Heroes…
In timely fashion, amid these days of motor sport’s scandal and turmoil, one of my colleagues sent through a request from his editor for ‘top ten heroes’ to have graced the cockpit of a competition car. It’s always good to remember how there are always more heroes than villains at the heart of our passion for racing.
There will be a Top 100 heroes published in Motorsport News at Christmas time. Here are my ten submissions, based not only on their achievements but to what they’ve given the sport and my passion for it. After all, as has been proven, many people can win races, it’s how they do it that counts.
So here are my ten – have a think about yours and let the debate begin!
The greatest virtuoso of all? Most likely. Name any branch of the top-line sport and he excelled in it. If you want to define ‘cool’ then there is little to compare with Moss in a powder blue shirt flinging a Maserati round Monaco or a Vanwall through the narrow streets around Pescara. The cars he drove carry with them their own aura – whether a Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lotus or Ferrari – but their lustre was so often enriched by ‘the boy’.
2 Gilles Villeneuve
These days drivers do their utmost to avoid any thought of the people in the grandstands but Gilles was a fan and with that in mind he played to the crowd. It didn’t matter how many races went un-won because of his all-or-nothing style: here was a man so in love with the sport that he seduced millions.
For me the stand-out moment came while standing at Maggotts-Becketts in 1992 watching him attempt to qualify the repellent Ferrari F92A for the British Grand Prix. The car was trying so hard to harm him that he might as well have had a live cougar in the cockpit, but the commitment was absolute, the car control amazing and the bravado captivating.
Cleland was twice a British touring car champion on the track – and the man who took the series to the man on the street. Ever-ready with a quip, often at the expense of his rivals, yet equally someone who genuinely cared about the sport and those involved in making it happen.
Britain had only the ghost of Dick Seaman and silent movie reels of Sunbeams and Bentleys to call upon when Hawthorn arrived. When he left it was as Formula One world champion, with Vanwall as constructors’ champion. The huge grin, bow tie and the stories of havoc he would wreak in the pursuit of fun, remind us that if you’re going to do something – you should have a bloody good laugh while doing it.
In 1983 Eau Rouge was bumpy, sharp and dangerous – and Rosberg alone took it flat. Then there was that 160mph lap of Silverstone, which I witnessed as he flew over the Woodcote chicane, and followed up with astonishment of 1500bhp powerslides down Paddock Hill at Brands Hatch. In a word: fever.
During WW2, Hamilton flew a Supermarine Seafire which was bright blue with a lightning flash down the side. In peacetime the thunderbolts were all Hamilton’s own work, not least drowning hissorrows after being excluded from the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours, then getting reinstated and having to regularly pit for brandy to stop the hangover putting him out of the race… which he famously won.
8 Stefan Bellof
On paper the Group C formula for sports car racing was an economy marathon for races of between 6 and 24 hours. But then came Bellof, and suddenly there were fireworks, the dull drone of a Porsche 956 became more urgent – and inspired others to follow his loony lead
9 Peter Collins
The pin-up boy of 1950s British motor sport was the sort of bloke who would be captain of the football team, pinch your girlfriend and copy your homework. In days when Enzo Ferrari treated most drivers like cattle, he was so overwhelmed by the talent and charm of Collins that he gave him a home at Maranello.
A lot of this vote is down to Stucki’s enduring commitment to the sport. On almost any given weekend you can guarantee he is racing somewhere, and loving it. From reaching Grand Prix status to living legend in sports cars he’s done it all, done it better than most – and much more fun.
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Tags: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Drivers, Formula 1, Le Mans, Sports Cars, Touring Cars
So many great drivers in this list. For me Stuck is just a superstar, and so underrated, but has anyone had so much fun racing a car? He reminds me a bit of Peter Brock actually. He seems to understand that its a privilege to jump into someone elses expensive machine and thrash the pants off it. Many people would give their right arms for that kind of life and Stuck respects the fans by enjoying himself. Compare this attitude to many of todays drivers…….Hero indeed.
john cleland has been over here for a few Bathurst races and was always a great character.
I was a Prost fan. He was the complete driver. Silky smooth, calm and quick
A.J. Foyt. He could drive anything, any where and win. He made it through the rough and tumble days of USAC and NASCAR and lived to tell about it! I think he was the most versatile driver ever!
Couldn’t help but put my oar in! Very hard to put in the right order cos Murray Walker is not cooler than Peter Brock – they’re both as cool as it’s possible to be – in different ways.
1. Barry Sheene – Double 500cc world champion and woman magnet.
2. Henri Toivonen – Late great flying Finn cut down in his prime.
3. Murray Walker – The voice. Full stop.
4. Dieter Quester – Multiple touring car champion in 70s. Still racing and winning!
5. Roy Lane – Multiple British Hillclimb champion and a man I grew up watching
6. Nigel Mansell – British F1 hero and drama queen. Love him or loathe him.
7. Peter Brock – Nine-time Bathurst winner and Aussie tin-top legend.
8. Derek Bell – Sportscar legend and five-time Le Mans winner.
9. Dave Thorpe – Multiple 500cc motocross world champion on a red Honda CR500.
10. Eddy LeJeune – Multiple world trials champion. Used to dominate the TV show ‘Kick Start’ when I was a kid.
Ok can’t help it either, here are my 10 including bike guys. No particular order.
1. Jean Alesi – Big Balls, funny grip on the steering wheel.
2. Ari Vatanen – All out sideways attack
3. Jeff Ward – Rode a Kawasaki in all white gear and won everything
4. Allan Moffat – The underdog against Brocks winning ways.
5. Alain Prost – Always a chance no matter where he started. Understood the car.
6. Stephen Gall – Most professional Aussie MXer ever. Elbow up!
7. Jeff Leisk – Took on the Euros and Yanks at MX/SX and did us proud.
8. Mario Andretti – Fastest racing name ever.
9. Wayne Gardner – Sideways action on a 500cc two stroke.
10. Barry Sheene – Not backwards in coming forward.
Regarding Duncan Hamilton, I have read on two occasions that neither he nor Tony Rolt were drunk/hung-over during the 1953 race. Alan Henry, writing Tony Rolt’s obituary in the Guardian records; “On both these occasions he shared the driving with his good friend Duncan Hamilton, but was frustrated by a tale relating to their 1953 victory which passed into motor racing legend. The story went that the Rolt/Hamilton Jaguar was to be excluded from the race due to a practice infringement, and its two drivers thus drank the night away to drown their sorrows. The following day they were reinstated, and therefore started their 24-hour marathon seriously hung over. According to Rolt, this was total fiction, and he remained unhappy for the rest of his life if he ever heard the story repeated.”
Kindest regards
Michael.
Hi Michael,
I had the great pleasure of interviewing Tony Rolt prior to the launch of Ford’s Jaguar-branded F1 team in 2000. While he was keen to point out that a degree of licence had gone with the story, and certainly that he (or indeed few others) were in the same league of drinkers as Hamilton, he did concede that there was no smoke without fire!
NickG – I will mull over your comment over a glass of the Xmas spirit (gin and tonic, to be precise).
And, while I am writing, I sent through to the site editor a satyrical piece about the effects of economic pressure and how racing teams can deal with them.
Any news, Editor, Sir?
Michael.
Ok Michael, I promise within 48 hours your story will be live. Rich
How on earth does Sir Jack Brabham not get a mention?
Who would be in your top 10 Leon?
Great choice Nick, my top ten wouldn’t be much different. I’d have to add Ronnie Peterson and Tom Pryce, but that would mean dropping two of yours – which would be very difficult.