Comments on: What Determines A Legacy?

By: Pat W

Pat W — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:11:33 +0000

Well said George, and well handled.

I do think there is a place for annual awards named in this way for such things as spirit and sportsmanship but I completely agree that they should be appropriate to the individual who has passed. If the driver really wasn’t much cop, let’s respect that they tried their best but let’s not name things for them for the sake of it.

NaBUro38 mentions Gonzalez in F3000. After his death, the F3000 paddock awarded ‘Winning Attitudes’ awards in his name annually, usually at Monza, the last race of the year. The ceremony is usually attended by several current F1 drivers who raced against him in the junior ranks. When F3000 was replaced by GP2 in 2006, that series continued awarding the title.

Apologies for the late comment.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:05:15 +0000

Personally I think the league should keep these awards named like this. Tony Renna was THE Rising Star in this series and Greg should also be honored. Why would they name these awards with big names (Foyt, Andretti…) as they already have two championships named after them: AJ Foyt Oval Championship and the Mario Andretti Road Course Championship?

By: NaBUru38

NaBUru38 — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 04:23:05 +0000

Gonzalo Rodríguez’ death means a lot to us Uruguayans. We hadn’t have a driver ranked so high in decades. He won F3000 races (second only to F1) at no less than Nürburgring, Spa and Monaco, three cathedrals. He was fighting for the F3000 championship in a against a McLaren Mercedes-backed Nick Heidfeld when he got killed at Laguna Seca. We have a corner at the Autódromo de El Pinar named after him, as well as karting awards not related to results.

Gonchi means so much to me that the numbers of my nickname come after him: he won at Monaco with the number 8 and died with Penske’s number 3.

By: Timnothhelfer

Timnothhelfer — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:55:30 +0000

There was a fatality at the IMS MotoGP event this summer that was likely the youngest competitor to lose his life at the speedway. I think the motorcycle competitors are much more intimately aware of the consequences of motor sport competition. They feel every crash with their bodies and it usually hurts a lot.

By: Timnothhelfer

Timnothhelfer — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:25:51 +0000

I was at the HMS race weekend with the family arriving as the crash occured. When my wife quietly heard that Paul had been killed from an offcial’s wife she could not bear to stay for the race, so we left.

Sometimes I wonder if the (young) drivers are too confident in the safety equipment they don’t respect how dangerous this really is.

By: bickelmom

bickelmom — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:09:35 +0000

I think that was a very sensitive treatment of the issue, George. Nice post and good points.

By: Steve K

Steve K — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 02:44:07 +0000

Amazing how nascar’s trophy is far and away the best championship trophy not related to Lord Stanley in sports. Bring back the Vanderbilt Cup. As for Greg Moore got an award because he was well liked AND lost his life the way he did. One could always think of them as symbolism for all drivers who lost their lives. We can’t pick them all.

By: JohnMc

JohnMc — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:49:36 +0000

I like Hulman Cup, too. I also like naming trophies after the likes of Mears, Foyt, Mario Andretti, Wilbur Shaw and Bill Vukovich. Greatness.

By: redd

redd — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:09:19 +0000

I don’t think there’s any master plan as to who to name trophies after, probably just a very emotional reaction to a tragic accident.

In regard to the championship trophy–it wasn’t a bad idea to go with an artsy statue. Problem is that they picked the wrong artsy statue. That thing is just bad art. Mall art. And instead of a unicycle, the critera should have included an historic Indy car–even in the abstract that would’ve worked. I hope they have the nerve to change it for next year. And speaking of naming trophies–maybe the champ. trophy should be named the Hulman Cup, in honor of Tony Hulman.

By: Bent Wickerbill

Bent Wickerbill — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 09:36:57 +0000

George I agree, my personal feeling is, that there are so many CHAMPIONS from the world of open wheel racing to choose from, (both living and passed on) that it is not necessary to even enter into this conversation.
In fact, not to change the subject, but, I feel the same way about the new IRL championship trophy (madman on one wheel)… The IRL managed to come up with two distinct trophies, one for ovals and one for road courses named for two individuals who excelled at these. However, when it came to the champs trophy, we wound up with the madman. Why this top award could not have been named for a former open wheel champ with his likeness displayed on same is beyond most of us….