Mark Donohue fatal crash at Osterreichring - Austrian GP - 17 August 1975 - AFTERMATH VIDEO

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• published: 14 Mar 2017
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Mark Neary Donohue Jr. (March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975), nicknamed "Captain Nice," and later "Dark Monohue," was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp "Can-Am Killer" Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1972. Cars that Donohue raced include: AMC Javelin, AMC Matador, Chevrolet Camaro, Eagle-Offy, Elva Courier, Ford GT40 MK IV, Ferrari 250LM, Ferrari 512, Lola T70, Lola T330, Lotus 20, McLaren M16, Porsche 911, Porsche 917/10, Porsche 917/30, Shelby Cobra, and Shelby Mustang GT350R. An international Sports Car racing specialist who had the uncanny ability to setup his own race cars and then drive them to victory, Mark Donohue (March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975) also made headlines in NASCAR Stock Car racing and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And while the Summit, New Jersey, resident began racing with a 1957 Corvette, he went on to race at least a dozen of the world’s most spectacular cars and became the No. 1 driver for Penske Racing, one of the most dominant teams in the history of motorsports. A 1959 graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with a degree in mechanical engineering, Donohue won the 1960-1961 Sports Car Club of America E-Production National Championships with an Elva Courier and the 1965 Northeast Division SCCA B Production Championship in a Shelby Mustang GT-350R. During this time, he was befriended by veteran racer Walt Hansgen who invited him to co-drive a Ferrari 275 at the 1965 12 Hours of Sebringendurance race in Florida – his first international competition – and he also won that year’s SCCA Formula C title in a Lotus 20. In 1966 and 1967, Donohue drove one of the Holman & Moody-prepared Ford GT-40 Mk II race cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. And, by the end of 1967, he was signed to drive Penske’s brand new Lola T70-Chevy in the United States Road Racing Championship where he won the titles in 1967 and 1968. Donohue – who always looked for a way to prepare his cars with an “unfair advantage” – also dominated the Trans-Am Series and won three (1967-1968 & 1971) championships in the Penske Chevrolet Camaros and AMC Javelins. In 1969, Penske added USAC Championship racing to his team’s schedule and Donohue finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 and was named “Rookie of the Year.” He then won the inaugural Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond PA. in 1971, and in 1972 he won the Indianapolis 500 in the team’s blue and yellow No. 66 Sunoco McLaren-Offy at a record speed of 162.962 mph, which stood as the Speedway’s standard for 12 years. Donohue added another first for himself and Penske in 1973 when he won the NASCAR Cup Series race on the road course at Riverside, California, in an AMC Matador. In 1972-1973, Donohue and Penske Racing did the primary testing for Porsche’s cutting-edge 917 Sports Car which won all but one race in the 1973 CanAm Racing Series. Donohue then announced his retirement, but before he officially ended his driving days he won the inaugural International Race of Champions in 1974 in a Porsche Carrera RSR. But Penske lured Donohue – who raced a Penske-sponsored McLaren in the 1971 Canadian Grand Prix – back into racing when he formed his Penske Cars Limited Formula-1 team and he raced Penske’s PC-1 in that world-touring series from 1974 and 1975. In August 1975, however, Penske abandoned the troublesome PC-1 and started using the Mach 751. But the team was still working for Porsche and Donohue set a new world closed-course speed record (221.120 mph) with the open-cockpit two-seat blue Sunoco Porsche 917-30 at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway in Alabamaon August 9, 1975. And then he left to go to the Austrian Grand Prix. While practicing for the race, the crew-cut driver lost control of his March 751 after a tire failed and he crashed into the catch fencing. Originally, it appeared that Mark Donohue had only been shaken, but when he complained of headaches the next day he was taken to the hospital where he lapsed into a coma from a Cerebral Hemorrhage and died.

Mark Donohue fatal crash at Osterreichring - Austrian GP - 17 August 1975 - AFTERMATH VIDEO

• Report rights infringement
• published: 14 Mar 2017
• views: 205

Mark Neary Donohue Jr. (March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975), nicknamed "Captain Nice," and later "Dark Monohue," was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp "Can-Am Killer" Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1972. Cars that Donohue raced include: AMC Javelin, AMC Matador, Chevrolet Camaro, Eagle-Offy, Elva Courier, Ford GT40 MK IV, Ferrari 250LM, Ferrari 512, Lola T70, Lola T330, Lotus 20, McLaren M16, Porsche 911, Porsche 917/10, Porsche 917/30, Shelby Cobra, and Shelby Mustang GT350R. An international Sports Car racing specialist who had the uncanny ability to setup his own race cars and then drive them to victory, Mark Donohue (March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975) also made headlines in NASCAR Stock Car racing and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And while the Summit, New Jersey, resident began racing with a 1957 Corvette, he went on to race at least a dozen of the world’s most spectacular cars and became the No. 1 driver for Penske Racing, one of the most dominant teams in the history of motorsports. A 1959 graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with a degree in mechanical engineering, Donohue won the 1960-1961 Sports Car Club of America E-Production National Championships with an Elva Courier and the 1965 Northeast Division SCCA B Production Championship in a Shelby Mustang GT-350R. During this time, he was befriended by veteran racer Walt Hansgen who invited him to co-drive a Ferrari 275 at the 1965 12 Hours of Sebringendurance race in Florida – his first international competition – and he also won that year’s SCCA Formula C title in a Lotus 20. In 1966 and 1967, Donohue drove one of the Holman & Moody-prepared Ford GT-40 Mk II race cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. And, by the end of 1967, he was signed to drive Penske’s brand new Lola T70-Chevy in the United States Road Racing Championship where he won the titles in 1967 and 1968. Donohue – who always looked for a way to prepare his cars with an “unfair advantage” – also dominated the Trans-Am Series and won three (1967-1968 & 1971) championships in the Penske Chevrolet Camaros and AMC Javelins. In 1969, Penske added USAC Championship racing to his team’s schedule and Donohue finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 and was named “Rookie of the Year.” He then won the inaugural Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond PA. in 1971, and in 1972 he won the Indianapolis 500 in the team’s blue and yellow No. 66 Sunoco McLaren-Offy at a record speed of 162.962 mph, which stood as the Speedway’s standard for 12 years. Donohue added another first for himself and Penske in 1973 when he won the NASCAR Cup Series race on the road course at Riverside, California, in an AMC Matador. In 1972-1973, Donohue and Penske Racing did the primary testing for Porsche’s cutting-edge 917 Sports Car which won all but one race in the 1973 CanAm Racing Series. Donohue then announced his retirement, but before he officially ended his driving days he won the inaugural International Race of Champions in 1974 in a Porsche Carrera RSR. But Penske lured Donohue – who raced a Penske-sponsored McLaren in the 1971 Canadian Grand Prix – back into racing when he formed his Penske Cars Limited Formula-1 team and he raced Penske’s PC-1 in that world-touring series from 1974 and 1975. In August 1975, however, Penske abandoned the troublesome PC-1 and started using the Mach 751. But the team was still working for Porsche and Donohue set a new world closed-course speed record (221.120 mph) with the open-cockpit two-seat blue Sunoco Porsche 917-30 at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway in Alabamaon August 9, 1975. And then he left to go to the Austrian Grand Prix. While practicing for the race, the crew-cut driver lost control of his March 751 after a tire failed and he crashed into the catch fencing. Originally, it appeared that Mark Donohue had only been shaken, but when he complained of headaches the next day he was taken to the hospital where he lapsed into a coma from a Cerebral Hemorrhage and died.