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| Lamborghini's new Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse. (Image source: topgear.com) |
This long dormant story sleeping at
NoFendersville was rekindled when learning of Stewart Gunn just setting the
Blind & Disabled Motorcycle speed record at a smidge over 167mph; EUREKA!
As I'd originally stumbled upon this blind
persons pursuit of speed in the most peculiar fashion, after having briefly
discussed the subject with Pamela; NO! Not that Pamela as in Anderson, but Oh
Never Mind! As I'd still like to do an in-depth story about her outing with a blind driver...
Thus, whilst I was searching the All Knowing
gOOogleMunster for a long forgotten Formula Uno Piloto named Philippe Streiff:,
who was the very first Grand Prix Driver to be seriously injured during my then
just started journey of Formula 1, only knowing of him being permanently
paralyzed - his 'WICKEDpedia page left a most intriguing tidbit at the bottom
of the page...
Yet Streiff seems to be one of the countless
Drivers who never ever garners any Press, as he seemingly had the talent needed
to make it to the Big Leagues yet failed to ultimately find the right ride or
show off his true potential whilst languishing with such teams as AGS and
Tyrrell as forces conspired against him.
Streiff began his career relatively late at
the age of 22 by competing in the Volant Motul competition, which he won in 1977 before
graduating to Formula Renault the following year - taking his debutant victory
at the French GP at Paul Ricard that summer. Feeling the need
to progress rapidly, Streiff jumped up to European F3 for 1979 and finally
became successful in 1980 when he beat the factory Martini team at Zolder,
aboard his privately entered Martini-Toyota, and then won the French Formula 3
championship the following year.
For '82 Philippe moved to Henry Julian's Minnowesqe
AGS F2 team where he finished in the Top-6 for three seasons before winning the
very final F2 series race at Brands Hatch before being called up by Renault to drive a third "Works" entry at the '84
season ending Portuguese Grand Prix.
Beginning the 1985 season in F3000 for AGS,
Philippe was drafted into Ligier as Andrea 'DeCrasheris (de Ceaseris)
replacement for the overly accident prone Italian, before a 'One-off for
Tyrrell at South Africa before being signed as a fulltime driver the following
year.
With Ligier's return to the F1 Circus after
boycotting the South African event on the basis of Apartheid, Streiff would
score his only podium upon finishing third at Adelaide on just three wheels
after having collided with teammate Jacques Laffite, albeit Laffite's chassis
remained undamaged and he held off Streiff's three-wheeler en route to
finishing runner-up to Keke Rosberg's Williams.
Yet things never clicked at Tyrrell, who'd
dumped the 'Reggie powerplants in favour of 'Cossie (Cosworth) power - which left the Renault
backed driver vulnerable, and Streiff decided to head back to his former team
AGS for the '88 season, before sadly suffering his wicked testing accident at Rio
de Janeiro in the spring of 1989... As reputedly the accident that would leave
him paralyzed for life was so vicious that it tore his roll hoop completely off
of the AGS JH23B chassis!
Yet the quote about Streiff that was of
particular interest to me was Belgian Luc Costermans dedicating
his then new speed record for a blind person in honour of the ex-Formula 1
Frenchman... As Costermans apparently then
shattered Englishman Mike Newman's record aboard
a "loaner" Lamborghini; CRIKEYS! As the 'Brit Newman had held the
record at 167mph in a BMW M5 previously...
Yet Costermans's
record didn't stand long, as the following year South African Hein Wagner
upped Y's pace by becoming the first blind person to exceed 200mph; Aye
Karumba!
Thus while Wagner currently holds the record, Costermans can
take solace in becoming the first blind person to shatter the mythical 300kp/h
record, whilst this has all come full circle as
the '09 article I found about Wagner's exploits mentions how Newman was
then planning to attempt breaking the ultimate speed record of 257mph - whilst becoming
the first triple record holder of land, air and
water speed records which I found
briefly mentioned in;
Thus, while I doubt I'll be able to find
anybody willing to loan me their AMG 65, Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 ‘Squadra Corse or Ferrari 599GTB for Mwah to try
emulating these fearless blind persons
pursuit of ultimate speed, nevertheless it does encourage me to try pushing
thee envelope a 'Wee bit further! As who knows? May be after all I'll slip
behind the wheel of a motor vehicle for the first time in a Buh-zillion years shortly; Hmm? Anybody
wanna loan me the keys to their 'LamborGenie; Hya!