94 replies to this topic

[MPea3]

What are some of the great driver nick names and how did they come to be?

My favorite has always been "Pancho" Carter. I had long wondered how a fair skinned light haired hoosier ended up being called "Pancho", so back in the 90's I had the opportunity to ask him and did. I'm guessing it's probably a fairly well known story, so I'll wait and see if others know the answer before I say what he told me.

Also, I hear Chapman referrred to as "Chunky". Was he called this to his face?

[Ray Bell]

No doubt Frank Gardner would have been responsible for some of them... but which ones?

'Hawkeye', for instance... or maybe 'Black Jack'?

Mechanics are also a source of semi-derogatory nomenclature...

[Mac Lark]

Originally posted by MPea3
What are some of the great driver nick names and how did they come to be?
I had long wondered how a fair skinned light haired hoosier ended up being called "Pancho"

I've always wanted to know how people from Indiana came to nicknamed 'Hoosiers'.

I went to Indy 4 years ago for the first F1 race and asked plenty of locals and am still none the wiser.

There's Denny 'The Bear' Hulme and Jody 'Fletcher' Scheckter.

A lot of course a just a play on either the surname - 'Hawkeye', or inititials.

I reckon 'Possum' takes some beating.

And then there's Larry Perkins' nickname - at least the, donkey related, one he had in NZ in the late 70's.

[Ray Bell]

While on the subject, though a little off it...

The pommie expression that just fitted into racing so well in the seventies... 'rock ape'... as applied to a driver with strange ideas about how big a gap was required for his car to go through, how late he could brake, how acceptable it was to bang wheels etc.

As for Larry, his normal nickname was 'Larrikin'...

[MPea3]

Originally posted by Mac Lark


I've always wanted to know how people from Indiana came to nicknamed 'Hoosiers'.

I went to Indy 4 years ago for the first F1 race and asked plenty of locals and am still none the wiser.

i agree. off to dictionary.com...

Word History: We know where Hoosiers come from: Indiana. But where does the name Hoosier come from? That is less easy to answer. The origins of Hoosier are rather obscure, but the most likely possibility is that the term is an alteration of hoozer, an English dialect word recorded in Cumberland, a former county of northwest England, in the late 19th century and used to refer to anything unusually large. The transition between hoozer and Hoosier is not clear. The first recorded instance of Hoosier meaning “Indiana resident” is dated 1826; however, it seems possible that senses of the word recorded later in the Dictionary of Americanisms, including “a big, burly, uncouth specimen or individual; a frontiersman, countryman, rustic,” reflect the kind of use this word had before it settled down in Indiana. As a nickname, Hoosier was but one of a variety of disparaging terms for the inhabitants of particular states arising in the early 19th century. Texans were called Beetheads, for example; Alabamans were Lizards; Nebraskans were Bug-eaters; South Carolinians were Weasels, and Pennsylvanians were Leatherheads. People in Missouri might have had it worst of allthey were called Pukes. Originally, these names were probably taken up by people living in neighboring states, but belittled residents adopted them in a spirit of defiant pride, much as American colonists turned the derisive term Yankee into a moniker for their spirit of rebellion. Today, most of these frontier nicknames have disappeared from the landscape. A few like Okie still exist with much of their original animus. Others survive as nicknames for the sports teams of state universitiesthe North Carolina Tarheels, the Ohio Buckeyes, and so onfighting words only on the playing field or court.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
The pommie expression that just fitted into racing so well in the seventies... 'rock ape'...

started perhaps by Brambilla the Monza Gorilla?
"The Italian is famous for crashing immediately after taking the chequered flag for his only Grand Prix victory, in Austria in 1975.
In his excitement at winning the race in the pouring rain, Brambilla waved his arms so much that he lost control of his March 751.
The orange car speared into the barriers on the pit straight, yet despite damaging the nose, Brambilla managed to complete his slowing down lap, still waving to the crowd."

[Twin Window]

Off the top of my head...

Frank Williams - 'W****r'. It was even suggested, albeit tongue in cheek, that his first F1 chassis should be called the W****r Ford!

Jean-Pierre Jarier - 'Jumper'. Often regarded as a reference to J-PJ's ability off the start line, it in fact is down to Robin Herd's son Mark being unable to pronounce his christian name...

James Hunt - 'Warwick'. Work this one out for yourselves...

David Hunt - 'Wadda' (shortenend from 'Waddack) Ditto.

Derek Warwick - 'Brian'

Brian Henton - 'Derek' These two began at Monaco in '81 after Derek remarked that no one knew who they were as they walked through the streets, the Toleman team mates having failing to pre-qualify. Derek was also known as 'Delboy' taken from a popular British comedy show.

Carlos Reutemann - 'El Lole'

Carlos Pace - 'Moco'

Nigel Mansell - 'Il Leone', 'Interesting Nige'.

Mark Blundell - 'Bertie Big Banana' & 'Billy'. Both down to Perry McCarthy, I believe.

Bruno Giacomelli - 'Jack O'Malley'.

John Watson - 'Whatswrong' Both of these last two made it onto the cockpits of McLarens...

Alain Prost - 'Tadpole'. That one did too, in 1980. A reference to his size being that of a small frog!

Jacques Laffite - 'Jack Lafferty'.

Niki Lauda - 'Mighty Mouse', 'Rat', 'Super Rat', 'King Rat'. John Hogan of Marlboro had the last two put on his visor strips in place of his name!

Mark Donohue - 'Captain Nice'.

Hans Stuck (Jr) - 'Hanschen'. An abbreviation of his christian names.

That'll do for the minute!

TW

[David Beard]

Also...

http://forums.atlasf...light=NICKNAMES

[Peter Morley]

Williams mechanics used to call Damon Hill - Meg.

When he won his 1st Grand Prix, he was shouting Yes, Yes, Yes.....
The mechanics hearing this, over the radio, were reminded of Meg Ryan's stunning (solo) performance in When Harry met Sally................


BAR mechanics currently refer to Buttons as Louise's boyfriend, in honour of the most (visually) talented member of the team.

[Cirrus]

I think Peter Briggs, when he was Surtees Team manager, and had Vittorio Brambilla and Hans Binder driving for the team, nicknamed them Bender and Binder.

Thorkild Thyrring - Talking Tiewrap

Eje Elgh - Double Egg

[Doug Nye]

Wasn't there some story about Jean Christophe Boullion using both forenames because he thought it sounded far more up-market than plain 'Jean Boullion', only to be foiled by the Williams mechanics who - from his initials - christened him simply 'Digger'...

DCN

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
Wasn't there some story about Jean Christophe Boullion using both forenames because he thought it sounded far more up-market than plain 'Jean Boullion', only to be foiled by the Williams mechanics who - from his initials - christened him simply 'Digger'...

DCN

...but he was always known as "Jules" anyway, for some reason!

[WDH74]

Took me a second to figure out where "Digger" came from....

Richard Petty was known as "The King" or "King Richard", after his winning ways I imagine. Juan Manuel Fangio was "El Chueco" (Spelling???), which I think had something to do with his bowlegged walking style. And somewhere I saw a photo of an F5000 Eagle being driven by James Hunt with the word "Shunt" writ on the side.

-William

[Twin Window]

The Tyrrell mechanics swopped over the first and last letters of Riccardo Rosset's surname on his paddock scooter (Hockenheim '98, I think) to read 'Tosser'

I believe he spent quite some time riding around before he noticed...

TW

[GIGLEUX]

In France Jean-Pierre Jarier is still knowned as "leaden shoe"!

[LB]

Rock Ape probably has origins in the Gibraltar Apes rather than the Monza Gorilla. Its used fairly commonly outside of racing to refer to big, unintelligent, neandethalic people in a rather non affectionate way.

[Twin Window]

Ian Ashley - 'Crashley'

Damien Magee - 'Mad Dog' (from Catchpole)

Andrea de Cesaris - 'de Crasheris'

Michael Schumacher - 'Brucey' (Forsyth)

Bruno Giacomelli - 'Panda'

Mauricio Gugelmin - 'Morris'

Brian Henton - 'Superhen' (self-given)

Leo Kinnunen - 'The Flying Finn' (the original? Should have been 'The Fattest Finn')

Jochen Mass - 'Herman the German'

Roberto Moreno - 'Pupo'

Timothy Needell - 'Tiff'

Danny Ongais - 'On-The-Gas' 'The Silent Hawaiian' 'The Flyin' Hawaiian'

George-Frances Servoz-Gavin - 'Johnny'

James R Sharp - 'Hap'

Francisco Serra - 'Chico'

Danny Sullivan - 'The Kentucky Kid'

Graham McRae - 'Cassius'

Bengt Traggard - 'Bent Trackrod'

Steven Andskar - 'Aids-scare'

Barry Sugondo - LOMBARD (Lots Of Money But A Rotten Driver) Barry was a rally 'driver' in the '80s.

Fulvio Ballabio - 'Soapy' (as in 'he couldn't drive a soapy stick up a dog's arse')

Tom Dodd-Noble - 'Tom Dog-Nobber'

Enrique Mansilla - 'Quique'

Keijo Rosberg - 'Keke'

Gianclaudio Regazzoni - 'Clay'

David Kennedy - 'Spud'

Stefan Bellof - 'Stiff Bollocks' (E. Salazar when he, after a test at Ricard, was trying to relate who was there...)

Kenneth Acheson - 'Junior' (parents)

Sorry for any repeats!

TW

[longford68]

Some Australian/NZ ones that come to mind:

John Goss: Joan Goose

John Harvey: Slug

Allan Moffat: Marvin

Phil Brock: Splitpin

Neville Crichton Croaky

Brian Foley: Foles

Brian Muir: Yogi

Murray Carter: Muzza

[Mac Lark]

Belgian F5000 driver 'Tidy Pilot' - won the 1974 British series as I recall.

[David Hyland]

ISTR Giovanni Lavaggi (sp?) being referred to as "Johnny Carwash" - a supposed "translation" of his name.

[David Hyland]

Originally posted by MPea3
Word History: We know where Hoosiers come from: Indiana. But where does the name Hoosier come from? That is less easy to answer. The origins of Hoosier are rather obscure, but the most likely possibility is that the term is an alteration of hoozer, an English dialect word recorded in Cumberland, a former county of northwest England, in the late 19th century and used to refer to anything unusually large. The transition between hoozer and Hoosier is not clear. The first recorded instance of Hoosier meaning “Indiana resident” is dated 1826; however, it seems possible that senses of the word recorded later in the Dictionary of Americanisms, including “a big, burly, uncouth specimen or individual; a frontiersman, countryman, rustic,” reflect the kind of use this word had before it settled down in Indiana. As a nickname, Hoosier was but one of a variety of disparaging terms for the inhabitants of particular states arising in the early 19th century. Texans were called Beetheads, for example; Alabamans were Lizards; Nebraskans were Bug-eaters; South Carolinians were Weasels, and Pennsylvanians were Leatherheads. People in Missouri might have had it worst of allthey were called Pukes. Originally, these names were probably taken up by people living in neighboring states, but belittled residents adopted them in a spirit of defiant pride, much as American colonists turned the derisive term Yankee into a moniker for their spirit of rebellion. Today, most of these frontier nicknames have disappeared from the landscape. A few like Okie still exist with much of their original animus. Others survive as nicknames for the sports teams of state universitiesthe North Carolina Tarheels, the Ohio Buckeyes, and so onfighting words only on the playing field or court.

We have similar obscure terms to describe the residents of the various Australian states:
South Australian = Croweater
Western Australian = Sandgroper
Queenslander = Bananabender
Tasmanian = Taswegian or Apple Islander (they grow lots of apples down there)
Victorian = Mexican (i.e. for people in New South Wales, Victorians live "south of the border")

[Jungle Boy]

I have some:

Antonio Pizzonia: "Jungle Boy"

Refrence to the fact that he comes from a remote part of the amazon river


Jean Alesi: "Crazy Jean"

Self explanatory


Martin Brundle: "Billy Bob"

He got this knickname when he raced in the US in the IROC series, it was supposedly given to him because he ran so well on ovals for a foreigner

Ukyo Katayama: "Kat"

Self explanitory


JC Boullion: "Jules"

Don't know where he got that one..


Eddie Irvine: "Irve the Swerve"

Because of his agressive blocking

[Buford]

Mario Andretti among the racers was known as "Super Wop." Johnny Rutherford was "Lone Star J.R." Jan Opperman was "The Racing Hippie." Sprint Car racer Gary Patterson was "The Preacher." Steve Kinser is known as "The King of the Outlaws" while Richard Petty was just "The King." Glenn Roberts was Fireball. I forget Tiny Lund's first name but I don't think it was Tiny. Then there was Coo Coo Marlin and I don't think his first name was originally Coo Coo. Eddie Sachs was "The Clown Prince." Jim Clark was "The Flying Scott." I forget Shorty Templeman's first name. Dick Rathmann was actually Jim and Jim Rathmann was actually Dick. A.J. Foyt was "Super Tex" but today he is "Fatso."

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by David Hyland
We have similar obscure terms to describe the residents of the various Australian states:
South Australian = Croweater
Western Australian = Sandgroper
Queenslander = Bananabender
Tasmanian = Taswegian or Apple Islander (they grow lots of apples down there)
Victorian = Mexican (i.e. for people in New South Wales, Victorians live "south of the border")

Nothing obscure there... there are plenty of crows in SA, there's lots of sand in WA, bananas by the truckload in Queensland (and nary a straight one among them!) and Victoria is most assuredly 'south of the border'...

However, though Taswegian has been in use for a number of years, and their home is the Apple Isle, I don't think I've ever heard of them being called 'Apple Islanders'.

[Gary Davies]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
However, though Taswegian has been in use for a number of years, and their home is the Apple Isle, I don't think I've ever heard of them being called 'Apple Islanders'.

Pointy heads?

[Mac Lark]

Is there an area of motor sport with more nick names than drag racing?


Don 'the swamp rat' Garlits or 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits

Don 'the snake' Prudhomme

Tony 'the Loner' Nancy

The Greek - I'm not even going to try and spell his surname

TV Tommy Ivo

Tom 'the Mongoose' McEwan

Ed 'the ace' McCulloch

Grumpy Jenkins

Dyno Don Nicholson

Starvin Marvin Swartz

Marvin 'Who' Graham

Back door Bob Strucknis

Dennis 'Mr Six' Priddle

Shirley 'Cha Cha' Muldowney

Connie 'The Bounty Hunter' Kalitta

[Andrew Fellowes]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
, bananas by the truckload in Queensland (and nary a straight one among them!)

Just 'cause poor Noel Newnham went to goal and and just happened to be Police Commissioner.....

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Mac Lark
Is there an area of motor sport with more nick names than drag racing?

Possiblly the Australian BRUTES (Pickup Trucks)where EVERY driver has a nickname shown in the results!
One mentioned previously is slightly out of place here. Timothy (Tiff) Needell. Not a racing nickname but the name he was called by his family since a baby. Apparently his older brother could not pronounce 'Timothy'

[Jungle Boy]

Originally posted by WDH74
Took me a second to figure out where "Digger" came from....

-William

I don't get it

How do you get "digger" from his initials "JCB"?

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Buford
Mario Andretti among the racers was known as "Super Wop."

... and also as 'The Fonz'

A.J. Foyt was "Super Tex" but today he is "Fatso."

TW

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Jungle Boy
I don't get it

How do you get "digger" from his initials "JCB"?

Not too hard, really...

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Ray Bell


Not too hard, really...

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Rob29
Possiblly the Australian BRUTES (Pickup Trucks) where EVERY driver has a nickname shown in the results.....

Sheer stupidity... which all seems to have started in the Truck racing...

Even if they don't have nicknames, they are given them for the sake of this 'familiarity'... no sense to it at all.

[Buford]

Not exactly a personal nickname but one inspired by a driver. When Gilles Villeneuve's brother was racing in CART they called the walls "Jacques Absorbers".

Then of course there was "King Hiro" Matsushita who was a moving chicane and got his name because Emmo (oops, there is another one) used to be yelling over his radio all the time complaining about him but wouldn't get the key pushed fast enough when he started his rant, so they would constantly hear, "****king Hiro."

[MPea3]

Originally posted by Buford
Not exactly a personal nickname but one inspired by a driver. When Gilles Villeneuve's brother was racing in CART they called the walls "Jacques Absorbers".

Then of course there was "King Hiro" Matsushita who was a moving chicane and got his name because Emmo (oops, there is another one) used to be yelling over his radio all the time complaining about him but wouldn't get the key pushed fast enough when he started his rant, so they would constantly hear, "****king Hiro."

Hillarious! That's gotta be one of the best ones.

Buford, as an old USACer, I'm surprised you haven't taken a stab at the origin of "Pancho" yet...

[Buford]

"He was born while his parents were on the way to a race at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Pappy” had constantly referred to his wife’s pregnant condition as his “little paunch,” thus the nickname “Pancho”."

http://www.worthyofh...DuaneCarter.htm


Which brings up another one. Duane Carter was "Pappy."

I just remembered another one. My friend Jigger Sirois. I think his real name was Leon. His nickname came from a 1930's riding mechanic. Then of course... Larry "Boom Boom" Canon.

[Gary Davies]

Through the Chair, may one enquire of Ray why he goes around the place taking photographs of yellow excavators? :

[Buford]

Fabrizio Barbazza was “Turtle”
Kevin Cogan became “Coogan” after a Foyt rant went astray.
Tom Sneva was “The Gas Man”
Willie T. Ribbs was … “That …well an unprintable name followed”
Salt Walther got the name from boat racing.

[Jim Thurman]

Originally posted by Buford
Mario Andretti among the racers was known as "Super Wop." Johnny Rutherford was "Lone Star J.R." Jan Opperman was "The Racing Hippie." Sprint Car racer Gary Patterson was "The Preacher." Steve Kinser is known as "The King of the Outlaws" while Richard Petty was just "The King." Glenn Roberts was Fireball. I forget Tiny Lund's first name but I don't think it was Tiny. Then there was Coo Coo Marlin and I don't think his first name was originally Coo Coo. Eddie Sachs was "The Clown Prince." Jim Clark was "The Flying Scott." I forget Shorty Templeman's first name. Dick Rathmann was actually Jim and Jim Rathmann was actually Dick. A.J. Foyt was "Super Tex" but today he is "Fatso."

"Tiny" Lund's real first name was DeWayne and "Coo Coo" Marlin's is Clifton. "Tiny" a good example of a nickname being the complete opposite...as he was a huge guy. Big ol' dude.

Clark "Shorty" Templeman. His son was Clark Templeman II and now there is Clark Templeman III.

Buford, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned some of the more colorful nicknames some of the open wheelers went by (or at least fellow competitors called them). Of course, that could cause problems with the moderators ;)

The list of Drag Racing names is great (and thanks for posting it), but I think short tracks and the open wheel ranks give them a close run for nicknames, and there were some great names in early Stock Car racing. At least in the 50's and 60's it seemed like most short tracks had several nicknamed drivers. Just at the local 1/4 mile oval I went to there was "Ivan The Terrible", "Boots", "Pappy", "The Flying Dutchman", and my favorite "Wildman" Bobo Cotton, a sign painter from out in the desert. Bobo's '58 Ford threatened to wind up in our laps more with each passing lap at a race on the Riverside International Raceway oval, but I digress...

I'll try and post some from the Stock Car and Sprint ranks. Many came from hometowns or their full time jobs (i.e. "Flying Farmer", "Flying Cropduster", "Flying Taxidermist", "Flying Hairdresser").

Another of my favorites was George Behlman, a GN West driver from the San Diego area who got tagged with "The Blackberry Bush Bomber" after winding up in same off the backstraight at Portland (Oregon) Speedway. He kind of got tired of that name.

[MPea3]

Originally posted by Buford
"He was born while his parents were on the way to a race at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Pappy” had constantly referred to his wife’s pregnant condition as his “little paunch,” thus the nickname “Pancho”."

http://www.worthyofh...DuaneCarter.htm


Which brings up another one. Duane Carter was "Pappy."

I just remembered another one. My friend Jigger Sirois. I think his real name was Leon. His nickname came from a 1930's riding mechanic. Then of course... Larry "Boom Boom" Canon.

Not what he told me. What he told me was that during the 1950 Panamerican race, his mother was "extremely" pregnant with him, and that many of the locals would pat her on the belly and ask how "Pancho" was doing. The name stuck, and he was Pancho.

[Buford]

Yeah Tiny and Shorty. I recall their real names now that you mention them. I have posted all I can remember. I just thought of another though, Cotton Farmer. Which brings to mind another, Cotton Owens.

[Buford]

Originally posted by MPea3


Not what he told me. What he told me was that during the 1950 Panamerican race, his mother was "extremely" pregnant with him, and that many of the locals would pat her on the belly and ask how "Pancho" was doing. The name stuck, and he was Pancho.

Well if that is what he told you in person, I guess we should take his word for it.

Dick Tobias was called Toby. Dale Earnhardt was "Ironhead" or "The Intimidator." Darrell Waltrip was "Jaws."

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Buford
Kevin Cogan became “Coogan” after a Foyt rant went astray.

I heard him called that when he was still in Formula Atlantic (or was it Supervee?)

[Buford]

Originally posted by David McKinney

I heard him called that when he was still in Formula Atlantic (or was it Supervee?)

Really? It became popular after the starting line crash at Indy when he hit Foyt and A.J. went on TV and called him something like "That damn Coogan."

[biercemountain]

I've heard Alex Zanardi refered to "Barilla Boy" due to his sponsorship by the Italian pasta manufacturer. (Somehow I don't think it's a compliment)

I also heard Jimmy Vassar and Zanardi refered to as "The Target Twins" on many occasions.

When JV was in CART the other drivers used to call him "New Town" (a translation of his last name)

[David McKinney]

I must admit I thought the "Coogan" pronunciation was from ignorance, but maybe he was called that earlier than you think?

[Buford]

Could be. I thought he was just pissed off and either mispronounced his name, or did so in a derogatory manner to belittle him by acting like he was so unimportant he did not even know his name. That would be Foyt's style.

[SEdward]

I think that Schumacher was christened "Spoonface" when he first appeared on the F1 scene.

Edward.

[jorism]

Surpprisingly nobody mentioned the nickname of the fastest man of the seventies

Ronnie Peterson - Superswede

[SEdward]

Surpprisingly nobody mentioned the nickname of the fastest man of the seventies

Errrr... that one's open to debate.

Edward.