Gilles Villeneuve, He Really Had A Big Pair

[Gilbert]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl2tIFxSEGA

[juniper8]

Thats amazing!!!!! Wish there was some f-1 racing like that today, but the costs and the speeds make it prohibitive

[JerolW]

When racing was racing.

jerol

[Islander]

In racing, it often happens that two or more competitors are running vehicles with similar speed, handling and braking, while the riders/drivers/pilots have similar skill levels.

In that case, who comes out in front is the one who wants it the most. The champions are usually more skilled than the also-rans, but they're always the most determined to be in front. Gilles really showed that in the video.

[Audio Android]

I really hope the track in Texas is up to snuff with the rest of the F1 circuits. The pictures i've seen for the build plans of the central complex and surrounding buildings are a little ummmm....simple for a F1 circuit, but the real proof will show in the track layout and how much the drivers like driving it. I have no doubt the crowd will be huge.

P.S. What a pair indeed he will always be remembered as one of the best, great video.

[jhoak]

I always enjoyed watching Formula 1 racing. In my opinion those races were much more about the skills (or lack thereof) of the drivers rather than the raw capabilities of the cars.

Indy car racing… Well not so much. Nascar… Umm… Well… Not at all. Basic “oval track” racing just doesn’t do it for me. I enjoy the “twisties”. Go fast... turn left... go fast... turn left... Repeat XXX times just don't blow my skirt up no matter what kind of car they're driving.

In my late teens a wealthy cousin of mine got involved in a “junior” F1 racing class (Formula V?) and sponsored a couple of cars. At one point he let me take a few laps in one of the cars. What a total GAS that was. 160 MPH+… Umm no but those little open wheel cars would easily do a bit over 100 MPH. and handled like they were on rails. What great fun. Especially for a 17 year old.

[Travis In Austin]

This fellow, is one of the all-time greats, if not the greatest. Jim Clark excelled in racing in all forms, F1, Indy, rally, sports car (24 hours at Le Mans). This is a great series on him if you have never seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVSLXobwy0&feature=related

[Travis In Austin]

I have always thought she has one of the biggest pair, man or women, in racing. Won World Rally races head to head against men, took second in WRC behind her teammate Walter Rohrl, won in the S class in the 24 hours at Le Mans, won overall at Pike Peaks and set course record.

I love this next video of her, prior to her running for Rally at Morocco in 2010, going around a little dirt warm up track with reporter. The look on his face going around the track, and at 2:18 asking her to slow down is priceless.

Travis

[Audio Android]

I always had a deeper interest in F1 than any other racing growing up. As i got older my love for race cars and the engines that powered them just became a total obsession. If it has an engine that sounds amazing i don't care what the hell their doing with it. If they put them in gigantic trucks that drive over cars and launch 40 feet in the air( IF YOUR WITH GOOD FRIENDS ANYTHING IS FUN), if they drive circles in the freaking dirt or if they put 8 hemi's on a damn tractor just to see how far they can pull a really heavy load as far as possible(just a small list of what i think are useless motorsports, but quite fun to be involved with) Really it's the engineering I'm in love with. I have been to the 12 hours of Sebring for the past 6 years, and believe me the part I love most about going to all these events is the pit/paddock especially at Sebring, I like to see how their built and LISTEN to them run.I usually try to talk to the drivers or mechanics/engineers and try to stay away from the crowds, because most of them are just plain nuts or drunk usually both. The best part of nascar is how much the grid changes every lap it's actually quite exciting to me now, i used to hate nascar and i do mean HATE. Even the paddock at a nascar event sucks, and the bleachers,the bleachers, don't even get me started, i just keep walking around I never sit at a race any race and never at a nascar event. i usually don't watch nascar, but if i turn it on i usually won't turn it off till race end, the racing just sucks me in, and it's always the only racing on............................ Speed channel needs more variety, please Speed channel give me more variety PLEEEASE ..................there is so much more racing around they world that is so much more interesting than god damned nascar. even though i'm kind of a fan. I'M JUST A RACING FAN I CAN'T HELP IT.

[Gilbert]

In racing, it often happens that two or more competitors are running vehicles with similar speed, handling and braking, while the riders/drivers/pilots have similar skill levels.

In that case, who comes out in front is the one who wants it the most. The champions are usually more skilled than the also-rans, but they're always the most determined to be in front. Gilles really showed that in the video.

If I'm not mistaken, Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari was well behind on powered, relative to the twin-turbo powered Renault of Arnoux, (Rene' Arnoux). This was the beginning or Turbo power in F1 racing, which was upheld through the 80's, until normally aspirated screeming V12's became the spec. motor in the 90's.

Anyway, the fact that Gilles car was under-powered, would suggest to me that Gilles Villeneuve's driving style was all the more ballsy, as always. Not to take anything away from Rene' Arnoux, because he was one hell of a racer too, and he gave Gilles a fight to the very end; But Gilles "Eye of the tiger" was more focused and determined, substancially more with an under-powered car. Gilles always raced clean, (unlike Schumacher), and wasn't happy unless his car was on the limit, on the edge. Takes a big pair to drive like that consistently, lap after lap.

The winner of the race by the way was Arnoux's team mate, Jean Pierre Jabulli or somethng like that. He was driving an identical twin-turbo Renault. This is one of the more famous battles in Formula One history. And the fact that Gilles was driving an under powered car, relative to the Renaults, is the reasons for my posting this specific video, which is the 1979 French GP.

Gilles was just so superb, a true racer, not just a race car driver. His talent was Senna-like, which was ultimately his demise.

[Gilbert]

This fellow, is one of the all-time greats, if not the greatest. Jim Clark excelled in racing in all forms, F1, Indy, rally, sports car (24 hours at Le Mans). This is a great series on him if you have never seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVSLXobwy0&feature=related

Gentleman Jim Clark, yes indeed... 1 of the all time greatest F1 racers. I would have loved to see him race. Supposedly a very humble man, very uncharacteristic of an F1 driver. Most had/have ego's that needed to be carried in a wheel barrel. Gilles and Clark needed the wheel barrel too, but they toted a pair of balls in theirs.

[Travis In Austin]

If I'm not mistaken, Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari was well behind on powered, relative to the twin-turbo powered Renault of Arnoux, (Rene' Arnoux).

Gilbert,

I think the turbo era was in the year or two that followed the race in that video. I am pretty sure that Ferrari is the 312 (3 liter, flat 12). When F1 did go to turbos a year or two later I thought it was the other way around, the Ferrari had the power but terrible suspension/handling. Giles could hold them off in the straightaways, but they could catch him in the turns. The couple of races he won had long, long main straights which favored the power, but the fact that he could compete in that car was what I thought really raised his stock amoung other drivers -- that he was able to do so well with so little in terms of handling.

I saw Giles and LBGP in college, he crashed, but it was an exciting time for F1 racing in US, Mario was coming on, etc., etc.

Travis

[Audio Android]

I could watch vintage racing footage 24/7 love the old stuff. Love to go see the historic race cars. i have one video on you tube just type AUDI DIESEL GOOD SOUND and look for the sunset picture, it's from Sebring 09............just posted it, I have tons of racing footage i'm uploading, keep an eye out. it's all recorded on a super cardoid stereo mic and a canon hd20 camera. It's a little shaky at first..........very hard camera to keep steady picture. My channel is............TheAudioAndroid

[Islander]

I love this next video of her, prior to her running for Rally at Morocco in 2010, going around a little dirt warm up track with reporter. The look on his face going around the track, and at 2:18 asking her to slow down is priceless.

Michele Mouton rules! That 911 probably felt slow and underpowered compared with the 500-600 hp Group B rally cars she used to drive. She retired from full-time racing when the Group B cars were banned in the mid-1980s.

[Audio Android]

I'm always in awe of the amount of input from the driver to the car on the inboard shots of rally, and the car control is just, what can u say, it's just spectacular to watch........................... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hax4Lf7GtVg

[Gilbert]

If I'm not mistaken, Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari was well behind on powered, relative to the twin-turbo powered Renault of Arnoux, (Rene' Arnoux).

Gilbert,

I think the turbo era was in the year or two that followed the race in that video. I am pretty sure that Ferrari is the 312 (3 liter, flat 12). When F1 did go to turbos a year or two later I thought it was the other way around, the Ferrari had the power but terrible suspension/handling. Giles could hold them off in the straightaways, but they could catch him in the turns. The couple of races he won had long, long main straights which favored the power, but the fact that he could compete in that car was what I thought really raised his stock amoung other drivers -- that he was able to do so well with so little in terms of handling.

I saw Giles and LBGP in college, he crashed, but it was an exciting time for F1 racing in US, Mario was coming on, etc., etc.

Travis

Damm!!!, you got to see Gilles race.... I'm soooo jealous. Gilles was one of the most tenacious drivers of all time.

I dying to see my first F1 race at trackside, been to CART, NASCAR, GTP and 24hrs. at Sebring a couple times, but never to a F1 race. I can hardly wait for the inaugral USGP in Austin Tx, the track is about 45min. to an 1 hr. from my doorstep. Gonna be a grand time, and as soon as tickets become available, I'm there dude, I'm there; and I'll probably camp out trackside like a hobo. Packing plenty of sardines and crackers.

It was in the late 70's when turbos were introduced, along with ground affects. But the rein of the Turbo ear is considered to be the 1980's, it took that long for the reliability issues to get resolved. Renaults car in this particular race were in fact twin Turbos. Renault introduced their version in 1979, at the GP of Monte Carlo. I have the story in my latest F1 Racing Magazine, and believe one of the video anouncers mentions something to this effect. Anyway, I got the link to the race from the a story in the F1 Racing Mag. and thought I'd share it. They go on to mention that it was the reliability of the Ferrari that won the title that year.

[Utard]

I have really been getting into F1 in the past 5 years and really love it. Can't wait until Texas and NJ. Anyone run across full race videos of the old races? I wish I knew about F1 in the Shumi days.

[Audio Android]

45 min from the Circuit of the Americas, at least i think that's what they are calling it. Wish i could be there, i'd camp for like a month before that race just so i wouldn't miss one lap of practice. Listening to one car on the track is amazing especially when there is not alot of people or other cars around to keep the noise down. Hearing the sound reflections of an F1 engine screaming to 18,000 rpm bounce through the trees and buildings around you, man i'm getting goose bumps.

[Travis In Austin]

I can hardly wait for the inaugral USGP in Austin Tx, the track is about 45min. to an 1 hr. from my doorstep.

When did you move to within an hour or so of Austin? I'm getting a box, you need to email me about tickets.

Travis

[Gilbert]

Schumi was certainly one of the great ones, and he was the first driver to not only be able to build his own team around him, but he was able to do it with the most famous team in formula one. It would likely been a very different story though, had Enzo been directly involved, instead of Luca. Enzo was as infamous basturd to his drivers.

If you'd like to watch some exciting F1 video footage with Schumi, look for races with him against Mika Hakkenin, J.P. Montoya, Fernando Alonzo, Hill, and even Jaques Villenuve. Hakkinen was special, the origional Ice Man, but he was a gentleman who'd give you room to pass if you had the balls to do it, Schumi was the opposite, he'd punt you into the wall or grass w/o hesitation, and I never liked that about Schumi... but in all honesty there were very few great F1 drivers who'd give you room, it's just that Schumi was sooooo very ruthless.

But having missed the Schumi era, have no worries, because your 5 years includes the introduction to the pure racer who's going to clobber Schumi's records. Welcome to Sebastien Vettle's era, and it's only just beginning. He's not only the youngest World Champion, but he's also the youngest back-to-back Wolrd Champion. And that is very rare air indeed, to get back to back. Alonzo did it with a crappy car, which makes him, IMHO extremely special. Senna too was famous for being able to drive a not so good car to the podium.

Seb is a tenacious animal inside a playful unassuming body of a man-child, a pure 100% racer and is supremely intelligent. He's up at night with the mechanics working and learning the otherside of the game, and knows how to read the cars telemetry and can improve off of that.... exactly as Schumi did. In fact, Seb. and Schumi are close friends off the track, Schumi has taken young Seb. under his wing to help him cope with the media and other pressures. Keep a close eye on Seb., he's going to be one of the all time greats, he is proving to be Senna's equal when it comes to qulifying, able to pull that magic lap out of the bag when it's needed.

If all goes to schedule, the Circuit of the America's will host their inagural F1 race Nov. 16th (Practice), 17 (Qualifying) and 18th (Race Day) of 2012. Follow your nose to the smell of sardines, crackers and tabasco and you'll likely find me very very near. Take your ear plugs, because you will go deaf. N.J. race will also be an excellent venue, because it's a street course, and the proposed layout will make for a fast street course. I will attend that race too, but it'll come in 2013.