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Post by René on May 26, 2019 11:00:55 GMT
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Post by mikael on May 26, 2019 11:59:21 GMT
I still recall such images when closing my eyes and think back, now more than forty years, of Lauda "shadowing" Andretti, lap after lap, at Anderstorp, Sweden, in 1978. Later Lauda said he could have passed Andretti anywhere on the track, due to the superiority of the fan car - so I've read. Nonetheless, it was very wise driving to stay behind, as he did, and wait until Andretti made a small mistake or - as it happened - ran into problems.
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Post by chrisb on May 26, 2019 12:15:36 GMT
gosh what superb photos chaps, many thanks, I do like the one with Ronnie on the pushbike - really sad, they had such fun but at a deadful cost
I remember that GP so well Mikael, screaming foul at Niki beating my beloved Loti and again at the blocking tactics of a young Riccardo again my hero Ronnie - isn't it funny how Patrese went from zero to eventual hero, and has become one of the nicest blokes to have ever graced the paddock,
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Post by charleselan on May 26, 2019 17:22:05 GMT
Great picture of Niki on the Z900 Kawasaki, a beautiful late 70's period motorcycle and now rapidly becoming a collectors piece, am sorely tempted to sell my BMW to buy one myself, well restored of course. What can one say about the Brabham BT46 "Fan Car", absolute brilliance by Gordon Murray with not a small amount of influence from Jim Hall  . In Gordon's MS Podcast he mentioned how Niki grasped the concept of the "FanCar" very quickly and adapted his driving to get the most out of the car as it required a somewhat alien style to normal race car driving. My memories of that race are very clear as it coincided with one of my best mates wedding down in Wiltshire. We were watching in his small farm cottage at the time before setting off to the church, luckily the race finished just before we needed to depart. All viewed on a small black & white set with chaos all around. |
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Post by mikael on May 30, 2019 10:09:09 GMT
   "Super Rat" ! (Note the sticker on the helmet visor in the first and second picture). Always with a healthy dose of self-irony :-) Interestingly, it's "taped over" in the third photo. Wonder if it annoyed someone? |
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Post by robmarsh on May 30, 2019 18:14:03 GMT
Hi Michael re Super Rat. Niki only wore that on his helmet from the 1977 Swedish GP. Your third pic shows the 1975 Ferrari and what you thought was tape is actually part of the logo.
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Post by chrisb on May 30, 2019 21:39:24 GMT
that is some knowledge Rob, my respects to one and all
JC, there was one for sale in an auction - immaculate condition sold for £14,500 - no wonder these new retro bikes sell so well,
In this months MotorSport there is a double page spread on our Niki, feels a bit rushed but respectful nonetheless, hopefully they will do another piece next month
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Post by charleselan on May 31, 2019 14:14:16 GMT
that is some knowledge Rob, my respects to one and all JC, there was one for sale in an auction - immaculate condition sold for £14,500 - no wonder these new retro bikes sell so well, In this months MotorSport there is a double page spread on our Niki, feels a bit rushed but respectful nonetheless, hopefully they will do another piece next month Goodness Chris, that was a lot higher than I would have expected, but I haven't been keeping an eye on prices recently. However it will never loose money, so would be a sound investment and not money down the drain if one bought something current. I just hate to think what Honda RC30 or RC45 or a BSA Goldstar would be priced at right now, three more that i would desire in my garage. |
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Post by mikael on Jun 1, 2019 13:04:23 GMT
Hi Michael re Super Rat. Niki only wore that on his helmet from the 1977 Swedish GP. Your third pic shows the 1975 Ferrari and what you thought was tape is actually part of the logo.
Thank you Rob.
It's nice - and impressive - that you actually remembered those helmet stickers. I only became aware of it because it was mentioned in a portrait on the site of a Danish newspaper just the other day. I don't think I ever noticed it back then (in spite of having read motor sport magazines in abundance ); if I ever did notice it I had forgotten everything about it.
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Post by robmarsh on Jun 1, 2019 17:57:12 GMT
Hi Mikael, Niki was such a hero of mine and motor racing material very rare that I looked at everything when I got my hands on it. I remembered the Super Rat sticker because I thought it showed how little Niki worried about things that other people might agonise over. He had things in perspective.
Although I remembered that it was in 1977 I had to check in Autocourse, which in those days reprinted the race reports verbatim from Autosport magazine, to see exactly when.
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Post by charleselan on Jun 1, 2019 18:46:13 GMT
It's almost funny how we have become so PC these days. Back in the 1970's nicknames like the one foisted upon Niki of "The Rat" were the norm. I believe he gained it when driving for March and as a result of his rather prominent front teeth. Strange that quite a few drivers of that team also had nicknames during the 70's like Panda; Stuckie; Rupe; Beppe; Monza Gorilla and even Super Swede, although I think the latter two were named elsewhere.
Edit.
I have just remembered one of the most notable "Jumper" Jarier, can't think how I forgot that one.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 2, 2019 8:38:28 GMT
but in those days JC racing was dangerous and sex was safe, and now....
who was Panda and Rupe? I am trying to remember why Jarier was so named, not forgeting Emmo of course,
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Post by charleselan on Jun 2, 2019 11:03:16 GMT
but in those days JC racing was dangerous and sex was safe, and now.... who was Panda and Rupe? I am trying to remember why Jarier was so named, not forgeting Emmo of course, I am not certain that sex ever was safe Chris  .
Panda was the nickname for Bruno Giacomelli; Jack O'Malley was a journalistic imposition. Rupe was Rupert Keegan from his days in the works March F3 team, and JPJ inherited the Jumper title from being French and their assumed national delicacy.
Emmo of course and we must not forget "Dinger" Bell. |
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Post by René on May 20, 2020 19:31:05 GMT
It's a year already since Niki passed away. Here's the official F1 tribute to the great Austrian. Some really cool footage so worthwhile watching.
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Post by Carl on May 20, 2020 21:00:14 GMT
It's a year already since Niki passed away. Here's the official F1 tribute to the great Austrian. Some really cool footage so worthwhile watching. A great driver is an obsessed driver I was at Mosport for the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, and Lauda led at the beginning for many laps on a wet track. Most people assumed his Firestone wets allowed a rookie driver more grip and few realized the full extent of his advantage. |
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. In Gordon's MS Podcast he mentioned how Niki grasped the concept of the "FanCar" very quickly and adapted his driving to get the most out of the car as it required a somewhat alien style to normal race car driving.
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