just john Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Walkinshaw dies from Cancer Former racing driver and team owner Tom Walkinshaw has died. The 64-year-old had been suffering from cancer.During his career Walkinshaw ran the Benetton, Ligier and Arrows Formula 1 teams - The highlight of his touring car career was a European title for Jaguar in 1984, and Walkinshaw's success for the manufacturer saw TWR commissioned to run Jaguar's return to top-level sportscar racing.The iconic TWR Jaguar Group C cars went on to win three World Sportscar titles, and to triumph at Le Mans in 1988 and 1990. He introduced Ross Brawn, who had been TWR's designer in sportscars, to the team and set it on course for its world championship successes with Michael Schumacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeeJay Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 He was also considered to be Mr.Rugby, to those of us coming from the West Country who have a passion for Gloucester, Bath and good ole Briss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 And who can forget?:[IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q103/cooperlola/btcc_1994_rydell.jpg[/IMG][:-))][:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 What a bus to win the BTC though, my own favourite XJS Bathurst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 [quote user="just john "]What a bus to win the BTC though, [/quote]They were extrordinary. If I had been Volvo's marketing manager, I'd have kissed him. At the time their estate was at the core of their products (certainly in Britain) and yet seemed about as far from a racing car as it was possible to get. An inspired choice and amazing what he did with it.Bathurst is one of those "1000 things to do before you die" as far as I am concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 [quote user="cooperlola"] amazing what he did with it. [/quote]I just loved his engineering achievements with seemingly unlikely contenders, who else could have achieved results like those with a Volvo estate or an XJS V12! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 I didn't know that . . .''What gets forgotten is that a Red Bull rescue was on the table. Dietrich Mateschitz – who had split his sponsorship between Sauber and Arrows after Peter Sauber opted for Kimi Raikkonen rather than his protégé Enrique Bernoldi, and the Brazilian was slotted into Arrows – was prepared to buy the team for $30m. But the judge who heard the case against TWR memorably knew nothing of the energy drink and refused to believe it could be a credible saviour. But for that, it's not fanciful to suggest that Walkinshaw might have lived to see "his" team winning the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championships for Drivers and Constructors... '' /tom-walkinshaw-motor-racing-team-owner-who-won-the-world-title-with-michael-schumacher-and-branched-out-into-rugby-union Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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