14 replies to this topic

[Stephen Herbert]

I'm new to this BB and am very, very impressed. I've followed Motor Sport since the early '90s but quickly realised that I was born too late to witness the best times, so I am now obsessed with all Motor Racing history.
I wonder if anybody out there knows any thing about the Brazilian driver Fritz d'Orey. He drove in three GP's in 1959 for Scuderia Centro Sud and the Tec-Mec Maserati.
He was very young at the time, about 21 years of age, and also appears to have died young, in 1961?
The only other race I know he competed in was the 1960 Sebring 12 Hours.

[Fast One]

Stephen--

I checked Peter Miller's The Fast Ones, which has a list of nearly every notable driver killed from 1946-1963, but D'Orey isn't listed. David Hahoe has him listed in hi Grand Prix Data Book as Fritz d'O'Rey. He was born on March 25, 1938 and died in 1961, date not listed. He completed in 3 races in 1959, as you said, but no details are listed. He scored no points. That's all I can find here. Sorry it isn't more. Hopefully Dennis or Don will have something more than his birthday!

[Dennis David]

The only thing that I can add right now is that his best finish was a 10th place in the French GP 1959 in a Maserati.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Marcel Schot]

Checked Forix on the man:

Fritz d' Orey
Hometown : Sao Paulo, Brazil
Born : 25 Mar 1938
Died : -
Age : 61

Races :
1959 France (Maserati) Grid:18 Race:10
1959 G.Britain (Maserati) Grid:20 Race:Accident
1959 USA (Tec-Mec Maserati) Grid:17 Race:Oil-leak

In France he wasn't actually classified, as he was a mere 10 laps down from winner Tony Brooks. He didn't have much of a car though, since the Maserati 250F was 5 years old and had last won in the hands of Fangio in the 1957 German Grand Prix. The Scuderia Centro Sud team qualified 17,18 and 19, while Asdrebal Bayardo didn't even qualify (of the 4 cars, only Bayardo and d'Orey's were Maserati's, the other 2 Cooper T51 with Maserati engines). Only team behind them was Scuderia Ugolini..in 2 Maserati 250F's.

His British Grand Prix he also drove for Scuderia Centro Sud, this time as the only Maserati. He has an accident 18 laps from the finish.

His final race he drove for Camoradi USA in a Tec Mec F415 (a what?) powered by Maserati. After just 6 laps an oil-leak forced him to stop. On the grid, he kept 2 cars behind him : Phil Cade with his privately entered...Maserati 250F and Rodger Ward who had dared to enter the race in a Offenhauser powered Kurtis Kraft, a dirttrack car! For that story, check out the 8W archive: http://www.racer.dem...8w/8w-1298.html

[Racer.Demon]

And Don's (almost) definitive 250F logbook on 8W (http://www.racer.demon.nl/8w/250f.html) has some background on the illustrious Tec-Mec and the way it was adapted from the 250F.

Cheers,
R.D


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[Dennis David]

I have a friend in Argentina who's heard of him. He says that he will look into it for me.

------------------
Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Marcel Schot]

Did a bit more digging on this one too.

According to http://members.spree...brasileiros.htm , Fritz is a born American, who got naturalized to become Brazilian. From what I understand of it, he was the first one to drive with a Brazilian flag on his car. The page also has a picture of the man.

Meanwhile, http://www.geocities...5955/gn0498.htm reports Fritz (Frederico) d'Orey still drove a Ferrari in Europe, aged 60. From the URL I'd say that was in April 1998.

More interesting even is http://usuarios.dial...mauritha/fd.htm . This site gives a short bio on d'Orey, saying he also drove in North American races as well as Le Mans. His career ended in 1960 in a serious testing accident which put d'Orey in a coma for 8 months.

By any means, he was the last Brazilian in F1 before Emerson Fittipaldi hit on the scene.

[Stephen Herbert]

Thanks alot everyone! What a great help you have all been.
I suppose the false information of Fritz's death in 1961 came from the fact he was seriously injured and in a coma at that time.

[Pete Stanley]

>>Maserati 250F and Rodger Ward who had dared to enter the race in a Offenhauser powered Kurtis Kraft, a dirttrack car! For that story, check out the 8W archive<<

Do you refer here to the Lime Rock race?

[Marcel Schot]

Pete - nope, to the Formula One US Grand Prix of 1959 at Sebring.

[Dennis David]

One thing that I remember is that he drove the course as if he were on a dirt track with his tail hanging on every curve and these cars had no brakes and something like two gears.

------------------
Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Felix Muelas]

Took some time to report, but FORIX interviewed -well, Alexandre Carvalho did it- the man back in May 2002.
There is a Spanish version to be found here

[Richard Jenkins]

Another of the few 1950's drivers remaining has gone: https://globoesporte...itz-dorey.ghtml

Quite active until his recent illness. Sad news.

[Paul Taylor]

Another of the few 1950's drivers remaining has gone: https://globoesporte...itz-dorey.ghtml

Quite active until his recent illness. Sad news.

 

That's sad. And quite a computer nerd in his old age, I understand. I noticed a few months ago his Facebook accounts had gone quiet and wondered if something was up.

 

RIP.

[Eric Dunsdon]

The last person that I saw drive a Maser' 250F in a Grand Prix. Aintree 1959.