11 replies to this topic

[ilmor]

[dbackg]

Excellent link.

Thank you.

[svtkeith]

ilmor, on 03 September 2011 - 05:52 PM, said:

They still rule IMO but the 80's into the early 90's was when these beasts were crazy...Remember the turbo 1200 hp eng and the racers

sometimes had to steer with one hand and shift with the other while trying to keep that much power on the track..

[YZD263]

Thanks for the link. This brings back some good memories. This was the time when I began following the sport.  At the time, Gilles Villeneuve was beginning in Formula one and was attracting a lot of interest in Canada, especially in Montreal. Although I still closely follow Formula one, I liked the cars of this era better. There was more technical and visual differences between each brand and you could easily differenciate a Lotus from a Ferrari just by the way they looked.  Here is in my opinion one of the most exciting finish in formula one history: Villeneuve against Arnoux at the '79 French Grand Prix. They were fighting for second place.

[svtkeith]

YZD263, on 06 September 2011 - 01:55 PM, said:

Thanks for the link. This brings back some good memories. This was the time when I began following the sport.  At the time, Gilles Villeneuve was beginning in Formula one and was attracting a lot of interest in Canada, especially in Montreal. Although I still closely follow Formula one, I liked the cars of this era better. There was more technical and visual differences between each brand and you could easily differenciate a Lotus from a Ferrari just by the way they looked.  Here is in my opinion one of the most exciting finish in formula one history: Villeneuve against Arnoux at the '79 French Grand Prix. They were fighting for second place.

I do remember that race...Villeneuve was one of the most exciting drivers to watch and one of the best...He was also one heck

of a Ski Doo racer was world champ at one time...Thanks for posting that YZD263.

[Denstang65]

svtkeith, on 04 September 2011 - 02:34 PM, said:

They still rule IMO but the 80's into the early 90's was when these beasts were crazy...Remember the turbo 1200 hp eng and the racers

sometimes had to steer with one hand and shift with the other while trying to keep that much power on the track..

+1 Forget paddle shifting,those guys back then were true race car drivers. I mean,doing 190 mph on the back stretch, getting close to the walls and other cars in opened wheeled  cars. To this day, I don't know how those guys fit in the tiny cockpits while wearing balls the size of Texas!

[svtkeith]

Denstang65, on 07 September 2011 - 09:39 PM, said:

+1 Forget paddle shifting,those guys back then were true race car drivers. I mean,doing 190 mph on the back stretch, getting close to the walls and other cars in opened wheeled  cars. To this day, I don't know how those guys fit in the tiny cockpits while wearing balls the size of Texas!

Yeah really...You can go on youtube and see Lewis Hamilton take one of Ayrton Senna's cars out for a run on the track it was in 1988

and one of the turbo 1200 hp cars Senna raced and he admitted that he would not have been able to race one and said that era of

racers were the best drivers ever...IMO Senna was the best of all time.

[ilmor]

Glad you all have enjoyed the vid.

The search for "equality" in racing has not helped F1 at all, or any other series that overly subscribes to that theory, in my opinion.  It stifles creativity and progress. The racing of old was much more exciting and interesting.

[NordicShelby]

I really enjoyed watching these videos. The French Grand Prix race had me on pins and needles.

Lewis Hamiliton also was in the Cars 2 movie..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op2MEWNS3fQ&feature=player_embedded....I am a sucker for collecting diecast.

[Cali_KR]

YZD263, on 06 September 2011 - 01:55 PM, said:

Thanks for the link. This brings back some good memories. This was the time when I began following the sport.  At the time, Gilles Villeneuve was beginning in Formula one and was attracting a lot of interest in Canada, especially in Montreal. Although I still closely follow Formula one, I liked the cars of this era better. There was more technical and visual differences between each brand and you could easily differenciate a Lotus from a Ferrari just by the way they looked.  Here is in my opinion one of the most exciting finish in formula one history: Villeneuve against Arnoux at the '79 French Grand Prix. They were fighting for second place.

Great clip YZD!

Growing up in Western Canada town of Port Moddy B.C., I too was a big fan of Gilles, and got to watch him and his older brother Jacques (Uncle to Gilles son Jacques, the F1 World Champ) drive Formula Atlantic race at the Westwood Mountain High Raceway in Coquitlam British Columbia in the mid 70's.....special times indeed.

Even to this day, considering the equipment, probably the best driver ever, in my opinion...probably because he drove on the ragged edge.

Thanx again for the clip, gotta love youtube to give his these memories back again.

[YZD263]

Cali_KR, on 10 September 2011 - 09:40 AM, said:

Great clip YZD!

Growing up in Western Canada town of Port Moddy B.C., I too was a big fan of Gilles, and got to watch him and his older brother Jacques (Uncle to Gilles son Jacques, the F1 World Champ) drive Formula Atlantic race at the Westwood Mountain High Raceway in Coquitlam British Columbia in the mid 70's.....special times indeed.

Even to this day, considering the equipment, probably the best driver ever, in my opinion...probably because he drove on the ragged edge.

Thanx again for the clip, gotta love youtube to give his these memories back again.

You're welcome Cali_KR,

I also saw Gilles race in Formula Atlantic, only this was in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.  At that time, F1 drivers could still race in other series in their spare time, which would be unthinkable now. At the Trois-Rivières Formula Atlantic race in 1976, several F1 drivers, including then world champion James Hunt,  were runnning as invited drivers, along with the series regulars. Villeneuve beat them all and soon thereafter, at Hunt's recommendation, was offered a ride in F1.  

As svtkeith rightly mentionned, Gilles was also a world champ snowmobile racer. Certainly my favorite driver of all time, although Senna was also extremely fast and spectacular, and more successful in terms of wins and championships..

Edited by YZD263, 15 September 2011 - 02:59 PM.

[Hooper T]

Great Videos, F1 has regrettably been watered down and neutered by regulation and is currently void of the warrior driver. IMO

My father took me to see Gillies race in Montreal when I was boy, I never forgot it,  Gilles was loved worldwide, but absolutely revered in Canada.
Gilles Villeneuve was simply one of the hardest charging drivers in the history of Motorsport, he was fearless.
Enzo treated and loved him like a son.


RIP Gilles.

Edited by Hooper T, 13 August 2012 - 01:35 PM.