If you could win only one race...

Hypothetically, let's say for one day you could be a driver/rider in any race series you wish. The racing gods would look favorably on you for that day and you would win. After that, despite all efforts, you would never win again.

If you would win any race, and only that race, what would it be and why?
Just to name a few that some might choose:
Indy 500
Monaco GP
Daytona 500
Daytona 200
Isle of Man Senior TT
24 Hours of LeMans

Look forward to your responses.

 

Good question.

For me it would be the Gran Prix of Monaco. What could be better than the views, the history and the whole aura of that venue ?

LeMans is a close second

 

Cool question.

It would be the Monaco Grand Prix, no question.

But just to throw in something different:

The Nuerburgring Grand Prix on the old Norschleife while driving a 1965 GP car.

 

Oliver Panis btw agrees with me and Varenne: Monaco GP

 

The old Nurburgring in a torrential downpour against men like Senna, Zanardi, Moss and Shumacher at their very best would be great. Too bad people have passed too early and tracks have been destroyed.

 

I would be Tazio Nuvolari for a day winning the 1935 German GP at Nurburgring

 

That's a tough one. I'd say

Monaco but only by a hair over LeMans.

 

Brilliant question!

Hmmm, while I understand the selection of Monaco, I though would like to win Monza.

I would like to win it after an intense race long battle and a last lap pass coming out of the parabola and crossing the line 1/2 a car in front ... ofcourse I would be driving a Ferrari.

Over the roar of the engine I would be filled with the screams, joy and tears of the Tifosi ... and it would be just awesome. One of those magical, passionate moments in ones life that you would never forget.

Winning at Monaco would be awesome, but it would lack the passion, the Tifosi, who like you would remember and share that day with you forever!

Pete

 

Spa - after driving my F2005 Flat thru Eau Rouge (having driven through it in a road car, I have a basic inkling of how F***ing scary that might be).

 

Thanks for the responses.

I'd say the Indy 500, even though it has lost a lot its luster in the past decade. You would always be introduced as "...and Indy 500 winner SJB509." It was always the race I would watch as a kid. It was an all day event, I'd set up my electric race track as a big oval. No one else in my family had any interest in it at all.

Close second would be the Daytona 200 on a Ducati or H-D VR1000.

 

Le Mans...

No other word in racing conjours up so much motorsport history.

BHW

 

I would say the original Nurburgring in late 1960's in a 3 litre pre wing F1 car.

 

Indy 500 or Le Mans, both great in different ways.
But the Indy 500 would get you the most reconition in america (where I live )
With non racing type people, and what a great story to tell your grandkids.

 

Let’s face it: Monaco is window dressing when it comes to racing. Sure, it has glamour, but it isn’t race glamour, just lots of beautiful and well dressed (well undressed on the beach?) people, lots and lots of money and no real interest in cars and racing, just posing. Actually after the start there is no race, just a procession until mechanical failures alter the running order. What did Somerset Maughan say about the town? “A sunny place for shady people,” and he should have know, he was one.
Now Le Mans, that takes work. Scrutenering with Machivelli reading the rule book. Qualifying with people all over the road trying to use up a hand grenade motor for pole position and sponsorship glory. Twenty four hours of going from first gear to over 200 m.p.h. lap after lap, dark and light, rain and shine. Slipstreaming, diving down the inside under brakes, nursing the fuel and the gearbox cogs and trying to go faster then the next guy on smoothness alone, because if you really push it the car will bust apart all over the road. A full moon flickering through the trees at over 200 mph, mist in the dips during the dawn (does one hide a parked car?) so that you dive down into fog and pop clear in less than a second. It is such a slog, it’s a real race.
For automotive and flight history it knocks Monaco sideways. Gordon Bennett and the 1903 cup to the first winner. Five years later, in ’08, Wilbur Wright set up camp there and to the amazement of Europe he assembles his motor, his aeroplane and then one clear morning climbs in and does a figure of eight over the edge of the town. Archdeacon and Bleriot, cynically watching from a distance, suddenly find themselves with their mouths open, agog that this man in a suit, this nothing from nowhere, this Bishop’s son that won’t work on a Sunday is suddenly flying in circles over their country.
I’ve raced at both, and at Monza, so for my ten cents Le Mans is the business. That’s the race I would have liked to have won outright.

 

Mark, each is entitled to his opinion and I accept that, but I just wanted to comment on why I would disagree with your statements:

Driving a 1000 hp monster on relatively rough street roads through the VERY narrow streets of Monaco AT THE LIMIT and not knocking anywhere for almost 2 hours is the ultimate in talent, focus and precision.

People underestimate street races. True passing is very limited and once you're in front you almost have it in the bag. Well almost. Senna had it and with a few laps to go lost concentration, hit the barriers and game over. In a road course he would have spun at the most, if at all and just continued on. Street races are unforgiving and that's precisely why only the best win Monaco with a few exceptions where the race went helter skelter.

And here is why I have second thoughts about Le Mans: First off it is a team effort with your other driver. So if I had Schumacher and Andretti in my team and they'd let me drive the last lap even I'd probably win after they gave our car a half hour lead. So what does that say about one particular driver? Furthermore Le Mans of today is not the Le Mans of the past. I grew increasingly disgusted with the schemes the governing body is playing to make somebody else win. I've seen it all: Porsche dominance, Audi dominance etc etc. Which is probably why I would think most people are hardpressed to even come up with the names of the winning drivers of Le Mans of the last few years. Anybody, Buehler?

 

It depends whether you want to win this race so everybody thinks you are a hero, or whether you gain some personal satisfaction from the feat.

I think all that have answered this excellent post with Le Mans, are thinking of the average Joe Blobs knowing the (er, used to be) significance of Le Mans. And that is fair enough.

I choose Monza because, while not as challenging as Monaco, you would really be a WINNER there as that is where the motorsport passion lives.

Pete

 

1) LM
2) Monaco
3) <flame suit on> Daytona 500

 

Daytona 500 all the way. An american answer from a guy who lives in the south.

 

Winning a F1 race at Spa in modern machinery. It's very much a driver's track. Lots of great one's though. Monaco would be unreal.

 

For a sense that you had risked your life, beaten the odds, and wrung out the last bit of speed from your car over every inch of the course, it would be hard to beat winning the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in one of those mega-powerful monster machines like the Audi Turbo Quattro.

 

If I had the opportunity to win only one race, it would be one that's not on your list - Dakar Rally.

Obviously since my vehicle would not be a Ferrari, I would have a difficult choice whether I would want to win on a motorcycle or in a big truck.

The Dakar Rally is a true test of human sporting adventure, intelligence, courage and endurance, not to mention the beautiful scenery and whatever mother nature casts your way. This is a place for amateurs as well as professionals.

2005 Dakar commences on 31 December 2004 and continues thru 31 January. Start is in Barcelona with 230 motorcycles, 165 cars and 70 trucks. Now that's a race.

My second choice would be the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I would discount oval racing as it's not my "cup of tea."

Carol

 

Great Question!!

I agree about being Nuvolari in the 1935 German GP. That was a huge and significant win. However I take the question to mean that I am allowed to win one race in 2005. Which race would I choose?

I see this as the chance to add my name to a list of winners of a particular race. The list I would most like to see my name on is the list of Monaco winners. It is a race with a huge history and the past winners were nearly always the best of the best. I completely agree about the allure and magic of Le Mans, but I'd rather win my race solo! Now if I'm allowed to single-handedly win Le Mans I'll take that as that would be a truely remarkable feat!! Is it allowed in the rules, and has anyone ever tried?

 

I'm not sure, but I vaguely remember reading something, that it was possible in the past (as in before the big accident in the fifties). Actually the French guy who was "involved" in that accident (he was about to be lapped by one of the cars) used to drive Le Mans solo. If nothing else he did drive for an ungodly amount of time behind the wheel. But maybe I remember incorrectly.

 

Good pick. An Audi Turbo Quattro or better yet a Renault 5 Turbo and then go on to win the Ralley Monte Carlo on ice and snow!

I also liked the comment about Paris - Dakar. Especially for the motorbyke guys the ultimate test.

 

if i could only choose one, then it would have to be monaco (guess panis got this one right).
would love to win le mans. would love to win indy. but monaco is the jewel in the crown of f1, and f1 is the highest form of racing.