28 replies to this topic

[fines]

Not sure if this is in good taste, but the "racing families..." thread got me thinking about this: women widowed by racers, who remarried racers! Of the top of my head I can remember Frank Luptow's wife, who remarried Bobby Grim, so that she's a seven-time IMCA Champion's wife, to challenge Eunice Schrader!

On a more bizarre note, there's Helene Yockey, who was married to Joe Russo only to see him die in a racing accident within six months, in June 1934. She then married Billy Winn, who died after two and a half years of marriage in another racing accident, August 1938. Her next husband was also a racer, Dave Champeau, and you guessed it: he died July 1946 in a racing accident!

[fines]

I believe John Watson and Barbro Peterson were a couple for a time, but Barbro baulked at the thought of marrying another racer!? And wasn't Nina Rindt dating another racing driver?

[Giraffe]

Is not Jim Clark's girlfriend, Sally Stokes married to Ed Swart?

[Alan Cox]

Yes.

[Giraffe]

I reckon that Ed is the only man on the planet who benifited from the loss of Jim.
She was top totty.

[Collombin]

Originally posted by Giraffe
I reckon that Ed is the only man on the planet who benifited from the loss of Jim.
She was top totty.

Jim was still alive when she married Ed.

I believe Bill Vukovich's widow married Earl Motter?

[David McKinney]

Johnny Wakefield's widow married Tony Gaze, who in the fullness of time married Lex Davison's widow

[D-Type]

Jean Howarth, Mike Hawthorn's fiancée later married Innes Ireland, but I believe she married someone else first.

[Barry Boor]

So once again the much-maligned plot of 'Grand Prix' proves to be less fanciful than many would have us believe.

[Sharman]

Jean Denton once named Jean Bloxham when married to Roy who choked to death on his chewing gum

[GD66]

.... cue Lonnie Donegan....

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by GD66
.... cue Lonnie Donegan....

That's terrible!!


(but funny!)

[Doug Nye]

Not only terrible - but muddled up. Jean Denton and Jean Bloxam/Salmon are two very different people. Jean Denton was married to Tony Denton, subsequently separated, she became a captain (mistress?) of industry with the Heron Group and a Goverment Minister before her premature death a couple of years back. Jean - widow of Roy - Bloxam (about a foot more petite than the late Jean Denton) married Michael Salmon and they live today in the Channel Islands.

DCN

[RTH]

Originally posted by GD66
.... cue Lonnie Donegan....

[rdmotorsport]

Alas,for some masochistic reason that is beyond me I still do some work when i should just relax and talk about F5000 and other formulaes of days gone by, due to me having too many years on the clock!,anyway my work stills takes me into Europe (I feel England is not really a part of europe but just a superior country that assists when attacked by Germans,Russians anybodies etc.)but whilst in Stuggart I browsed a mens outfitters whose window display was wonderful framed photgraphs of the widows of racing drivers, Bette Hill,Nina Rindt,Barboro Peterson even Sally Hunt to name a few which I thought strange so curiosity caught me and beckoned me inside,minst you on behalf of the owner of the shop it worked I came out some 400 euros lighter with a new flying jacket,I did question why this photographic window display was about but the mans English went AWOL apart from 400 euros please!

This shop is just off the main street of Stuggart I am curious if anyone else has peered with amazement through its window?

Rodney Dodson.

[Jim Thurman]

Originally posted by fines
Her next husband was also a racer, Dave Champeau, and you guessed it: he died July 1946 in a racing accident!

A bit OT, but since Dave Champeau came up...my father was in attendance at that race

I'd been going to races for over 20 years myself before he ever mentioned it.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by RTH

Bless him, I can hear my dad singing this as we drove back from London down the "old" share lane A2

[Derwent Motorsport]

Didn't Tony Brise's widow race a bit after his death, having married the solicitor who sued the Hills for everything they had?
In Sports 2000?

[RTH]

Janet.

[Sharman]

Doug
I blame my advanced years for my confusion
John

[fines]

Esther Vukovich apparently married Earl Motter in 1958; thankfully she died of a natural cause before her grandson died in another racing accident. Frank Luptow's daughter, Susie, also married a racer, Sheldon Kinser, who died of cancer in 1988. Apparently, she was married again to another racer.

Another one from the tragic category, Van Johnson's wife of barely two years remarried Jackie McLaughlin, who met his fate five years after Van. It is said she married yet another racer after that!

[Barry Boor]

Given the circles within which these ladies lived their lives, it really isn't all that surprising that they married another racer.

Unless their first widowhood caused them to withdraw totally from the scene, as did happen occasionally, it's almost inevitable that they hooked up with another daredevil.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Given the circles within which these ladies lived their lives, it really isn't all that surprising that they married another racer.....

Very much a valid point, Barry...

It makes you wonder where Buford's 'girl at the gate' finished up.

[HistoryFan]

what is known about the widows of the 24 F1 drivers killed during a F1 weekend?

 

Barbro Peterson of course was girlfriend to John Watson, but had depressions after Ronnie's death. She began suicide in 1987.

Nina Rindt married further two times.

Joann Villeneuve was seen on the tracks with Jacques.

Nella Pryce opened a shop together with Janet Brise, the widow of Tony Brise.

Mark Donohues wife was going to court against the tyre supporter.

 

Don't know more about the other F1 widows.

[Jim Thurman]

On a more bizarre note, there's Helene Yockey, who was married to Joe Russo only to see him die in a racing accident within six months, in June 1934. She then married Billy Winn, who died after two and a half years of marriage in another racing accident, August 1938. Her next husband was also a racer, Dave Champeau, and you guessed it: he died July 1946 in a racing accident!

 

Glad this thread emerged from the mists of time. While that story made it to print, it turns out to be incorrect. Helene Yockey was widowed twice (Joe Russo, Billy Winn), but she did not marry Dave Champeau. Mary Otto, who was Champeau's widow, later married another driver that survived his career, "Bullet" Joe Garson.

[raceannouncer2003]

what is known about the widows of the 24 F1 drivers killed during a F1 weekend?

 

Joann Villeneuve was seen on the tracks with Jacques.

 

 

As posted on another thread:

 

"My brother Vic and I went to Mosport for the Historic races last year.  First time I had been there.  Joann was present.  Here is a link to an article:

 

https://www.wheels.c...-formula-1-car/

 

Vince H.

Edited by raceannouncer2003, 05 June 2018 - 05:57.

[FLB]

Joann will be in Montréal this week. There are celebrations scheduled for the 40th anniversary of Gilles's first win.

[Michael Ferner]

Glad this thread emerged from the mists of time. While that story made it to print, it turns out to be incorrect. Helene Yockey was widowed twice (Joe Russo, Billy Winn), but she did not marry Dave Champeau. Mary Otto, who was Champeau's widow, later married another driver that survived his career, "Bullet" Joe Garson.

Yep. Debunked quite some time ago. Unreliable poster, this fines guy.

[RS250]

Didn't John Watson also have a relationship with Nina Rindt?
I hadn't heard the solicitor story but I think Tony Brise widow Janet later married ex hillclimber and historic racer John Hunt.