My word! I guess I was about 11 years too late otherwise I'd have walked halfway across the World to attend this event. Clue me in on the next one. I was a little kid when I wrote him a letter and he responded by sending me an autographed picture. That picture hung with honor in my family's den for decades. The man was a class act and a very thoughtful human being. He was my hero. No fan of racing will ever forget Mark Donohue.
Fabulous video about one of the all-time greats. A special thanks to Paul Powell who has put together all of the Donohue reunions. His singular vision and dedication has helped preserve Mark's legacy and introduce young fans to a significant piece of motor sports history.
A lovely tribute to a great Racer. Donohue was a technical genius and a very fast Racer as well. His accident in Austria was a tragedy..... But look what incredible Cars He raced.... While He lived, He was ALIVE.
although i'm british,i rate Mark as one of the world's greatest racing driver/engineers.It was a tragedy the way he died,but he will live forever in my mind. R.I.P Mark.
(continued from comment below) Mark saw me measuring the tire temps, and being the bright engineer he was, quickly realized that we were on to something. He asked me to come to his pit to measure tire temps when he practiced later that day. I was in awe of Mark, so I quickly agreed to his request. What a treat for me. He was such a genuine and nice fellow. Little did I know that we were starting a new trend in racing engineering that has progressed to sophisticated levels these days.
I was very lucky to have met Mark at Dover Delaware in September of 1974; he had just announced that he was coming out of retirement and would be driving for Penske in the 1975 F1 season. He was so nice to us and treated us as if we were his good friends; we all wished him luck in the upcoming 1975 F1 season. I'll never forget what a classy guy he was.
Great song....and a great man. I am reading his autobiography right now..."The Unfair Advantage" and I just can't get over how modest he was....he never takes credit for being a great driver....the title of the book even suggests that he had an advantage...and that's why he won...but the truth was he was amazingly skilled as a driver and as an engineer. I am only in my 30s but I look back to this period of racing as America's/the World's golden age and Donahue was absolute KING. That says a lot.
I followed Mark's career from the beginning. He was a technical driver . . . and more, he was fast! He is alive in the memories of those who "experienced the exultation of racing" through his many accomplishments.
An amazing driver. I had the pleasure of watching him at Laguna Seca in 1967 smoke the Porches and Jim Halls Chapearells that year. No wonder he ended up driving for Porsche.
Mark Donohue became my hero when I read an original copy of The Unfair Advantage about 15 years ago. I have read that book over 10 times!!! Mark was a visionary of his time.
Very nicely done! The cars are beautiful, I was and still am a Mark Donohue fan and loved watching him drive those stunning Penske Racing cars years ago. When I watched this the first time I had just finished reading the very pages in" The Unfair Advantage" with Mark's comments about Bobby Brown that are in Mark Knopfler's very fitting song. Thanks again,Craig
@compasstf thanks so much for sharing. Really inspiring to hear about the ground breaking work you guys did as pioneers of racing. It must have been an incredible time for you, additionally to witness the incredible awareness Mark had to notice what you were discovering.
In 1970 I bought a Javelin, and attended the Trams Am at Watkins Glen, that was the 1st time I saw Mark Donohue race. I was at Pocono when he won the first 500 miler at Pocono. Later than year I watched him win the Trans Am at Watkins Glen, and listen on the radio was he won the 72 Indy 500. I watched him practice for the 1971 Grand Prix at the Glen, but didn't race because he had to race at Trenton I believe. Saw him several times after that. Saw him for the last time at the Glen 1974.
Thanks for this as Mark would be to humble to think it was needed or he would just point at his Penske crew and defer to the excellent team and they all knew he too was an engineer as well as the best driver they could hope to work for.. Watching him go from 0 to 100 and back to zero in 7 seconds at Laguna Seca was just his way of testing the metal but it impressed me to this day.
I met Mark at Watkins Glen NY when I was working on the BGF Tirebird street tire racing campaign. I had realized that the hypodermic needle thermocouple used by the tread compound guys to check state of cure on tires could also check how close we were to overheating the tires on the track. We soon learned we could also tell how the tire was working, changing the air pressure in it to make it work better and monitor the temps to make certain it didn't work too hard.
@solo2racer yeah the song was picked as it was written about Mark Donohue. Knopfler was invited to the event I am told but had a concert in Germany that conflicted with the reunion weekend.
I was at this event in 2010. I was going to bring my original copy of Unfair Advantage for the team to sign but I did not want to mark up the book at the time. My first car was a 73 Javelin, and yes, I had a Mark Donohue spoiler on it. Wish I kept it now.
@1957thack Thanks for the multi-part comment and sharing your own story about Mark. re: "Exquisite tribute to a giant of a man! I'm from Indy and Mark will always be synonymous with the 500. He was the first of great great drivers that Penski hired and brought to the brickyard. ..."
The real glory days of racing is over. I feel so lucky I was able to witness the end of it with the GTP era. I was young but I'll never forget the sound and smell. Maybe it's not really over but there's something missing in all Motorsport these days. Maybe it's the hybrid thing or paddle shifters. Could be all the driving aids and restrictions placed in the cars. I do miss seeing cars actual everyday people could buy being at the top level of sports car racing and I don't mean NASCAR. Like the Mercury Couger or just a Mustang or Camero. Regular models your folks drive Now everything at the top levels of sports car racing is an all ready ridiculous super car. Nothing wrong with that but I loved seeing a Chevrolet Beretta with crazy ground effects doing 150+ down the back straight at PIR.
OhitsThat agree. Back in the late 60s and through the 70s & 80s, racing was electrifying. Outstanding competition and awesome Trans Am (stock) cars to the unlimited Can Am cars. My skin got goosebumps, my hair stood on end, my eyes watered with joy. I felt closer to the cars, drivers, teams, and tracks back in those days. Could get up real close to the track and to the cars/drivers/teams in the paddocks. Cars were unmuffled and loud as hell. Racing seemed more agressive back then. It was easy to dream of being a race car driver. The glory days of racing.
@dnj47 thanks for the compliment. Work in progress to give me a sense of the available pictures and flow. Will be compressed down to the length of the song when done.
My word! I guess I was about 11 years too late otherwise I'd have walked halfway across the World to attend this event. Clue me in on the next one. I was a little kid when I wrote him a letter and he responded by sending me an autographed picture. That picture hung with honor in my family's den for decades. The man was a class act and a very thoughtful human being. He was my hero. No fan of racing will ever forget Mark Donohue.
Fabulous video about one of the all-time greats. A special thanks to Paul Powell who has put together all of the Donohue reunions. His singular vision and dedication has helped preserve Mark's legacy and introduce young fans to a significant piece of motor sports history.
A lovely tribute to a great Racer. Donohue was a technical genius and a very fast Racer as well. His accident in Austria was a tragedy.....
But look what incredible Cars He raced.... While He lived, He was ALIVE.
Autosport had a nice tribute to #MartinoFinotto , who died on 5th, in yesterdays magazine.
J'adore cette vidéo d'abord ces autos cet homme pilote Mark Donohue hommage et en plus Mark Knopfler je suis comblé tenkyou very much Luckey !!!
michel leporati
Mon plaisir Michel!
although i'm british,i rate Mark as one of the world's greatest racing driver/engineers.It was a tragedy the way he died,but he will live forever in my mind. R.I.P Mark.
(continued from comment below) Mark saw me measuring the tire temps, and being the bright engineer he was, quickly realized that we were on to something. He asked me to come to his pit to measure tire temps when he practiced later that day. I was in awe of Mark, so I quickly agreed to his request. What a treat for me. He was such a genuine and nice fellow. Little did I know that we were starting a new trend in racing engineering that has progressed to sophisticated levels these days.
To this day the most beautiful race car I've ever seen is the Sunoco McLaren that he drove to victory the 1972 500.
I was very lucky to have met Mark at Dover Delaware in September of 1974; he had just announced that he was coming out of retirement and would be driving for Penske in the 1975 F1 season. He was so nice to us and treated us as if we were his good friends; we all wished him luck in the upcoming 1975 F1 season. I'll never forget what a classy guy he was.
He really was, a true class act. I was just a little kid when I wrote him a letter and he immediately responded by sending me an autographed picture.
Great song....and a great man. I am reading his autobiography right now..."The Unfair Advantage" and I just can't get over how modest he was....he never takes credit for being a great driver....the title of the book even suggests that he had an advantage...and that's why he won...but the truth was he was amazingly skilled as a driver and as an engineer. I am only in my 30s but I look back to this period of racing as America's/the World's golden age and Donahue was absolute KING. That says a lot.
He was my idol and I will never forget the thrill I got when he sent me an autographed picture. He was a such a thoughtful man.
One of my favorite drivers of all time.... R.I.P. Mark
...
Wish they would do another reunion. Can Am cars Made Road America great.
I followed Mark's career from the beginning. He was a technical driver . . . and more, he was fast! He is alive in the memories of those who "experienced the exultation of racing" through his many accomplishments.
Amazing collection
An amazing driver. I had the pleasure of watching him at Laguna Seca in 1967 smoke the Porches and Jim Halls Chapearells that year. No wonder he ended up driving for Porsche.
Mark Donohue became my hero when I read an original copy of The Unfair Advantage about 15 years ago. I have read that book over 10 times!!! Mark was a visionary of his time.
He was so much more than a driver....RIP
Awesome tribute, excellent choice of music. Thanks.
Very nicely done! The cars are beautiful, I was and still am a Mark Donohue fan and loved watching him drive those stunning Penske Racing cars years ago.
When I watched this the first time I had just finished reading the very pages in" The Unfair Advantage" with Mark's comments about Bobby Brown that are in Mark Knopfler's very fitting song.
Thanks again,Craig
@compasstf thanks so much for sharing. Really inspiring to hear about the ground breaking work you guys did as pioneers of racing. It must have been an incredible time for you, additionally to witness the incredible awareness Mark had to notice what you were discovering.
Met Mark Donohue in 1972 Pocono Raceway I was 8 years when I yelled to him he came over and signed an autograph he will always be my favorite
I got to see him drive the Turbopanzer at Road America back in the 70s. Loved his engineering and driving skills. Great video!
In 1970 I bought a Javelin, and attended the Trams Am at Watkins Glen, that was the 1st time I saw Mark Donohue race. I was at Pocono when he won the first 500 miler at Pocono. Later than year I watched him win the Trans Am at Watkins Glen, and listen on the radio was he won the 72 Indy 500. I watched him practice for the 1971 Grand Prix at the Glen, but didn't race because he had to race at Trenton I believe. Saw him several times after that. Saw him for the last time at the Glen 1974.
The 1970 Trans Am was won by Vic Elford in a Camaro entered by Jim Hall. I was there that day.
@Skyisnotalimit Paul Powell knew him and his family well. Glad you enjoyed it.
Great tribute to Mark Donohue, the cars and the guys behind keeping them up, both then and now. Love it.
Thanks for this as Mark would be to humble to think it was needed or he would just point at his Penske crew and defer to the excellent team and they all knew he too was an engineer as well as the best driver they could hope to work for.. Watching him go from 0 to 100 and back to zero in 7 seconds at Laguna Seca was just his way of testing the metal but it impressed me to this day.
thanks you for this beautiful tribute..
Mark N. Donohue, Jr. will always be my hero.
I met Mark at Watkins Glen NY when I was working on the BGF Tirebird street tire racing campaign. I had realized that the hypodermic needle thermocouple used by the tread compound guys to check state of cure on tires could also check how close we were to overheating the tires on the track. We soon learned we could also tell how the tire was working, changing the air pressure in it to make it work better and monitor the temps to make certain it didn't work too hard.
Thanks sir for this great work.
@solo2racer yeah the song was picked as it was written about Mark Donohue. Knopfler was invited to the event I am told but had a concert in Germany that conflicted with the reunion weekend.
I was at this event in 2010. I was going to bring my original copy of Unfair Advantage for the team to sign but I did not want to mark up the book at the time. My first car was a 73 Javelin, and yes, I had a Mark Donohue spoiler on it. Wish I kept it now.
As with all greats, what would life be if he were still here? How many records and wins would he have had? We will always remember him.
The Unfair Advantage. Mark Donohue behind the wheel of a Penske car. It didn't get any better than that. Great tribute to my favorite racer.
@1957thack Thanks for the multi-part comment and sharing your own story about Mark. re: "Exquisite tribute to a giant of a man! I'm from Indy and Mark will always be synonymous with the 500. He was the first of great great drivers that Penski hired and brought to the brickyard. ..."
The real glory days of racing is over. I feel so lucky I was able to witness the end of it with the GTP era. I was young but I'll never forget the sound and smell.
Maybe it's not really over but there's something missing in all Motorsport these days.
Maybe it's the hybrid thing or paddle shifters. Could be all the driving aids and restrictions placed in the cars.
I do miss seeing cars actual everyday people could buy being at the top level of sports car racing and I don't mean NASCAR.
Like the Mercury Couger or just a Mustang or Camero. Regular models your folks drive
Now everything at the top levels of sports car racing is an all ready ridiculous super car. Nothing wrong with that but I loved seeing a Chevrolet Beretta with crazy ground effects doing 150+ down the back straight at PIR.
OhitsThat agree. Back in the late 60s and through the 70s & 80s, racing was electrifying. Outstanding competition and awesome Trans Am (stock) cars to the unlimited Can Am cars. My skin got goosebumps, my hair stood on end, my eyes watered with joy. I felt closer to the cars, drivers, teams, and tracks back in those days. Could get up real close to the track and to the cars/drivers/teams in the paddocks. Cars were unmuffled and loud as hell. Racing seemed more agressive back then. It was easy to dream of being a race car driver. The glory days of racing.
@dnj47 thanks for the compliment. Work in progress to give me a sense of the available pictures and flow. Will be compressed down to the length of the song when done.
@31rx7 Thanks man. Going to be doing another cut of this when Paul sends me the fresh pictures and videos he has from the event. Stay Tune :-)
What ever happened to the Can AM L&M Porsche? I really loved the looks of that car. R.I.P Mark Donohue
How was Mark Donohue personality like? Thanks for a great upload! I can see this over and over again!
I've always heard that he was kind, always willing to lend a hand, he also was nice to fans.
One of my First Hero
nice and great choice in music big Knopfler fan(he is also into Vintage racing)
I grew up with The Unfair Advantage in the top drawer of an end table...like the Bible in motels.
Very nice!
real biase to the real race cars that Donohue/Penske team ran the 1970/1971 AMERICAN MOTORS JAVELIN AND THE 1972-1975. AmericanMotors MATADOR
Isn't that #28 car the F-1 entry ?
@compasstf great insight
wheres his 512m ?
Great job but music does not suit Mark.
lol