Monday, November 23, 2020

Nino Vaccarella, an Italian former sports car racing and Formula One driver


Nino Vaccarella (born 4 March 1933 in Palermo, Sicily) is an Italian former sports car racing and Formula One driver.
His principal achievements include winning the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Targa Florio in 1965, 1971 and 1975, when it no longer was a World Sportscar Championship event.

Sicily-born Vaccarella was well known for being a Targa Florio specialist. According to Vic Elford "he knew the roads on Sicily like the back of his hand". He was teamed with Umberto Maglioli for the 1960 Targa Florio in a birdcage Maserati, which was owned by the Camoradi team. Maglioli had previously won the race twice; Vaccarella was a schoolteacher in Palermo with a great passion for motorsport. The took the lead in the early afternoon on 8 May and maintained it for three laps until the car broke down. The event was won by Joakim Bonnier and Hans Herrmann in a small silver Porsche.[1] Vaccarella was paired with Lorenzo Bandini in the 1965 Targa Florio when they won with an average speed of 63.7 miles per hour, finishing in 7 hours and 1 minute. 12.4 seconds.[2] In 1966 Vaccarella and Bandini led most of the race until their Ferrari 330 ran off the track after seven laps and was too damaged to continue.[3] While waving his hand to acknowledge the crowd, Vaccarella made eye contact with a retaining wall that carried the inscription Viva Nino.[4] Maglioli and Vaccarella drove a Ford GT-40 to fifth place in the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring.[5] The 8 May 1968 edition of Giornale Di Sicilia proclaimed in its headline, Only Vaccarella Can Bring Off The Miracle. The meaning had to do with the Sicilian driver's great task of gaining victory in the Targa Florio in his 2.5-litre Alfa Romeo, called the Tipo 33. He was up against four German competitors who were driving Porsche 910 models. The Porsches had recently swept the endurance races at Daytona and Sebring. Few experts gave the four Alfa Romeos much of a chance against the flawless Porsches, but Sicilians were trusting the skill of Vaccarella's driving.[4] Vaccarella qualified eighth for the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona in a Ferrari 512S. He also drove the big V12-powered Ferrari 512S in a heroic yet ultimately losing effort in 1970, damaging the car in the final stages. This was one of a series of 11 endurance events held in Europe and North America for the 1970 world manufacturers championship.[6] Vaccarella and Toine Hezemans won the 1971 Targa Florio in an Alfa Romeo. They crossed the finish line over a minute ahead of Andrea de Adamich and Gijs van Lennep, who also drove an Alfa Romeo. This race ended the dominance of Porsche, which had finished first in the previous five Targa Florio races.[7] Vaccarella competed in the 1972 12 Hours of Sebring in one of four Alfa Romeo 33/3TT's to be entered in the event. His driving partner was Nanni Galli.[8] They qualified fifth after another Alfa Romeo of Rolf Stommelen and Peter Revson, who started third.[9]

Formula One

Vacarella was selected for the 1962 Ferrari Formula One race team by Enzo Ferrari. He was joined by John Surtees, Mike Parkes, Willy Mairesse, Bandini, and Ludovico Scarfiotti. He participated in five World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 10 September 1961. He scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.

Monday, November 16, 2020

Fritz d'Orey, a former racing driver, from Brazil. He participated in three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix

Frederico José Carlos Themudo "Fritz" d'Orey (born March 25, 1938 in São Paulo) is a former racing driver, from Brazil. He participated in three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 5, 1959.

Although he was Brazilian by birth, Fritz d’Orey’s parents were Portuguese nationals and his grandfather a German. The family settled in São Paulo where they earned a more than comfortable living by importing Packard cars from America. Fritz wanted for nothing, and what he wanted was to go racing.

That was with a Porsche initially before the 20 year old bought Chico Landi’s Ferrari 375 that was now fitted with a V8 Corvette engine. Victory in the Interlagos endurance race of 1958 and further national success persuaded d’Orey to race in Europe.

Formula 1 career with Centro Sud and Tec-Mec

He joined Scuderia Centro Sud for the following season and his Maserati 250F was 10th at the 1959 French Grand Prix. The youngster was wild and ragged and a heavy crash during the subsequent British GP ended his immediate plans. D’Orey also competed in hillclimbs, sports car races and Formula Junior events during 1959. He won an FJ race at Messina and was second in the United States GP support race at Sebring. D’Orey also made his third and final GP start that day with Camoradi USA’s Tec-Mec F415 – a strangely modified Maserati 250F whose reshaped body certainly made the car no quicker. D’Orey retired early on in what was Tec-Mec’s only Formula 1 appearance.

Instead of open-wheel racing, the Brazilian planned a season in sports cars in 1960. He finished sixth in the Sebring 12 Hours with William Sturgis’s Ferrari 250GT but then crashed while testing before the Le Mans 24 Hours. D’Orey suffered severe head injuries in the accident and was hospitalised for eight months. Although he recovered fully, he was finished with racing. Instead he returned to work for his father’s business and eventually settled in Rio de Janeiro.




Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga, a Serbian rock musician. He is best known as the leader of the Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Bajaga i Instruktori

Momčilo Bajagić "Bajaga" (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Бајагић „Бајагa”) is a Serbian rock musician. He is best known as the leader of the Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Bajaga i Instruktori, as well as a former member of the rock band Riblja Čorba.

Early career
Bajagić started his musical career as a singer for the band TNT. He wrote his first song lyrics (for the song "Dvadeseta noć", trans. "Twentieth Night") as a member of this band. After TNT disbanded in 1976, Bajagić joined the band Ofi led by organist Toma "Ofinger" Stojković. After Stojković left the band, Bajagić and two other Ofi members, drummer Dragan "Đera" Đerić and vocalist Živorad "Žika" Milenković, formed the band Glogov Kolac (Hawthorn Stake) with guitarist Rajko Kojić. After only one performance Glogov Kolac, disbanded. Bajagić refused Boban Petrović's invitation to join Zdravo, while Kojić joined the band SOS and later Riblja Čorba.

Riblja Čorba

In 1978, on suggestion of Bajagić's former bandmate Rajko Kojić, Bajagić was invited to join Riblja Čorba as rhythm guitarist. Bajagić recorded six albums with the band. He wrote songs "Ja sam se ložio na tebe" ("I Was Crushing on You"), "Baby, Baby I Don't Wanna Cry", "Muzičari koji piju" ("Musicians Who Drink") and "Kad hodaš" ("When You Walk"). He co-wrote the songs "Dva dinara, druže" ("Two Dinars, Comrade"), "Nemoj srećo, nemoj danas" ("Don't Honey, Don't Do It Today"), "Kazablanka" ("Casablanca"), "Evo ti za taksi" ("Here's Some for the Cab"), "Draga, ne budi peder" ("Honey, Don't Be a Faggot"), "Dobro jutro" ("Good Morning"), "Odlazak u grad" ("Leaving to the City"), "Srećan put, pišo moja mala" ("Have A Nice Trip, My Little Winky"), and others.

During his work with Riblja Čorba, Bajagić wrote a number of humorous pop rock songs that did not fit into the band's hard rock sound and decided to release a solo album. He recorded the album Pozitivna geografija (Positive Geography) with musicians who would later become members of his band Bajaga i Instruktori: vocalist Dejan Cukić (a former Dizel, Tilt and Bulevar member), bass guitarist Miroslav "Cvele" Cvetković (a former Tilt, Pop Mašina and Papatra member), guitarist Nenad Stamtović (a former Tilt, Zebra, Suncokret and Bulevar member) and drummer Vladimir Golubović (a former Tilt, Suncokret and Riblja Čorba member). The album was produced by Kornelije Kovač and was released at the end of January 1984, bringing hits "Limene trube" ("Brass Trumpets"), "Tekila gerila" ("Tequila Guerilla"), "Mali slonovi" ("Little Elephants"), "Marlena", and "Pustite me, druže" ("Let Me Go, Comrade"). Although released as Bajagić's solo album, Pozitivna geografija was later included in Bajaga i Instruktori official discography, as it featured future Bajaga i Instruktori members. Bajagić and the musicians that were involved in the album recording performed in Kulušić club in Zagreb on 12 April 1984, and on 21 April in Dom Sindikata in Belgrade, appearing as Bajaga i Instruktori (Bajaga and the Instructors) for the first time on the latter concert.
At the time of the album recording, Bajagić wanted to remain a member of Riblja Čorba, but the popularity of his songs caused conflicts inside the band. In July 1984 he was, alongside Kojić, excluded from Riblja Čorba, and started a tour with his new band.

Bajaga i Instruktori

Led by Bajagić, Bajaga i Instruktori became one of the most successful and influential rock bands of the former Yugoslav and Serbian rock scene. Their string of albums in the mid-to-late 1980s placed them at the very top of the former Yugoslav rock scene, alongside other mega-selling bands such as Bijelo Dugme and Riblja Čorba. The band has released nine studio albums (including Pozitivna geografija).

Solo works

Bajagić has released two solo albums, both featuring soundtracks written by Bajagić: Ni na nebu ni na zemlji (for the film of the same name)[1] and Profesionalac – Muzika iz filma (for the film The Professional). Bajagić recorded the latter with pop rock/folk rock band Apsolutno Romantično.[2] He also composed the music for TV series Otvorena Vrata. [3]

Album production

Bajagić produced Bezobrazno Zeleno debut album BZ1 released in 1983.[4] He produced Heroji only album, 88 (1988),[5] as well as their 7" single "Bilder" / "Instruktor skijanja" ("Bodybuilder" / "Skiing Instructor", released in 1986).[6] He produced his solo album Profesionalac – Muzika iz filma,[7] and participated in the production of Bajaga i Instruktori releases Četiri godišnja doba (Four Seasons, released in 1991)[8] and Muzika na struju (Electric Music, released in 1993).

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Leslie Marr, a British landscape artist, painter and former Formula 1 racing driver


 Sir Leslie Lynn Marr, 2nd Baronet (born 14 August 1922) is a British landscape artist, painter and former racing driver. Marr was born in Durham, the son of John Lynn Marr (1877–1931) and Amelia Rachel, née Thompson (1884–1971). He was educated at Shrewsbury School and Pembroke College, Cambridge. He inherited his baronetcy in 1932, on the death of his grandfather, shipbuilder Sir James Marr, 1st Baronet, though he does not use the title.England.  He studied engineering at Cambridge University, where he graduated in 1942. During World War II he served as a technician in the Royal Air Force. His interest in painting developed during his posting to Palestine. Marr participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, making his debut on 17 July 1954 at the British Grand Prix.[3] Racing in his private Connaught, he finished in 13th place, but retired from his last world championship race in 1955, after a damaged brake pipe caused him to spin off.  Marr competed in several non-Championship races, with his best results including winning the 1955 Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race and finishing fourth in the 1956 New Zealand Grand Prix. Marr is recognised primarily as a landscape artist and painter.[6][7][8] After the war ended, Marr attended life classes at Heatherley's Art School in Pimlico and subsequently studied under David Bomberg at what was then known as the Borough Polytechnic (now London South Bank University). He allocated the upper floor of a bookshop he had rented as an exhibition space for Bomberg's students (who became known as the Borough Group). Following the Group's dissolution in 1950, Marr continued to paint and to travel across Britain and the continent, and it was at this time that Marr tried his hand at motor racing.  Between 1983 and 1991, Marr lived and painted on Arran, and later moved to a home and studio in Norfolk.[1] Artworks by Marr are held in the public collections of the British Academy, Imperial College Collection, Laing Art Gallery Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Pallant House Gallery, Chichester.