Jackie Stewart bio show on Speed....

Almost makes you think Jackie Stewart was the best F1 driver ever.
I had seen that documentry but some time ago.
One of the pioneers in saftey in F1 cars.
The cars back in those days if you crashed like Cevert did you died.
Jackie felt that race track design was so poor that if you ran off the track during a crash something else would get you so he was instumental in making sure tracks became safer with sufficent run off and saftey barriers.
Its seems that there are alot more bad crashes in Cart and IRL than in F1
look at Kenny Brack ,Greg Moore, Alex Zenadi to mention a few.
The drivers in F1 today drive cars that every single component is on the cutting edge of technoligy with no shortage of cash spared I wonder what a 70s GP driver would say today if he was able to take a 2004 F1 car for a few hot Laps?
Jackie Stwert gets my vote.

 

That biopic is an awesome show. The first time it was on was a Sunday night and I stayed up until 1am watching it, knowing I'd be dead tired at work the next day but unable to turn it off! I remember reading a book in grade school (late 70s) about F1, and they covered the Cevert accident. Apparently he was decapitated in the crash, and hearing the first-hand accounts from Stewart, "He was so obviously dead", makes it so much more gruesome. I believe if Cevert's brief career and death happened a few years later, he'd have left a much bigger legacy than he did, perhaps rivaling Villeneuve.

One more thing about the Stewart saga: I couldn't help but feel while watching it that his story could make an incredible motion picture. It has everything in it that one normally finds only in fiction. Coming from modest means, following his big brother into racing he finds success. Nearly dies in a crash, ambulance gets lost en route to the hospital. He begins taping a wrench to his steering column in case of getting trapped in a wreck again. Champions the cause of racetrack and driver safety. Teams up with the fatherly figure Ken Tyrrell who starts building his cars in a barn! Then the whole Cevert era! I mean, come on! His life was like a composite of several individuals! Oh yeah. Then he starts his own F1 team with his son, slowly progressing until their first victory. Son successfully battles cancer!

 

I have enormous respect for Stewart. He is a very clever man that has done more in his life so far than 1000 people put together ... and he could race when he had too.

My father has a book by him (or ghost written ... ?) and it is about driving techniques and how to approach motor racing, and as a youngster I read it over and over and really do agree with his approach. This book also highlights why he really is one of the top F1 drivers ever.

Pete

 

Gillies.
Motion Picture material for sure.
When Jackie and Ken were sitting in the Barn remernising it takes you back and makes you think those were the days.
My brother in law drove Jackie and his son around in 98-99 when Jackie run the GP,S in Australia with Magnussen and then Johhny Herbert teamed up with Rubens when Jan was let go to drive in 99.

I had a real special moment talking with Jackie in 2001 standing at the Podium at the 24hr at Daytona talking about the races in Australia
At this time I had not seen this biopic but when I did I realized what a special moment that was for me .
Guys if you have a special moment in your life that when you looked back at in Motorsports we would enjoy hearing about it.
Wayne Hynes.

 

I crossed paths with him in Montreal, the year of his 60th birthday (99?). Anyway, my friends and I went out for a steak to this cool old place (Gibbies) and were sitting out in the courtyard waiting for our table. JS and his entire group of a dozen or so came in and sat right next to us. Once inside, they came in and were again seated next to us. Out of respect we never interrupted him. Rather, we initiated a group rendition of "Happy Birthday". The whole restaurant sang along and he seemed to enjoy it. I believe the next day he announced he sold to Ford/Jag.