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8 May 2007, 08:59 (Ref:1908832) | #1 | ||
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Gilles Villeneuve, 31 years ago
Can't believe it's already been 25 years since that fateful day at Zolder.
R.I.P Gilles, we miss you... |
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"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting." - Steve McQueen |
8 May 2007, 11:00 (Ref:1908901) | #2 | |||
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An excerpt from an article sent to me by a friend today:
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8 May 2007, 11:07 (Ref:1908905) | #3 | ||
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Gilles Villeneuve, 25 years ago
25 years ago today at Zolder Gilles Villeneuve was killed in qualifying for the Belgian GP
The BBC ran an article on it today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/1934994.stm His profile: http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-vilgil.html Jules... |
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8 May 2007, 13:33 (Ref:1909006) | #4 | |||
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There's nothing much one can add to L2LO's comments, except to say that the loss was and still is felt by the entire motorsport community. Just to empaphise that, I found these words, spoken by Jody Scheckter at Gilles' funeral:
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8 May 2007, 14:22 (Ref:1909041) | #5 | ||
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25 Years Ago. Unbelievable. Still after 25 years and so many new champions, Gilles is still one of the greatest. He will live in the hearts of race fans for ever.
I remember when it was 25 years ago that Jim Clark died, there was a nice story about him in the L.A Times. I was born a decade after he died and just heard and read stories about him. 25 years seemed like for ever, but now with Gilles, 25 years ago doesn't seem that long ago at all. Funny how time flies when you get older..... Forza 27 per sempre! The fact that he won Long Beach in 1979, which was my first motorace I went to is pretty cool. Salut Gilles. Last edited by Fiorentina 1; 8 May 2007 at 14:25. |
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8 May 2007, 16:28 (Ref:1909148) | #6 | ||
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Gilles
He was the best. I saw him race through his Atlantic years as I was a FA wrench.
What he could do with a car was, at times, impossible but he did it. Qualifying with toe out! Even he could not drive a race with that set up but he believed he could go faster that way. Far too many drivers died in those days and I knew far too many of them. Gilles was the greatest and I saw them all from the late 50's on. |
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8 May 2007, 18:20 (Ref:1909227) | #7 | ||
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RIP Gilles.
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"And the most important thing is that we, the Vettels, the Bernies, whoever, should not destroy our own sport by making stupid comments about the ******* noise." - Niki Lauda |
8 May 2007, 18:56 (Ref:1909255) | #8 | ||
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Being born 1 year after his passing I never got to watch his racing either on person or live on TV, but having read about him and seen videos of what he could do it's pretty clear to me that this guy was beyond compare.
Here's a couple of my favourite videos of him: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6sDtn8QnpFg http://youtube.com/watch?v=cnpf_9bAUu8 RIP Gilles. |
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8 May 2007, 23:16 (Ref:1909489) | #9 | ||
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He was one of my idols, another one who died.
I still can remember that day, the afternoon after he died, the days after that day. I promised myself never ever to have another hero. But I thought I was through the bad times when I watched Ellio DeAngelis... and then I was wrong. I know many people considered many drivers after him, being as exciting, as thrilling, as courageous as he was, but personally I never did. Maybe it's just something in me that has run out of passion for such drivers, or maybe because I have him so high in my personal podium together with Peterson, that no one else can reach him. I know many wouldn't agree with me, and I'm happy with that. |
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8 May 2007, 23:34 (Ref:1909496) | #10 | ||
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I was lucky to see Gilles race four times and once at a restricted Michelin tyre test session at Brands Hatch with Jody. My friend and I rode our mopeds to the track that day and jumped over the fence, the place was deserted, a day that I will never forget.
Another day that I will never forget was the day of his death, in my eyes the excitement of F1 has never been the same since. You will always be remembered Gilles. |
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9 May 2007, 09:33 (Ref:1909735) | #11 | ||
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Wow 25 years ago?!
I've always regretted just getting into the sport only a couple of months after his passing and had to rely on journalistic copy, video footage and an ever growing legend to form my own mental picture of the heroic stature this man established around the globe. Still, Gilles still managed to become one of my heroes! And I think it's down to his antics that probably set the bar for my respect and appreciation of racing drivers ever since: That bar is basically if a driver ain't giving his all, all of the time and trying his damnest to race the other guy wheel to wheel, he ain't worth a bean no matter how many titles he has won. As with the loss of Ayrton before we could really see his competitive battles with Schumi, Gilles continuing career up against the emrgeing Ayrton would have led to many titanic scraps between them. Long live Gilles the hero!! |
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9 May 2007, 18:16 (Ref:1910051) | #12 | ||
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Gilles
Gilles in an Atlantic car (any year) going through the Arch at Three Cricks (Trois Rivieres) completely sideways taking up all the road lap after lap. There was no way anyone could pass him. There was no road left!
He was the best. |
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10 May 2007, 18:14 (Ref:1910518) | #13 | |
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I have only seen video of course (lot's of it granted) and I can only say he would have been the perfect driver for me to idolise. He totally embodied the true racers spirit.
RIP Gilles. |
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15 May 2007, 11:22 (Ref:1913825) | #14 | ||
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I try NOT to remember my birthday.
It's May 9th. Adieu, Gilles, et merci. |
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Tim Yorath Ecurie Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Fan of "the sacred monster Christophe Bouchut"... |
7 Jun 2007, 15:16 (Ref:1931311) | #15 | ||
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I remember that day so well. I recall my dad calling me in from outside (I was 13) to tell me the news. 25 years - unbelievable... My friend Danny and I adored him. My dad & I saw him at Silverstone in '79 and '81. I nearly met him that second year; he was walking from his motorhome to the Ferrari garage and was suddenly surrounded by autograph hunters. He signed them all too... Gilles was everything that a racing driver should be. God bless.
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7 Jun 2007, 15:23 (Ref:1931316) | #16 | |||
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Quote:
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20 Jun 2007, 02:34 (Ref:1942196) | #17 | |
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R.I.P Gilles
He simply was a fantastic man in all respects.
I used to belong to the Karting UK forum but when an individual on there who always feels he knows best on all subjects said Gilles was not that good, I had enough of him and left there which is a shame. At least on Ten Tenths people know what they are talking about... Paula |
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8 May 2008, 17:08 (Ref:2197026) | #18 | ||
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Gilles - still missed, still revered 26 years on.
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9 May 2008, 18:37 (Ref:2197783) | #19 | |
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I've posted a number of photos that I shot of Gilles from 1977 to 1980, including Can-Am, F/A and F1 on my web site
www.trackthoughts.com |
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10 May 2008, 12:34 (Ref:2198206) | #20 | |
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Shine on you crazy diamond.
Always in our hearts. |
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4 Mar 2012, 05:07 (Ref:3034785) | #21 | ||
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Upcoming Motor Sport Magazine tribute...
It's been almost 30 years since Gilles passed and Motor Sport Magazine will be running a two-part tribute by Gordon Kirby.
In response to a request to help illustrate it I have been scanning images of him and have added a fair number to my Gilles set. There will be more. http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7624008130538/ All my sets... http://www.flickr.com/photos/46681980@N03/sets/ |
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6 Mar 2012, 06:10 (Ref:3035770) | #22 | |||
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Quote:
Last edited by Livery; 6 Mar 2012 at 06:25. |
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11 Mar 2012, 08:18 (Ref:3038194) | #23 | ||
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Thanks for the kind words.
I've added more shots of Gilles to my set featuring him. http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7624008130538/ I've also added a fair number of images to my Atlantic set... http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7623186773769/ |
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13 Mar 2012, 23:10 (Ref:3040642) | #24 | |
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Thanks for the photos Marc and for bumping this thread.
Just in case anyone hasn't read the first page, post #2 had this: Originally Posted by Nigel Roebuck Quite apart from his superlative ability in a racing car, he was a charming man, who never changed with fame and fortune. Polite, honest and straightforward, he had a tremendous sense of humour and a simple love of life. His attitude to motor racing was unfashionably romantic. In a bland, commercial, world, he loved it for its own sake. The jet set made him cringe, and he had an instinctive abhorrence of anything bogus. For me, and, I suspect, many thousands of others, the light has gone out in motor racing. My favorite Roebuck bit about Gilles went along the lines of: 'Did you run out of road? No I ran out of lock!' IMHO he was the fastest person to ever drive a race car and I feel very privileged to have seen him drive. |
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14 Mar 2012, 00:52 (Ref:3040695) | #25 | ||
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sometimes he did run out of road....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...57624008130538 And sometimes he did run out of lock..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...57624008130538 |
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