RIP Chris Amon

[oliver1850]

Sad to read that he has passed due to cancer. One of the great drivers from the 60s/70s era which produced some of the most interesting and varied cars in racing history. Chris drove a bunch of them: Ferrari 312s, 612, P3 and P4, Lotus 25, Matra V12s, March F1 and CanAm, many others. Winner of both Daytona (1967, P4) and LeMans (1966, GT40) 24 hour races. He was legendary for bad luck but in typical pragmatic Kiwi fashion, didn't consider himself unlucky. He lived through a racing career in a period that so many of his contemporaries didn't survive. Quote from his wikipedia entry: Former Ferrari Technical Director Mauro Forghieri stated that Amon was "by far the best test driver I have ever worked with. He had all the qualities to be a World Champion but bad luck just wouldn't let him be".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Amon

[bthornt]

As you note, the winner of 1966 24 hours with co-driver Bruce McLaren. The famous 1 2 3 finish, first of 4 consecutive wins for the GT 40. A great driver and a great racing machine.

[Plum Hill]

Article on that LeMans: http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/132786-racer-redux-chris-amon-on-le-mans-66?showall=1&limitstart= .

[Bruce K]

I remember being at Watkins Glen and listening to him wind the Matra-Simca up to 12,000 rpm in the age when only Ferrarirs even came close.

No sound like it back then.

Great driver and a true gentleman.

RIP

BK

[oliver1850]

You got to hear the Matra pretty early on, and I got to hear it in perhaps its last appearance in a major event, the 1982 Caesar's Palace GP. Eddie Cheever gave the Ligier-Matra a 3rd place finish. I believe that wast the last race for a 3 liter V12, but V12s made a comeback a few years later with the advent of the 3.5 liter formula.

Back to Amon's bad luck: Although he drove the Matras at LeMans, and they won the race 3 years straight (1972-1974), Chris never got a finish in one. In 1971 while lying second near 10 AM his car ran out of fuel. In 1972 his car led at the start (not sure if he or Beltoise was driving) but the engine broke on the 3rd lap. Team cars placed 1/2 that year. 1973 was his last entry at LeMans, in a BMW which was also a DNF. The Matras finished in 1st and 3rd that year, as they did in 1974.