338 replies to this topic

[E1pix]

I just had to bump this wonderful thread about my Hero.

Perhaps the mods would merge the new "Salut Gilles" thread into here?

[Henri Greuter]

And yet another May 8th since.....

For the 35th time....

By now there have been more times to remember that day, and the man who died on it, then that within my heart I wished my age would be.

And still after all those years, I can't let a May 8th pass unnoticed.

Jacques Laffite's words spoken that year about the tragedy turn out to be truth for me. I don't think about Gilles every day, but I shall never forget him.

 

Salut Gilles, et merci beaucoup

 

 

Henri

[Arjan de Roos]

https://www.youtube....h?v=EboUm16LsH0

[JacnGille]

And yet another May 8th since.....

For the 35th time....

By now there have been more times to remember that day, and the man who died on it, then that within my heart I wished my age would be.

And still after all those years, I can't let a May 8th pass unnoticed.

Jacques Laffite's words spoken that year about the tragedy turn out to be truth for me. I don't think about Gilles every day, but I shall never forget him.

 

Salut Gilles, et merci beaucoup

 

 

Henri

[jrv_t644e]

That day again.. not forgotten

And as luck would have it, a backup copy of de la Plante's Villeneuve - A Racing Legend arrived today.

[D28]

A dreary day with snow not far from Berthierville, sort of appropriate. 35 years has not dimmed the affection and respect for this fine driver and individual. Always remembered fondly.

 

Salut Gilles

[Myhinpaa]

At the latest Race Retro show Ari Vatanen surprised many during one Q&A session with his reply to the question :

 

"Which rally do you remember best?"  (Most expecting Acropolis '80, 1000 Lakes '81, Monte '85 etc. etc.)

 

He said : "Welsh Rally '82". The rally wasn't a good one for him since he was disqualified after wrongslotting during the second run over Eppynt.

 

"on my return to the hotel I heard on the news that my absolute hero in F1 Giles Villeneuve had died at Zolder, it had such an impact on me."

 

"After all the human mind is such that what leaves the most profound memories is depending on how it makes us feel"

 

Posted before on this thread but the tribute from Finn Antti Kalhola is so good that I do it again : https://www.youtube....h?v=lDfRD9QnU34

[Tim Murray]

I know this has become something of a cliche, but - I have difficulty remembering what I had for dinner last night, but can still recall with absolute clarity the afternoon of 8th May 1982 when they interrupted the BBC Grandstand sports programme to bring news of Villeneuve's accident. It was not known what his condition was at the time, but somehow I just knew, and (to nick a line from an old Rod Stewart song) I 'sat down and cried on the stairs'. I have tears in my eyes once again today. Salut Gilles.

[B Squared]

I was in the Santa Barbara, CA area that day and had recently seen Gilles disqualified from third in Long Beach; it was almost too much to bear and that was the closest I ever came to setting the sport aside. After thinking things through; by June I was back in Indiana and in early July I'd found my way into the CART on-track officiating team and worked my first race in Cleveland. In the end, Gilles tragic passing only strengthened my resolve to forever try to be a part of this great sport.

[D28]

A good tribute printed today in Montreal La Presse. If you Google   La Presse Gilles Villeneuve   you should get an option for a Google translation, or read it in French.

 

A very touching story about one of the retired Ferrari mechanics making his way to the museum to pay his respects.

 

The French link is here:   http://auto.lapresse...bien-vivant.php

Edited by D28, 08 May 2017 - 15:13.

[Marc Sproule]

since it's been a couple of years since i put this up...i'm reposting this link

 

https://www.flickr.c...157624008130538

Edited by Marc Sproule, 08 May 2017 - 15:34.

[312f1]

Gilles and Joanne on their wedding day:

https://pbs.twimg.co...VQSXgAECLUO.jpg

 

Source: https://twitter.com/...8922628/photo/1

Edited by 312f1, 08 May 2017 - 15:59.

[cheesy poofs]

Legend

Don't need to add anything else

[Henri Greuter]

I was in the Santa Barbara, CA area that day and had recently seen Gilles disqualified from third in Long Beach; it was almost too much to bear and that was the closest I ever came to setting the sport aside. After thinking things through; by June I was back in Indiana and in early July I'd found my way into the CART on-track officiating team and worked my first race in Cleveland. In the end, Gilles tragic passing only strengthened my resolve to forever try to be a part of this great sport.

 

 

 

Not to derail the thread but I assume that the events of one week (15/5/82) later, on top of all that must have been tough too. It was for me.....

 

Henri

Edited by Henri Greuter, 08 May 2017 - 19:26.

[E1pix]

Henri, for me you nailed it. Gordon was a mentor and friend starting when I was a burgeoning writer at 15, partly as he'd done the very same for his SCCA Region when my age. When Gilles died it hurt forever -- even now, still -- but I didn't know him so it had an emotional buffer.

It's not a stretch for me to say I do think of Gilles every single day. Part of that is pictured at left, but a larger part is his teaching me an F1 career can start anywhere -- even on snowmobiles. He gave me the confidence to realize that even "out of control" can be managed, and I like to think my karting successes reflected this. Most of my races were with his helmet sticker on my steering wheel, which I'd glance at on every grid and right before every Green.

The Man was a perfect blend of opera and poetry to me, as well as magician and self-entrepreneur. Witnessing his first win at Montreal, photo credential in hand at 18, remains my greatest racing memory ever. Nothing will ever touch it.

Thank You for a lifetime worth of inspiration, Gilles. I'm just sorry you had to go, for once against the terms of your charisma.

[312f1]

"For older F1 fans, the 8th of May is their JFK day"... how true...

 

An interview with Joann from November 2012. I couldn't find a reference to it in this thread

http://www.wheels.ca...anadian-racing/

[ensign14]

I didn't hear about it at the time.  Back then the junior ensign was stuck with newspaper reports and Sunday Grandstand if he wasn't being dragged off to the grandparents.  I think it wasn't till the Monday morning on the Today programme (which was always on the stereo in those pre-breakfast telly days) that I heard about it.  Not having long been into Grand Prix racing it didn't have that much of an impact at the time.  Oddly Riccardo Paletti's did, partly because I misheard it as Patrese...

[jrv_t644e]

It was a day i remember very well, i received a call from a friend that Gilles had been in an accident, of course i asked if he was hurt and was told they had applied heart massage... a long day of waiting and watching the news, for the terrible confirmation, followed, and the first time i really questioned how much racing meant to me.

 

As for E1pix its most days, in other forums i have reminders, and when racing, as much as feasible i tried to catch his numbers... racing as 2,12,27 and 69 at various points.

Edited by jrv_t644e, 08 May 2017 - 23:23.

[uffen]

He was like no one else.

[AJCee]

My own recollection is hearing it from Simon Taylor in his report on Sports Report on Radio 2 on the Saturday afternoon. I was in the garden sifting some soil for my parents... I suppose that does make it a "JFK moment".

[Slurp1955]

My own recollection of Gilles is of actually being stood at Tarzan at Zandvoort during the 1979 Dutch Grand Prix as he sped off dragging his left rear wheel towards the Pits. Just an aside, in a world where Tommy Byrne could be considered the greatest driver in the whole history of everything, the "fastest looking" lap I've ever seen was Rene Arnoux's pole winner in practice for that Zandvoort GP. Sadly his Renault lasted only 1 lap in the race, denying us another wheel to wheel session with Villeneuve

[uffen]

I saw him win Monaco '81, which was wonderful, but my abiding memory is watching him at Watkins Glen in 1980. It was wet (surprise!) and as he exited a kink he put his foot down a little too aggressively and proceeded to do a 180° right in front of me. As he spun I heard the engine being blipped and watched his head pivot round to watch the track. He stopped, pointed in the right direction, engaged 1st and powered away with a combination of steam and smoke coming off the rears. The crowd cheered and to this day it gives me goose pimples.

[B Squared]

I was at Watkins during his years there and the rain session in 1979 is my favored memory.

[Henri Greuter]

I was at Watkins during his years there and the rain session in 1979 is my favored memory.

 

A friend of me was over there as well in '79 and despite being more into Indy than F1, that '79 wet practice session is the one road racing event he would not have missed for anything.

 

Henri

[uffen]

E1pix, your mail box is full and I'm trying to send you a pm.

[E1pix]

Sorry about that, it perpetually is. Mostly people cussing me out and stuff. ;-)

I deleted some so PM away! Or email, I think you have that.

Thanks Bud!


Edit: Oh, and JRV, nice to see you 'round!!!

Edited by E1pix, 10 May 2017 - 19:58.

[JacnGille]

I was at Watkins during his years there and the rain session in 1979 is my favored memory.

I too witnessed "The Lap". I was impressed the entire weekend with Giles otherworldly wet driving. I saw him several times in Atlantic with his March, but always on dry pavement. The very first session on Friday morning was run on a streaming track. I was at the heel of The Boot. I can hear the first car approaching. It doesn't sound like a Cosworth. It must be a Ferrari. A flash of red tops the hill. I see the helmet isn't white. It's Gilles. He dives towards me flat out. He nails the brakes latter than I would have guessed even in the dry. The engine goes Brap, Brap, Brap as Gilles runs down the gearbox. He pitches the car right towards the apex. The flat twelve then roars as if its the throttle when to the bulkhead. The back end steps out into a 45 degree powerslide. Gilles holds this for three quarters of the way up the hill towards T9. This sequence of images will stay with me forever.

[E1pix]

Awesome.

[dbltop]

Through the esses at Watkins, most drivers were upshifting in the middle of the chicane, while Gilles was always in the higher gear 20 meters before he got to it. Full throttle at the same piece of track where everybody else was changing gear. Important corner as it led onto the long straight. Very impressive.

[jrv_t644e]

Edit: Oh, and JRV, nice to see you 'round!!!

 

It's really good to catch you again .

 

Must try to remember to stay in TNF as much as possible.

 

Umm actually here might be a good place to ask, the extra copy of Allan de la Plante's A Racing Legend book i acquired seems to be signed by M. de la Plante and numbered out of 4000. Does anybody know if this was a thing?

[JacnGille]

 

 

Umm actually here might be a good place to ask, the extra copy of Allan de la Plante's A Racing Legend book i acquired seems to be signed by M. de la Plante and numbered out of 4000. Does anybody know if this was a thing?

My copy is neither autographed nor numbered.

[E1pix]

I can't check but don't think mine was, either.

[jrv_t644e]

My original copy wasnt't either. Just this second hand one.

[uffen]

I believe there was a reprint and those are the ones that are signed.

[jrv_t644e]

Hmmm, so if i was to keep one and pass the other one to someone. Which would be the better one to keep?

 

1st Ed unsigned

or Reprint signed & numbered

[E1pix]

Signed always better. :-)

[D-Type]

I don't see why the first edition of any motor racing book should command a premium.  It's not as if the originality has any value in a factual book.  If a book goes to a second edition, it will normally have errors corrected and possibly additional material that has come to light added.  A possible exception is where content has been removed, say as a result of litigation.

[john aston]

Signed is better as long as it's just signed; if dedicated to somebody it is worth less than signed without  a dedication  . Unless it's something like- 'To Iggy - David ' or 'To Jim - Colin ' 

Edited by john aston, 17 May 2017 - 05:04.

[jrv_t644e]

Thankfully not dedicated.. just signed and numbered.

Hard to let go of the first copy though. Tempted now to keep both.