Marco Campos

[DNQ]

Hi, I am planning to make an F3000 site, and am currently trying to gain as much knowledge as I can.

I have one question though. Marco Campos, I read, was killed in a crash at 1995 at Magny Cours. What happened?

Also, it sounds grim, but can anyone write a list of drivers killed in F3000?

And lastly, anyone have any URLs of sites about the old Formula 2 which preceeded F3000?

[Marshal]

When I saw the title of the thread, I was thinking, Marco Campos, I remeber the name, then reading it it all came back. He was really good as I recall, went straight from the GM Euroseries to race F3000 with Draco Racing, improved steadily through the year and was on the verge of fighting for podiums. If I remeber right he'd just signed for Super Nova for the following year.

The accident itself, I believe he touched wheels approaching the braking area for the Adelaide hairpin, the car was launched into the air and landed upside down on the guardrail. No chance.

As for others, not many thankfully, I can only think of Paul Warwick, who was killed in British F3000 at Oulton Park, when the car broke entering Knickerbrook, and turned sharp left into the barriers. There were a number (2 or 3?) spectators killed at Donnington in '91 (?) when Allan McNish was involved in an incident approaching the Esses, I'm sure in involved another car but I can't remember who.

I hope this helps.

[DNQ]

Hi Marshall, thanks a lot for your help.

I have done some research, and found that there was no F3000 race at Donington in 1991, but a year earlier, there was, and McNish was involved in an horrific crash was Naspetti.

McNish was alright, but I am unsure of the crowd fatalities. I managed to find a picture of the crash. I am not sure if I should post it, seeing as a fatality occured, but here it is anyway.

[Faster]

Just an information: Marco Campos has a younger brother, named Julio Campos, who is know one of the best kart racers of Brazil and soon will be starting his single-seater's career. It's quite good to know that the tragedy still wasn't enough to finish the family affair with motorsports. It all seemed to me that the Campos parents we're mature enough to understand that what happened with Marco was a fatality and that not should not brake his younger brother's dream...

[Fan]

Campos was killed on the last lap of the last race in the 1995 F3000 championship at Magny Cours. He collided with Thomas Biagi as they approached the Adelaide Hairpin whilst fighting for 9th place, with the car landing upside down on the inside wall. The rollbar was ripped off and the Campos was killed instantly. He was driving a 95 Lola Judd, I believe for the Draco team

[Paddock Spy]

Campos was killed when his front left-hand wheel touched the rear right of Biaggi as the pair approached the Adelaide hairpin for the final time. The Draco Lola was sent upwards as it rolled over the rear wheel, the car lifting off and landing across the retaining wall upside down. It slid along the wall and Campos struck his head at the end where the wall followed the line of the hairpin. It then landed back on all four-wheels and came to rest in the garvel trap opposite.The roll hoop was not broken. Campos was airlifted to a hospital in Paris where he died several hours later from massive head trauma. It was a very frightening accident and one that will never be forgotten by the people who witnessed it. I should know. I was taking photos at the hairpin when the crash happened.

[DanFlag]

SPEEDSPORT MAGAZINE : Formula 3000 http://www.speedsportmag.de/

Marco Campos Tribute 24.02.1976 - 15.10.1995

Marco Campos died in a fatal accident at Magny-Cours.
It happened on the last lap of the last race of the "old" F3000 when he was battling with Thomas Biagi.

Marco was brasilian and panamerican Kart-Champion in 1993. He clinched the Formula Opel Euroseries title in his first year of car-racing. Marco moved straight into F3000 and qualified fifth in his first F3000-race. During the season he showed big talent and scored his first Championship-points at Enna-Pergusa finishing fourth. His final championship position was 13th.

Marco died at the age of 19.


"...After that, the only drivers left on the lead lap were Thomas Biagi and Campos, who had been battling from the start.
Campos´s car took off over the back of Biagi´s just before the Adelaide hairpin, following what we can only assume was either a mistake or a last-ditch attempt to snatch an extra place. The last cars racing on the last lap of the last race of F3000 as an open formula were involved in a terrible tragedy. It should not have ended this way."

"Marco Campos was a leading light in the new generation of Brazilian racing drivers in Europe.
To the outside world, his death at the age of 19 may seem a needless waste of a young life. Campos was killed in a low-key race, with nothing at stake but ninth place. But racers don´t consider things like this, and Campos had lived for racing throughout his tragically short live.
He came to Europe in 1994, having dominated karting in South America. He won the Vauxhall Euroseries title with Draco in his first season and then, with the team, made a giant leap to Formula 3000 for 1995
Team and driver were expected to struggle. Instead, Campos demonstrated his abundant ability by qualifying an excellent fifth for his first race in the category. Draco dropped behind the more experienced teams in the second half of the season, but Campos was looking forward to 1996, when he hoped to draw on the experience he gained this year.
A shy young man, Campos´s friends say he had a sweet and generous personality. Certainly Draco´s team manager, Adriano Morini, and his wife Nadja were devoted to him, treating him as they would their own son.
Morini was convinced that his protege had the talent to make it to the very highest level in the sport. From time to time this year, that certainly seemed to be the case. Now, sadly, we will never know."

Text taken from Autosport Magazine, 19.10.1995.

[Fiorentina 1]

Originally posted by Faster
Just an information: Marco Campos has a younger brother, named Julio Campos, who is know one of the best kart racers of Brazil and soon will be starting his single-seater's career. ...

Much sooner then you think, my friend! He just finished second at Sebring in the Skip Barber national series against some VERY good drivers! I saw the name & was wondering if he had any relation to Marco, and now with your post, I knew he did....

I met Marco at Magny Cours in 94. I was very sad to learn of his death a year later...He was a great driver & I have no doubt he would have gone very far.

[TimD]

I agree - Marco Campos would have been something special. It's a long time ago, but I think he had a storming race at Pau or one of the other really tricky tracks earlier in the '95 season that made me sit up and take notice.

By the way, Paddock Spy gives a very accurate account of the incident. A camera crew filmed it, but this is one where I would urge anyone to look away if the tape is shown.

I saw the footage once, and I wish I hadn't.

[R]

Me too.

[Tales]

If you have GP3 or need help with the site, just tell me, DNQ!

[Mekola]

Yes, Marco was a special driver.
Draco Racing team owners, Adriano Morini and his wife Nadia, loved him like a son. I never saw him racing (the first F3000 race I ever watched was 1999 Imola GP), but from reports I know he was a kind and talented young man. Thanks to him, now Draco owners had special attention to promising Brazilian drivers, like Ricardo Zonta, Bruno Junqueira, Rodrigo Sperafico and now Felipe Massa.
Sometimes I thought Marco will might made a debut on F1 during 1996, probably on this place where debuted Tarso Marques (on the Minardi Nº 21 on South-American races)...
I made a GP2 helmet for Marco on my Copersenna misc-car in 1998. It's little better than Rolemodels helmet of his 1995 F3000 carset. You can go for him on http://www.grandprix2.com