick search on Swiss F2-driver and hill-climber Harry Zweifel at Altavista. Got many hits on a anti-jewish, pro-nazi writer with that name - could it be the same person? Is there more drivers who had made a name for themselves in politics? I know only Carlos Reutemann.

4) Does Felix Muelas really speak all those languages?;)

Regards
Stefan

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#2 FEV

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 14:56

Hi Stefan,
Here are some info on some of these drivers:

Maurice Trintignant will be 84 the 30th of october 2001. He is retired in a small village in the southwest of France, making his wine. He used to be the mayor of the village for a long time. I met him at the 2000 Monaco Historic Grand Prix. He was in a great shape - still able to drive a Cooper-Climax F1.

Richie Ginther died 20th september 1989 (near Bordeaux in France of a heart attack if I remember well).

Marc Surer used to be in charge of young aspiring drivers at BMW Motorsport. I think he still is. He also is doing F1 TV comments for the german RTL channel.

Mike PArkes died in road accident 28th (or 29) august 1977. He was engineer for Lancia Racing after having been involved in De Tomaso's racing programme.

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#3 Rainer Nyberg

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 15:24

After his race career, Mike Thackwell flew helicopters in his native New Zealand. Not sure if he still continues to do that.

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#4 alessandro silva

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 15:27

Isn't the writer Franz Zwerfel?

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#5 Wolf

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 15:28

Stefan- mr. Guy Anthony Vanderwell was primarily bearing manufacturer who, IIRC, was first to introduce thinwall (IANM, manufacturing methos for those bearings originated from America, and they were forged rather than cast resulting in thinner bearing walls) bearings in Europe and to European racing. As a marketing ploy he named Ferraris he raced as Tinwall Specials.

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#6 UAtkins

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 15:44

Slightly off topic but I am sure you will all know the answer:

Does anyone know where or what happened to Dennis May, he was a writer in many British and American magazines in the 50s and I believe on into the 60s. I appreciate any help anyone can give me on this. I am sure he would be well up into his 90s if he were still alive so I am not hopefull.

Thanks

Ursula

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#7 fines

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 16:05

Originally posted by FEV
Marc Surer used to be in charge of young aspiring drivers at BMW Motorsport. I think he still is. He also is doing F1 TV comments for the german RTL channel.

I'm not sure if he still does the tutoring at BMW's Formel ADAC or Junior (sorry, I always confuse those two), I rather don't think so. But he does not comment for RTL, but for Premiere, the German digital channel.

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#8 LittleChris

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 16:13

Last thing I heard was that Mike Thackwell's teaching disabled kids.

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#9 David McKinney

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 18:22

Isn't the writer Franz Zwerfel?

No, he's Harry Zweifel, but that's a nom de plume for Marcel Huber

Guy Anthony Vanderwell

Actually Guy Anthony Vandervell

He named Ferraris he raced as Tinwall Specials.

The cars were of course Thinwall Specials:)

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#10 Barry Boor

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 18:46

There is a post on another forum that says Mike Thackwell is now running a pub in southern England and has absolutely no interest in motor sport any more.

Trevor Taylor is well AFAIK. He pops up at things like the Coys festival. Indeed, I NEARLY got his autograph in 2000, but he, like the rest of the assembled stars, got up and left moments before I begun to get their signatures.

Did anyone else pick up another Murrayism at the weekend where he stated that Trintignant was from Monaco? :eek:

Goodbye Murray (sigh) - (of relief !!!!)

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#11 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 19:30

I will be posting a thread & giving you all the answers on where guys are now but I'll answer yours now & look forward to the thread when I finish all the work tomorrow!!!
Ahrens - very well, now retired, occasional historic races
Parnell- retired part of the historic reunions
Soler-Roig- retired had car & coach businesses
Irwin - suffered ill health after his accident - now also retired

DON'T ASK ANY MORE QUESTIONS - ALL WILL BE REVEALED TOMORROW!!!! (ooer missus)

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#12 Felix Muelas

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 19:48

Originally posted by Stefan Ornerdal
Does Felix Muelas really speak all those languages?;)

Of course not ! :lol:

Felix

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#13 Prostfan

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 22:15

Originally posted by alessandro silva
Isn't the writer Franz Zwerfel?

The name of the Austrian writer was Franz Werfel and he was definitely no pro-nazi author. He left Austria in 1938 when it was occupied by the nazis and died 1945 in the USA

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#14 FLB

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Posted 02 October 2001 - 22:55

Originally posted by Stefan Ornerdal
Some questions for you, gentlemen:

Is there more drivers who had made a name for themselves in politics? I know only Carlos Reutemann.

Regards
Stefan

Wasn't Ari Vatanen elected as a member of the European parliment?

Former French F3 driver Bernard Tapie is far better known for his (infamous) involvement in politics than his racing.

Current CGTCC driver General Lewis MacKenzie (retired) was a candidate for the Progressive-Conservative Party in Canada's last general federal election, in Ontario. Of course, having been a Commander of the Allied Forces during the Gulf War had a little to do with that...;)

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#15 FEV

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Posted 03 October 2001 - 00:05

Bernard Tapie did some F3 :eek:

. When ?
This guy did every job possible in his life : singer, PR, businessman, politician, cycling team owner, actor, TV producer and announcer, football team owner, prisonner, wrote books, has even been minister... He's now back in football having a lot of problems at l'Olympique de Marseille.

About other drivers doing politics, in France Jean-Claude Killy (more reputed for his skying skills but won the GT class at the Targa Florio with Bernard Cahier) has for a long period been french minister of sport.

Henri Pescarolo also did politics for a long time. He was (don't think he still is) in a party called Chasse-Pêche-Nature et Tradition (hunting, fishing, nature & traditions). Don't laugh it is a real political party ! It is mainly the hunters party and has a few deputies in the European Parliament. Since 1988 they have a candidate at every french presidential election.

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#16 Rediscoveryx

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Posted 03 October 2001 - 10:14

What really happened in that rally accident Surer had? Did he have career-ending injuries or was he going to retire after 1986 anyway? If I recall correctly he must have been atleast over 30 when it happened, so it's possible that 1986 would have been his last season anyway. Any information would be appreciated.

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#17 dmj

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Posted 03 October 2001 - 16:20

(Former?) President of Argentina Carlos Menem was a rally driver, but I can't tell how successfull he was.
Slovenian touring car racer Dagmar Suster was president of Slovenian Economy Chamber for many years.
And I think Nigel Mansell hold some positions in politics establishment of Isle of Man (if it counts... :lol:

)

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#18 BRG

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Posted 03 October 2001 - 16:28

Originally posted by dmj
And I think Nigel Mansell hold some positions in politics establishment of Isle of Man

I think Mansell was just a sort of Special Constable (a part-time volunteer policeman).

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#19 Rob29

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 07:15

Originally posted by fines

I'm not sure if he still does the tutoring at BMW's Formel ADAC or Junior (sorry, I always confuse those two), I rather don't think so. But he does not comment for RTL, but for Premiere, the German digital channel.

Also DSF analogue channel.Formel ADAC/Junior are always combined in the same race.

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#20 LittleChris

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 11:03

dmj,

Wasn't it Carlos Menem Jr who was the rally driver rather than his father ? IIRC Carlitos died in a helicopter accident a few years back.

Chris

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#21 dmj

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 13:48

I can't remember when or where, but I was reading an interview where Menem (President) told that he drove some rallies in his youth...

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#22 fines

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 14:58

Originally posted by Rob29
Formel ADAC/Junior are always combined in the same race.

That's why I always confuse them! Which one is the more powerful?

About Menem Sr., I also seem to recall him as a rallye driver.

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#23 gray_cat

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 16:30

Originally posted by BRG
I think Mansell was just a sort of Special Constable (a part-time volunteer policeman).

I'm not sure Mansell lives on the Isle of Man any longer - I've seen some of his cars and the Ballaman estate itself going for sale couple of years ago.

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#24 Rob29

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 16:38

Originally posted by fines

That's why I always confuse them! Which one is the more powerful?

F.ADAC is the senior class.The Juniors are all in BMW white & Blue colors.Highlights of the last round should be on DSF within German F3 progams,this weekend..
See www.motorracetime.de/

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#25 Wolf

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 18:29

DMJ- I didn't know that part of Carlos Menem's bio, but I'm even more surprised that You don't know his whereabouts now...;) He's standing trial in Argentina for sale of weapons to two countries that, at the time, were under UN weapon sales ban (one of them is our homeland ;)). I think there would be some poetic justice seeing him acquitted if he's 'guilty'.

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#26 Vitesse2

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Posted 04 October 2001 - 22:37

Originally posted by gray_cat

I'm not sure Mansell lives on the Isle of Man any longer - I've seen some of his cars and the Ballaman estate itself going for sale couple of years ago.

Our Nige now lives in Woodbury, Devon AFAIK,where he owns a golf course.

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#27 dmj

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Posted 05 October 2001 - 12:35

Wolf,

I don't know much about Menem's rally career but surely I should have read politics pages of newspapers with more attention... I really forgot about that trial...