Motorsport Trivia

aidan_dunne

Sorry Robbo, Brian was closer with his answer. He just has one tiny little thing wrong. Whoever manages to correct that and give me the answer in full will have it.

BrianD3

I'm almost sure it's Meagher. Did he win in 1995?

aidan_dunne

You got it, Brian! Yes, the late Frank Meagher won the Irish Tarmac Championship in 1995 driving his Lombard & Ulster/Duckhams-sponsored Escort Cosworth.

You're up next for a question.

SouperComputer

WTF happend Frank Meagher?

ive been away for a while it seems!

aidan_dunne

He crashed a few years ago while testing and was killed, SouperComputer. A sad loss to the sport, indeed.

BrianD3

The next one is a technical/history one:
Name three F1 teams that have used engines with a Flat 12 "Boxer" layout.

aidan_dunne

Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Subaru.

aidan_dunne

Sorry, you were looking for teams, not manufacturers. Okay, Ferrari used their own flat-12, Brabham used an Alfa Romeo flat-12 and Coloni used the Subaru flat-12. There, that better?

BrianD3

Very good aidan You're spot on. The Alfa Romeo team also used the Alfa flat 12 for a short time so I suppose that makes 4 teams that used flat 12s.

Your turn...

aidan_dunne

Yeah, the Subaru one is one of those little bits of useless F1 trivia I've picked up over the years that not many other people seem to either know or remember! Think it was the early 90's, 1990 or 1991 roughly, that Coloni used the, to put it very mildly indeed, completely crap Subaru flat-12. Of course, they've had a lot more success with their turbocharged flat-4 rally engines over the years!

Okay, here's your next question. At which famous circuit and in which country would you find the "Dipper" corner and the "Conrod Straight"?

BrianD3

Yep, the Coloni Subaru was in 1990. I was going to ask a question about the Life W12 but if you know about Coloni Subaru you'll also have been well aware of the shambles that was Life

As for the Dipper and Conrod Straight, these names sound a bit American. Is the track Watkins Glen?

aidan_dunne

Ah yes, the infamous Life W12 engine! Basically consisted of 2 V6's welded together, didn't it? You're right, what a shambles that was. They got so pissed off with that piece of crap that they eventually gave up on it and replaced it with a Judd V8...... and who could blame them?

Your answer is wrong, by the way, Brian. Not an American circuit at all. Though, "The Dipper" is a lot like "the Corkscrew" at Laguna Seca in California, I will admit! But, no, sorry, you're way off so far.

Robbo

The Dipper and the Conrod Straight are in Bathurst, Australia.

Who was breathalysed following his accident in the 1999 Le Mans race?

aidan_dunne

Correct, Robbo, "The Dipper" and the "Conrod Straight" are at Mt. Panorama, Bathurst, Australia. But, slow down, you need to wait for the answer to be confirmed before asking the next question, ok?

As for your question, I don't know the answer but would it have been one of the Mercedes-Benz's that flipped by any chance? Am I on the right track (pardon the pun )?

Kersh

was it peter dumbreck,

andyman

Kersh should win.

Kersh

am i right?? if so, was it because his car landied on public property, and thus became a road traffic accident?

Robbo

Kersh wrote:

am i right?? if so, was it because his car landied on public property, and thus became a road traffic accident?

Bingo! Seems a bit mad but that's France for you. Apparently at the time, he hadn't a drink in the previous 3 months.

Sorry for jumping guns.

aidan_dunne

I never knew about the breathalyser thing before, Robbo. Remember watching the crash live on Eurosport, jumping out of my seat and shouting, "HOLY F**KING SH!T!" Bloody scary. :eek:

I can just imagine the conversation after that crash. You've just escaped death after your car somersaults at over 150 mph, flies through the air, lands amongst a whole bunch of trees, practically explodes into pieces, you somehow manage to scramble out of the wreckage battered and bruised and then some gobsh!te of a policeman comes up to you and says, "Excuse me, Monsieur, but would you mind blowing into this please?" :rolleyes: I hope Dumbreck turned around and punched the twat because I know I would have!

Kersh, I believe you're up next, mate.

Kersh

Who won the 1981 fford festival, and in whos car, and why was he in that car.
And finally, what was the engine in that car called, and why.

Thatll test yall

aidan_dunne

Before my time, Kersh (I was only 3 then! :eek: ). Only got into motorsport in the mid-80's, I'm afraid. You're right, that is a real tester. Sounds like an interesting question, though. Unusual events?

Would the engine have been a Kent engine, though? Seeing as F-Fords were running 1600cc Kents up until the mid-90's when they switched to 1800cc Zetecs.

Kersh

I was only 5, yes it was a kent engine. Yes quite a story here, I reckon googling for a while might show something.

molateen

I presume the car was sennas as he didnt race the festival that year . Was the driver maurizio sala?

Kersh

Correct, it was sennas car, not sala though. Any idea on the rest

molateen

Ok was it Tommy Byrne . I had to google this . Very hard to find . I had to dig deep . As to why I dont have a clue .

Kersh

Correct. Ill give it til 7or 8pm and then i will enlighten you all, so get googling

aidan_dunne

Okay, so we know it was Tommy Byrne who won it, in Senna's car. It was a Kent engine in the back of it....... but I don't know why it was called a "Kent"! And we don't know why Byrne was racing in Senna's car.

Okay Kersh, I give up. You're going to have to fill us in completely, I think.

Kersh

OK, here goes -
Yes it was Sennas car, and yes it was Tommy Byrne driving.
The reason is that Senna "quit" motor racing at his fatheres behest and headed back to Brazil - his father wanted him to run the farm. He subsequently returned to fford 2000 in 82 on condition that if he got no where he would return to Brazil, and we all know what became of Senna.
Now the engine - the engine was 1 kent 1600cc ford, however, early in its motorsport life it threw a conrod out the block, bit it was fixed up, and the block was patched. The engine was then called Patch, and was the one to have in fford for many years, afaik it won more championships and festivals in the years after. No one knows why. But if you didnt have it you didnt win.
Useless trivia I know, but I got yall.
I think Molateen should ask the next q.

molateen

Ok . Who won the first ever formula opel Irish series ? In what year ?

And who finished second?

Also , who won the last Irish europa series ?

gs39t

molateen wrote:

Ok . Who won the first ever formula opel Irish series ? In what year ?

Wild guess - Wayne Douglas? 93 ?

molateen

Nope . He won the third series

gs39t

Can't even find the answer with google. I'd guess it was the very early '90's. Vivian Daly springs to mind, but thats just another wild guess.

This is gonna bug me...

aidan_dunne

I think John O' Hara was the last ever Formula Opel/Formula Europa champion in 2001, wasn't he?

As for the first champion, I'm not 100% sure on this so I'm going to guess Vivian Daly in..... ummm.... 1991? Am I close? And I'm going to take a real stab in the dark for the second placed driver and say Michael Edgar. I know he won it the following year for sure, though.

Kersh

Was it Donal Loughrey won the first. With Daly 2nd that year.
John O hara won last one. 1988

I see Wayne Douglas every day, he runs his team from the same building as our company is in.

SouperComputer

dont think Donal won the first. Such a shame what happend in France, great guy and obviously a talent. Still racing in karts.

John O'Hara was the last europa champion. I would say Vivian Daly for the 1st champion too.

molateen

Daly did finish second but Donal was not the first .

O hara did win the last .

Micheal Edgar did not race opel that year . I think he raced formula ford .

It was a great finish to the season . The first and second drivers were nose to tail for the last race of the season to decide the championship .

What happened in France?

Kersh

Donal had an accident that damaged his legs. A bad one at that, he was a great pilot.
Anyhow, year 1988?
2nd place driver - oliver gavin??

molateen

The year was 91

molateen

I will give this until tomorrow and then I will reveal all .

Kersh

Was it derek cuneely...???

aidan_dunne

It's funny, I used to follow the Formula Opel championship closely but, for the life of me, I can't think who the first Irish champion was. This is driving me feckin' nuts! And I know when molateen gives us the answer I'm going to be kicking myself!

molateen

Ok . Here I go . Time for the answer .


It was Morgan Dempsey jnr from Vivion Daly .


They ran nose to tail for the whole last race . Vivion had plenty of chances to put him off but fair play to him he didnt . He waited and waited for morgan to make a mistake but he didnt .

Anyone else for a question .

Here is one more little teaser .

Can anyone name two family members who finished in the top 3 of the formula opel series (may have been a different name but the same cars)
Also what year
And who split them in the championship .

Kersh

peter dempsey and morgan dempsey, 2002, separated by paul dagg?

molateen

Correct . I just thought of another after but Im sure if they finished in the top 3 . That was David and Leslie wright .

Anyway Kersh you ask the next question .

Kersh

2 brothers have each won the formula ford festival, name them, and in what years.

molateen

was it Jackie Van der Ende in 97

and Ricardo Van der ende in 99 ?

Kersh

All too easy...you're up...

molateen

Ok let me see

What person was an Irish junior and senior formula ford champion , a british formula vauxhall champion and also a british formula 3 champion?

SouperComputer

tim mullen?

molateen

not who I was thinking of . I dont think he won a british f3 title .