So nows your chance to speak up. Who's your racing hero? Mine is either Carroll Shelby or Mario Andretti.

Well, I should say airton senna. But nowadays im looking towards Fernando Alonso. He must be third in this years F1 competition !! :P (Notice that I dont say first because of the 2 ferraris, but that third position would be like first position for me)

Carroll Shelby.
A great racer, a great car builder.
I've never read or heard anyone say anything bad about him.

Ayrton Senna he was the greatest driver F1 ever had

Carlos Sainz, the best WRC driver of all time... well till I come along that is hehe :D

Hahaha yeah Carlos Sainz is awesome and has the best quote ever:
"Yes I said I would retire this year but I'm not a pollitician so I don't have to keep my promises"

Hahaha yeah Carlos Sainz is awesome and has the best quote ever:
"Yes I said I would retire this year but I'm not a pollitician so I don't have to keep my promises"

Hahahaha, that man...
But Carlos Sainz were not so luky, always having problems with the car a few miles from the finish line beeing first, or hitting an animal with his car...

my racing hero was Mika Hakkinen, too bad he doesn't race anymore, would like to see him back in action.

When you speak of racing heroes, the race drivers from the 30's till 50- 60's, and the Group B rally drivers. That were heroes, or just completely crazy... People like Ascari, Nuvolari, Fangio, and the rally drivers Vatanen, Rörhl, etc. etc. That were true heroes.:cool:

I have to say Kevin Schwantz :) he is a former GP500 rider

Ayrton Senna. He was the greatest ever. He drove with such flair and passion. He was also good competition for Schumacher and if still alive, i believe he would've had more championships then Schumi.

My hero is probably Jackie Stewart. He's a great man and a real gentleman. He brought a certian style to racing. He's a real success story. I also admire Nikki Lauda and Gilles Villinueve (dont know if i spelled that right). They were both Ferrari's "perfect driver" until their racing careers were cut short. Very brave men. I'd like to say that I admire Enzo Ferrari, but he wasn't really that great as a racing driver.

One of my other favorites would have to be Icyx, long concentration span

WELL as sold out as this is..... im an Earndhart senior fan. the worst part is im not a HUGE NASCAR fan. BUT.... he was down. he didnt play. he was like "look.. you get in my way when u know im faster, ill put u in the wall for your disrespect. You lose respect for me by stayin in front of me bumper to bumper??? i put you into a wall. ive always been an agressive competitor and thats why i dig "The Intimidator"!!! RIP Senior

One of my other favorites would have to be Icyx, long concentration span

I forgot to mention him. He's amazing. Plus, he drove for porsche, so he must be awesome.

And Dale Earnhart wasn't really like that. That was all an image.

Well he didnt put many people into the wall but oh yes he was extremely agressive as a driver and he did put some people into wall on purpose. he would bump the hell out of people who wouldnt let him pass. thats common nascar courtesy. if your car is slower dont block the one coming up on your butt off. thats common racing courtesy most anywhere. it was not all image it was the way he raced. i watched so many commentaries on him during his career. people he raced said they got nervous driving around him because they knew he meant business. my best friend is a nascar junkie. hes got literally thousands of dollars in collectibles. i live in dallas tx, close to Texas motor speedway, go there all the time for races... he was like that. you dont get an image like that unless you do something to earn it. especially in something like racing. it may have been beefed up some but it was still him

I'll go for Ron Fellows, what can I say, I'm a C5R nut

BUT.... he was down. he didnt play. he was like "look.. you get in my way when u know im faster, ill put u in the wall for your disrespect.

Yah because thats all NASCAR drivers do....If Joe and Bob are fighting for first place, and joe is int eh lead, Bob isn't going to use pure speed he is just gonna put his nose into joes re-end and force joe either to move up the track or crash into the wall at 200 mp/h.

NASCAR isn't racing it is bumper cars at 200 mp/h...

Favorite racer: Paul Tracy..only good Canadian Driver I care about

Aryton Senna was a really good driver. And I would also love to see him race Michael Shumachaer. But when I think of Senna, I think of Gilles Villinuve (cant spell). He died that same weekend, but in qualfying. And I dont know if any one had heard but Senna had put Gilles home country flag in his car so if he won he could pay his respects to him. I think that is one of the most respectful thing to do in a time like that.

Yah because thats all NASCAR drivers do....If Joe and Bob are fighting for first place, and joe is int eh lead, Bob isn't going to use pure speed he is just gonna put his nose into joes re-end and force joe either to move up the track or crash into the wall at 200 mp/h.

NASCAR isn't racing it is bumper cars at 200 mp/h...

Favorite racer: Paul Tracy..only good Canadian Driver I care about

Clearly youve never heard of short tracks like bristol or road courses like watkins glen. and if im correct CART/formula1 or whatever you want to call it races ovals as well just not as often. there was once a TV show where jeff gordon got behind the wheel of andrettis F1 and andretti got in gordons nascar. they drove a lap in race tune. naturally neither one was as good at the others sport but both of them gained immense respect for each other by doing so. i recall that after 1 lap in the nascar andretti had already rubbed the tires to the wire. a nascar driver can manage those tires for 50 laps!!! at the same time a CART/F1 racer can run a lighter insanely well handling car in a way that a nascar driver couldnt.

Aryton Senna was a really good driver. And I would also love to see him race Michael Shumachaer. But when I think of Senna, I think of Gilles Villinuve (cant spell). He died that same weekend, but in qualfying. And I dont know if any one had heard but Senna had put Gilles home country flag in his car so if he won he could pay his respects to him. I think that is one of the most respectful thing to do in a time like that.

You're quite wrong there. When Gilles Villeneuve died in 1982 during the qualifying for the Belgium Grand Prix at Zolder, Ayrton wasn't even racing in F1. Senna started his F1-career in 1984 in a Toleman.
But you were right about the fact that somebody died in the qualfying before Senna's fatal race at Imola. That was Roland Ratzenberger, rookie in the F1.

You also forgot to add that Senna used to race against Schumacher. but he was a rookie back then and i believe he was with Jordan.

Man, that one weekend at imola was probably the darkest in F1 history.

You also forgot to add that Senna used to race against Schumacher. but he was a rookie back then and i believe he was with Jordan.

Schumacher only raced one race for Jordan, that was his first race. After that race he went to Bennetton. I'd have liked to see a true battle between Senna and Schumacher for the championship. I wonder who would win.

Man, that one weekend at imola was probably the darkest in F1 history.

Indeed, first on friday that HUGE crash from Barrichello, then Ratzenberger, and on sunday Senna. Horrible weekend

You're quite wrong there. When Gilles Villeneuve died in 1982 during the qualifying for the Belgium Grand Prix at Zolder, Ayrton wasn't even racing in F1. Senna started his F1-career in 1984 in a Toleman.
But you were right about the fact that somebody died in the qualfying before Senna's fatal race at Imola. That was Roland Ratzenberger, rookie in the F1.

Thanks for clearing that up, imola was a dark, dark weekend for the whole F1 community. I bet it still looms in people's minds. Them just thinking that what if Senna still lived....

Clearly youve never heard of short tracks like bristol or road courses like watkins glen. and if im correct CART/formula1 or whatever you want to call it races ovals as well just not as often. there was once a TV show where jeff gordon got behind the wheel of andrettis F1 and andretti got in gordons nascar. they drove a lap in race tune. naturally neither one was as good at the others sport but both of them gained immense respect for each other by doing so. i recall that after 1 lap in the nascar andretti had already rubbed the tires to the wire. a nascar driver can manage those tires for 50 laps!!! at the same time a CART/F1 racer can run a lighter insanely well handling car in a way that a nascar driver couldnt.

What does this have to do with NASCAR and bumper cars...yah ok so cart runs on ovals, they don't put someone into the wall at 200 mp/h there cars don't have a bent in right front fender after every race...there cars are wrecked on there own stupid behalf..im not saying NASCAR is stupid, i watch when nothing else is on, I would just rather watch bumper cars on t.v

I also saw the Jeff Gordon race the F1 car....Wasn't he in a Williams? But anyway showing that some F1 driver can't drive a NASCAR doesn't show anything....NASCAR isn't driving its just presing the gas pedal and turing a wheel....I could drive a NASCAR....Hell a monkey could

Thanks for clearing that up
No prob dude;)

I also saw the Jeff Gordon race the F1 car....Wasn't he in a Williams?

you are correct. It was Juan Pablo Montoya's F1 car, he actually handled the clutch system (launch system) really well and ran i think only a couple of seconds off Michael Shumachers pole time the year before that in Indianapolis.

Lots of great candidates, both new and old. Some comments:

Jackie Stewart won 3 championships in 3 different constructors' cars in non-consecutive years. He was super smooth; a master at saving tires (and cars).

Jimmy Clark, who always finished a race with all 4 tires worn exactly the same amount, was believed to have been the only driver to memorize the Nurburgring; meaning he knew the exact braking point and speed for all 170-odd corners. (Hans Stuck Jr. might disagree.) This was at a time when there was no downforce, and Gran Prix cars went airborne 30 times/lap.

Niki Lauda's career was hardly cut short. In '76 he returned to the driver's seat six weeks after the horrifying crash and disfiguring fire at Nurburgring and came to the Japan GP finale with a 3 point lead but retired after 3 laps in torrential rain, saying, "Some things are more important than winning." Lauda was never considered to be the best or most talented in his day; just the hardest worker(testing!).

My all-time racing hero is A.J. Foyt Jr. The man would race anything, anytime, anywhere. The first 4-time winner of the Indy 500 used to calm his nerves the night before by blowing off the locals in sprint car races. During his 35 year Indy Car career (67 wins/7 Championships), he found time to win the '67 LeMans 24, the '72 Daytona 500, the Daytona 24 in '83 (fastest laps night/rain at age 48) & '85, and the '85 Sebring 12. He won the IROC series in '76 & '77. He set the absolute world closed course speed record at 257 in 1987.*

*I thought this record had been eclipsed, but hours of googling have failed to confirm it.

And there is a fact that he died the day before Senna in the same curbe.
My best race hero?
Except Michael Schumacher(thats kinda obvious :) )
I like Valentino Rossi,IMO one of the best bike riders.
I like Fabrizio Giovanardi very much and Gabriel Tarquini too.They drive for Alfa Romeo at WTCC.
I loved to see Jean Alesi racing at F1.
Now he races at DTM and he is still good.
All of them are good.My hero is Michael Schumacher.
If we leave his racing spirit, my personal best for him is that he reborn Ferrari after 17-18 years of sleep.

Rossi all day, all night

Sir Jack Bratham early aussie F1 driver otherwise another one would be Possum bourne bloody good rally driver untill he was killed in a nasty street accedent

When did Sir Jack die?

What does this have to do with NASCAR and bumper cars...yah ok so cart runs on ovals, they don't put someone into the wall at 200 mp/h there cars don't have a bent in right front fender after every race...there cars are wrecked on there own stupid behalf..im not saying NASCAR is stupid, i watch when nothing else is on, I would just rather watch bumper cars on t.v

I also saw the Jeff Gordon race the F1 car....Wasn't he in a Williams? But anyway showing that some F1 driver can't drive a NASCAR doesn't show anything....NASCAR isn't driving its just presing the gas pedal and turing a wheel....I could drive a NASCAR....Hell a monkey could

youve once again restated your lack of understanding for NASCAR. youve got to manage fuel, manage tires, manage engine heats, know your car just as well as the pit crew so when adjustments need to be made, you know what needs to be done. they run 2 and 300 mile races.and once again i repeat they do race road courses. not to mention, the ONLY flat-out pedal pusher that is in nascar is talledega and its been around forever. nascar isnt even my favorite racing sport and clearly i know more about it than you... sure f1 is straining... but so is NASCAR. the drivers can lose 10lbs in a race. Nascar is more RAW than other races. more old-school. and as far as shoving and what not, think of it like our football vs. europes. we just arent afraid of beein a little bruised up after an event.

lol, digging... :|, well I don't really have a 'racing hero' but Rossi is cool... and good

one of my favourite racing drivers at the moment would be jensen button because he is very friendly and he never insults anyone racing against him. if someone said to him the driver hitted you intentionally he would say something like that is his driving style. or something like that.;)

mario andretti by far!

Jack brabham, not because he was a driver, more that he brought interesting and revoutional aspects to F1, for those days

I'm surprised nobody has said Phil Hill. I could be wrong but isn't he the only F1 champion that was American? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Keep this thread alive, folks. There are lots of heroes in racing history.

Despite the picture the press paints about America regarding racism and regional animosity ("them wuz OUR damnyankees wut died on 9/11!"), most of us aren't real picky about country of origin. We came from everywhere.

F1 champion Mario Andretti is an American. He has listed his "hometown" as Bethlehem PA always. Too bad son Michael didn't go to the drags instead of a kart track more often; maybe he wouldn't have been booted out of F1 for his lousy starting performance.

Phil Hill was indeed the first American GP champion.

Dan Gurney won the only GP race in a car entirely built by Porsche. He was also the only American to race in GP in a car entirely American built. Much later he built the dominating IMSA GTP Toyotas. The technology derived from those cars blew Audi off the Pike's Peak record books.

Michael Scumacher, Nigel Mansell, Alan Prost and some others, probably were great racers in F1 such as Ayrton Senna, but the brazilian was like a super hero in the races always winning whit the worst car. No one other was that good.

I’m proud to be a brazilian like Ayrton and have met him.

The late Gilles Villeneuve.... I was in his fan club and in 1980, before the Montreal F1 grand-prix I had the opportunity to have dinner with him. I'll NEVER forget that day. A real fearless racer and a car nut.

^^ That's awesome, really cool!!!

well my Fav is micheal, mick doohan, valentino, mika hakkinen & tommi makkinen. All multiple WORLD CHAMPS .

Micheal Schumacher-7 times,
Mick Doohan-5 times,
Mika Hakkinen-2 times,
Tommi Makkinen-5 times,
Valentino-5 times

I want to take this opportunity to add to my list of racing heros. I'd like to add James Hunt, Alberto Ascari and Damon Hill. They've all lead incredible lives and they've all triumphed over one evil or another. One was an average guy, one was the reckless wild child, and one was the son of a world champion who would fight to prove that he didn't get where he was with his name.

I saw an interview with Hunt the Shunt in his later years concerning some business venture of his. He did not appear stiff and reserved like Michael or Coultard. Rather he was stiff and arrogant like he appeared during his racing career. Unless someone has heard of some freak genetic defect to cause his heart attack at 45, I would suspect he wired himself to death worrying about why he wasn't more popular.

Senna against Schumacher. I guess the germany would have no chances, but it would be a great fight. That's why i think Barrichello is a shame to my country. He acts like a ***** to Schumacher.

http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/senna/1994/williams41.jpeg

Okay, I have to say it just to be an asshole. My race hero is Paul Walker.

Okay, I have to say it just to be an asshole. My race hero is Paul Walker.

No way. He's a n00b. Vin is the man, and we all know it.

No, no, you're all wrong. It's Vin's sister with her Integra, she gave a hell of a ride to Paul Walker...
I guess it gives us a good indication of CKG's behavior when she finally gets her licence.....hahaha!

Keiichi Tsuchiya, Satomi

Paul Newman...The man is some 80 years old *almost* and is still racing.

Maybe it's because I just read the R&T article on him, "Profile's In Speed", but I really admire someone who has that type of passion. And according to him it got him back into acting as well.

Jackie Stewart, Phil Hill, and about everyone else mentioned all the other one's:
Lauda, Nuvolari, etc...Though I'd like to add two more that I *don't* think was mentioned, Hans Stuck and Boris Said. Stuck can run the Nurburgring in the rain at night, fast as hell. While some of you may say that's down to simple memorization, it's the Nordsechleife, not exactly easy to remember. Said can do three seperate races at Laguna Seca and run that 'Ring race almost as fast at Hans...In two weeks.

i think anyone that is a winning driver is going to be someones hero. Even though i base my judgement mostly on that i think people should base it on how much respect the driver has for his sport and for the other drivers compeating against him. Michael Shumacher has been struggling this season but i havent seen him throw a tantrum (if he has i guess i havent been watching too much F1). A racer with those charasteristics could basically start a new revolution/generation of racing, and i hope more of those drivers come around

Takumi Fujiwara, even though hes not real and in the anime Initial D, his personality and abilities make him my hero.

Ghalos has again showed his level of perception and taste.

Paul Newman entered his first sports car race when he was 47. At the age of 50, he qualified for the SCCA Championship Runoffs at Road Atlanta. His #75 Datsun 510 sedan(saloon) was entered by PLN Racing; driver was listed as P.L. Newman. He refused to give autographs. He won SCCA Class Championships in '76, '79, '85, and '86.

Somewhere along the way he figured out that autograph seekers at racetracks actually admired him for his racing.

He was an occasional driver in the professional Trans Am series. He won at Brainerd MN in '82 and at Lime Rock CT in '86. He showed up at a Rd. ATL Trans Am around 1990 in a Tom Gloy Mustang rent-a-racer and qualified 7th. He set fastest lap of the race, but was dnf'ed by another driver's error.

Roush Racing won the GTO class at the Daytona 24 for 9 straight years(1985-1993), but sat out 1994. Paul Newman called Jack Roush weeks before the 1995 race and offered some Paramount Pictures promo money for an entry. The "Nobody's Fool" Roush Mustang with Newman co-driving scored Roush's 10th Daytona GTO win. Newman was days past his 70th birthday.

My all-time favorite racing quote is by Paul Newman:

"Learning to race is to learn about grace."

This is a great story from last fall's Baja 1000: http://www.channel4.com/4car/100-greatest/celebs/paul-newman.html
"[if]I come away from this race with a pulse, that will do just fine", he said before the start. He finished 4th in class, wishing he had gotten to drive more. He was 79.

Ari Vatanen or Tommi Mäkinen

Nuvolari would be high on my list, won the top prizes in cars and bikes.

Paul Tracy of champ car...... he will ram his own teammates off the road to win!!!!

Speed Racer!

Mine is Petter Solberg and Colin McRae.
(Rally car drivers)

Senna, Prost and Mansell would be my all time faves but the man that I believe is a true hero is Alessandro Zanardi.
To see this man on a racing track today, after having lost both legs in that horrific accident, IS the stuff of true heroes.
Seeing the footage of him completing the race in a modified Indycar was one of the bravest things I've ever seen.
Roll on the day when he wins a WTCC race. That'll be something special.

ayrton senna and fernado alonso

I love how Alonso all of the sudden becomes popular. I wonder why.

Ayrton Senna...proved Honda can make a race car.

Ayrton Senna...proved Honda can make a race car.

I think it proved McLaren could make a decent race car. I believe that around that time, McLaren wasn't doing too well by themselves. Then Honda came along, and then Prost signed on, and then Senna. They both were excellent drivers, so I wouldn't pin McLaren Honda's success just on Senna.

Keiichi Tsuchiya!!!!!
Petter Solberg!!!
Michael Schumacher

Not to offend anyone, but what is it with this Senna thing, I mean damnn the guy was awesome, and an excellent driver. But why is it every Brazilian (mainly) always says he would of been the best, he would of haved 1000000000000000000 championships won??? fact is people like it or not Michael killed Senna, I mean how the hell do you enter that curve and all of the sudden say "hmmm i think this car can take it at max speed"??? please the guy was under so much pressure that he just pushed way to far (michaels pressure).

Once again I loved Senna thought he was an awesome driver, i jsut get annoyed at the fact that people only start talking so much after the guy is dead. half the world didnt know the kid exsisted until that sunday.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. Cause he is the man. no one drove a car like him. When he had a good car he was the best driver on the track. Also he is only the second person to win 7 Winston(now Nextel) Cups.

Ron Fellows. Has won in just about everthing he has driven and is the only Canadian (i think) that has ever won a NASCAR points paying race. Busch and Truck none in cup..... yet.

I saw a documentary on the technical analysis of Senna's fatal crash. Overcast skies and cooler than expected air/track temps resulted in not enough heat/tire pressure increase on the warmup lap. The softer tires allowed the car to bottom out, reducing its ground effects era downforce by possibly 2000 lbs at a really bad place.

Senna didn't do anything wrong. He was a great driver. RIP

I think it proved McLaren could make a decent race car.
Heard of the M1?

Ron Fellows, a great driver, drove the #3 LMGT1 Vette into the marbles, off the track, and into the tire barrier at near 130 mph at Lime Rock today about 1 hour into the ALMS race. He handed a damadged car off to Johnny O'Connell. They finished 4th overall down 8 laps, 2 laps behind their teammates' #4 Vette. They seem to be built like tanks; they never seem to break a wheel off.

By the way, the LMP1 Audis won, 1.7 seconds apart. Yawn.