32 replies to this topic

[teejay]

A great mini-documentary on the Penske Indycar test by Ayrton 25 years ago 

 

[teejay]

And from the Indycar site 

 

http://www.indycar.c...5th-anniversary

[Paul Parker]

Surely this belongs on the Nostalgia Forum.

[teejay]

The test sure, but the documentary is new - no dramas if the mods wish to move it...

[PayasYouRace]

Indeed, this is a TNF subject. It’s all in the past, no matter how recent the film was made.

[BCM]

Great find TJ.

[SophieB]

Autosport did a feature on this earlier this year. The article is for subscribers...

Autosport‏Verified account
@autosport

This week marks the 25th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's 1992 Penske Indycar test. Here's our feature from earlier this year – the full story, told by the men who were there:
https://www.autospor...na-indycar-test

 

But the Autosport twitter account had a couple of interesting snippets

Autosport‏
Verified account @autosport 13m13 minutes ago


What did four-time Indy500 winner, Rick Mears think of Ayrton Senna's driving an Indycar?


 
 
Autosport‏Verified account @autosport 3h3 hours ago
Then-Penske crew chief, Rick Rinaman on how Ayrton Senna made an ill-fitting seat work on his test in an Indycar in 1992

 

[Louis Mr. F1]

so there was not a single word from the man himself ..... and to be honest, not very much was talked about the "test", despite it's 26 minute in length.

[E1pix]

Fantastic, Thank You so much for sharing this!

[as65p]

so there was not a single word from the man himself ..... and to be honest, not very much was talked about the "test", despite it's 26 minute in length.

 

There were no contemporary screened interviews from any of the involved, clearly. Which probably means there were none made, at the time.

 

Although around half point they showed a magazine page where Senna obviously gave an interview about it to some Jeremy Shaw. No idea which publication.

[E1pix]

Jeremy Shaw was the, and my, Editor for On Track then.

[Seppi_0_917PA]

There were no contemporary screened interviews from any of the involved, clearly. Which probably means there were none made, at the time.

There's this:  :-)



 
 
 

Although around half point they showed a magazine page where Senna obviously gave an interview about it to some Jeremy Shaw. No idea which publication.

 
The ending credits confirm it was in On Track magazine.

[Edited to get the video to appear.]

Edited by Seppi_0_917PA, 21 December 2017 - 18:39.

[F1matt]

At the time wasn't Ayrton trying to extract more money from Ron Dennis to compensate for not been able to compete with the Williams Renault package compounded with the fact that Alain Prost was joing them the following season after a year on the beach? I never thought the test was that serious, a bit like Ferrari threatening to quit F1!

I know people credit Emerson Fitipaldi with arranging the test but I recall an interview with John Hogan from Phillip Morris who said they arranged it with Ronger Penske.

[MCS]

I think it's slightly odd. 

 

Initially, Tracy says that "all these limos pulled up and out gets Emerson and Senna" and then Penske says "he arrives in a rental car, not a great entourage"   But wouldn't it have helped if Emerson had been part of it?

 

Overlong, overdone and how many times are the same words used...?  

 

Could have been better (i.e. more detail) and there were some obvious correlations that could have been easily included - e.g. Mears testing a Formula One Brabham at Riverside whilst he was an Indy driver (and didn't he test more than once - not sure).

 

Anyway.  Thanks teejay.  I am most certainly not a Senna fan (and I met him a few times) but I am always intrigued by other people's views of him.

Edited by MCS, 21 December 2017 - 20:30.

[swintex]

Very enjoyable little film.

 

Do we know if restored car ran, and if it did, do we know who drove it?

 

Mears is class.

 

Richard

[SKL]

Fascinating story-  I've seen the car at the Penske Musuem in north Scottsdale-   there is a poster by the car explaining a little about the day.   I see Tracy down here every so often but he's not the easiest guy to walk up to...

 

 

+1000 on Rick Mears.  Total class act -  always took time back when my kids were little to take time and sign stuff "thanks, Rick Mears."    The captain knows how to pick them.   Would love to see more about his F1 test with Bernie's car.  THAT would be a story too!!

[as65p]

Jeremy Shaw was the, and my, Editor for On Track then.

 

Thanks!

 

There's this:  :-)

The ending credits confirm it was in On Track magazine.

 

And thanks too...    

[B Squared]

I came across the Senna interview with Jeremy Shaw regarding his Penske Indy Car test - On Track Vol 13, No 1 January 29, 1993. It used to be posted in the Roger Penske thread, but disappeared with my 1,500-plus photos.

[sblick]

I don't know if it has ever been a topic, but if Senna had joined Mansell in CART that year I wonder where would F1 be now.  The season long fight between Penske and Newman/Haas would have been epic.

[E1pix]

Senna would have crushed him. ;-)

[teejay]

Side by side in the NH cars, sure. 

 

If Senna was in the Penske - probably not. The NH guys had an advantage that year. 

 

Sophie - I did read it in Autosport plus earlier this year but can't share a paid article

[2F-001]

+1000 on Rick Mears.  Total class act -  always took time back when my kids were little to take time and sign stuff "thanks, Rick Mears."    The captain knows how to pick them.   Would love to see more about his F1 test with Bernie's car.  THAT would be a story too!!

I’m pretty sure it was reported (albeit briefly) in Autosport.

I’m not sure how much of this wholly true, but a story I’ve heard retold several times is that…

The test went well and the team were impressed with Mears ( hardly surprising ).
One party then asked “What about the money?”. The other party said “1 million". ( dollars? ).
There seemed to a consensus that this could work… but each party had left the meeting thinking that the other would be doing the paying…

Edited by 2F-001, 22 December 2017 - 05:56.

[Tim Murray]

Mears’ Brabham test discussed here:

Rick Mears at Brabham

[jonpollak]

I enjoyed the video. And, as sblick said, what a season that would have been. !!

[kayemod]

The test went well and the team were impressed with Mears ( hardly surprising ).
One party then asked “What about the money?”. The other party said “1 million". ( dollars? ).
There seemed to a consensus that this could work… but each party had left the meeting thinking that the other would be doing the paying…

 

An urban myth, and completely untrue. Below is a Rick Mears quote from his Motor Sport "Lunch with" interview a year or two ago, and I've seen Rick quoted elsewhere that Bernie's offer at least matched what he'd earn racing tor Penske or any other US team. As we all know, Bernie isn't stupid.

 

So Bernie made a firm offer, and Rick went home to think about it. "That Brabham [the normally-aspirated Cosworth-powered BT491 didn't have the brute horsepower of the Indycars, but its cornering speeds, braking and grip were much greater. I loved it. And Bernie's deal was good. But I wasn't sure about some of the egos in FL Or the extra travelling, and maybe living in Europe. I'd proved to myself I could drive an Fl car as quick as one of the top guys. I didn't need to prove it to anyone else. And I felt so comfortable with Penske. So I took my decision: I told Roger I was staying."

[E1pix]

I have to say I'm kind of surprised by all this... Good Stuff.

Rick wasn't considered as great a road racer here nearly as much as being the Ovalmeister.

[2F-001]

Well, as I said, I didn't know how much of the story (i.e. the money part) if any, was true.

Whilst Mears was regarded as an ace on the ovals, he did seem to me to be very much a 'thinking' driver who could have analysed the challenge of GP racing and made a good job of it.

I don't remember reading the MotorSport mentioned; I'll have to go back to that issue.

The Mears/Ecclestone tale is, nonetheless, amusing, and has a ring of plausibility if taken in the abstract.

[garoidb]

I have to say I'm kind of surprised by all this... Good Stuff.

Rick wasn't considered as great a road racer here nearly as much as being the Ovalmeister.

 

Was that always true, even before his heavy accident and injuries to his feet in 1984? 

[E1pix]

That's my memory, oval specialist, Top 10 on road courses. Someone here will know how many road races he's won, but it seems like "not many."

 

But my memory may be skewed by the fact that not many road races existed in IndyCar before Sanair in 1984...

[E1pix]

Whilst Mears was regarded as an ace on the ovals, he did seem to me to be very much a 'thinking' driver who could have analysed the challenge of GP racing and made a good job of it.

 

Thanks, Tony.

 

Yes, Rick was definitely a "thinking driver," much of that presumably bred on race courses full of rattlesnakes and pitfalls awaiting any errors.

 

So I am surprised and more than a little delighted he was that fast in a F1 test!  

[SKL]

Will probably see the Rocket at the indycar test in February at PIR/    wish he had the time to talk about this...  at least I got a selfie with him last time.  (I'd post it, but this site is NOT easy to post pix on...)

[E1pix]

I had a connection to Rick to have dinner with him in Bakersfield when coming through (before he moved away), but sadly said connection and great friend has died (teammate 1981).

 

When we think opportunities will re-present themselves when we get around to them, often that's not true. 

[PlatenGlass]

Indeed, this is a TNF subject. It’s all in the past, no matter how recent the film was made.

Well I'm glad it found its way to a wider audience before the literal police got their hands on it.