12 replies to this topic

[dbw]

may as well add mr cronkite to the "dead drivers " list..as i recall he ran scca pretty early on...obviously didn't stick with cars but did rather well in his chosen profession....a good man, a life well lived.

[Derek Pitt]

may as well add mr cronkite to the "dead drivers " list..as i recall he ran scca pretty early on...obviously didn't stick with cars but did rather well in his chosen profession....a good man, a life well lived.

Yes dbw,

Even to us loyal monachistict Aussies, Walter Cronkite represented the type of WW2 and post-WW2 American we admired..stable, reliable and decent ...."The Voice of America" ....deifnitely pre-Hollywood...where did u lose it ?

Salutes a Fine Hansgenesque American.

Derek

[HistoricMustang]

We are unable to locate news anymore, only liberal commentary and the main cheerleaders sit in the the White House and Congress.

That is sad, very sad and it fits so well with the "me" generation

Henry

http://www.examiner....-racecar-driver

[stevewf1]

..stable, reliable and decent ....
Derek

Couldn't have said it better.

[TrackDog]

I saw an article many years ago regarding Uncle Walter owning a Jaguar XK-120; this was at the time that slot cars were rapidly growing in popularity, and he was a big fan of those, too.

He loved automobiles, that was evident from one of his broadcasts of a Gemini space mission; he remarked that the two astronauts had spent several days in a cockpit "...smaller than the front seat of a Volkswagen...". When they returned aboard ship, there was a backdrop that each astronaut had to walk around to reach where they were to sit for a press conference. Cronkite remarked as they emerged, "...This is the farthest apart they've been in several days..."


Dan

[David M. Kane]

He use to race a Lotus 11 at Lime Rock as well as Volvos in the Little LeMans endurance races in 1957, '58, etc. He also drove a Lancia Appia Zagato at Sebring in the 12-hour. He was also an accomplished sailor on his sauilboat "On Assignment".

I met him once at the Annapolis Yacht and he was a very nice gentleman. Here in Arizona, the Arizona State University School of Journalism is named after him. He use to lecture here twice a year.

Good speed Walter.

Edited by David M. Kane, 18 July 2009 - 15:56.

[LOTI]

I was fortunate enough to meet him, back in 1972 I believe it was, in a rather dingey restaurant in Moscow.... but that's another story.
He could not have been more friendly and helpful. He was there because President Nixon was visiting, I wasn't.

[Ross Stonefeld]

[stevewf1]

In many ways.

[Dennis Hockenbury]

So many wonderful things to say about Walter Cronkite. As other have noted however, he had a passion for automobiles. He was a close friend of Rene Dreyfus and they co-managed a Renault Dauphine racing team at one point.

He discussed this at some length in his autobiography in the late 90's. I will have to dig my copy out to refresh my memory.

An amazing man whose integrity and talent shaped the consciousness of my generation of Americans in so many ways .

[Lemnpiper]

We are unable to locate news anymore, only liberal commentary and the main cheerleaders sit in the the White House and Congress.

That is sad, very sad and it fits so well with the "me" generation

Henry

http://www.examiner....-racecar-driver

Henry ,



Actually news still exists but unlike back when Cronkite did the news he tried to not become part of the story as much as possible when it now seems to be a prevailing trend here now in the USA. Plus when he gave his opinion on a news story he stated upfront it was his opinion and his alone.And his voiced opions were few and far between and offered only post a great amount of research into the topic so why he beleived what he did was easily understood by the folks watching his program. the American public respected him just because of those very efforts he put into his work instead of relyiing on assistants or(now) blogs to put together the show.

Mr Cronkite also had a great commentary speaker on his program named Eric Severeid who if a viewpoint was offered would give them most of the time.Severied would be a great example to show to most if not all claiming to offer opinions on how to do them properly.

If fear much of what is claimed to be news now in on tv & radio programs in the USA is in fact opinions masked as facts due to the fact the host wants the public to believe them to be in fact facts instead of just opinions. That is a sad decline that i cant see being revesed any time soon.



Godspeed Walter ,

You remain the Gold standard for reporters to attain to and have earned the respect so few others will ever see.



Paul

[Lotus11Register]

The dean of American newscasters described himself as a "Walter Mitty" type, dreaming of the life adventures he wanted to enjoy. He liked sports car racing and brought his CBS focus to places like Sebring, where he did radio commentary on the race while it took place.

Rene Dreyfus once did a stint as manager with "North American Team Lotus", a strictly local effort that took part in several races at Lime Rock and other New England tracks. Sharing a Lotus Eleven with John Porter, Cronkite raced well enough to earn Dreyfus' admiration. He said that had Cronkite been a full-time racer he would have been a very, very good one.

He is seen here in Porter's Club Eleven, (#266) returning to the paddock at Lime Rock. That adventure was real.

Edited by Lotus11Register, 19 July 2009 - 02:25.

[David M. Kane]

Lotus11Register:

Great photo!