Motorsports Trivia Thread!

[Liquid]

Other random trivia to be added by others if you know:

Modern(ish) era drivers who smoke?

Obviously it used to be much more common back in the day but are there many drivers since, say, the 1990s who are known to be smokers?

Frank Biela

Michael Schumacher

Jason Plato

Jan Magnussen

Kimi Räikkönen

And I'm sure for some drivers like Räikkönen it's definitely a party thing.

 

[daan]

Smokin' Jo Winkelhock.

 

[Liquid]

And Tom Kristensen from the looks of it!

 

[daan]

And Tom Kristensen from the looks of it!

I think Tom is just holding it for Jo.

 

[DesertPenguin]

It was mentioned in another topic but it's so far back it would take forever to dig for.

There was a Formula 1 car a few years back that had the writing "drive safely" or something to that effect on the rear wing for trailing cars to read. What was it exactly?

 

[TenEightyOne]

It was mentioned in another topic but it's so far back it would take forever to dig for.

There was a Formula 1 car a few years back that had the writing "drive safely" or something to that effect on the rear wing for trailing cars to read. What was it exactly?

The Williams had "Keep Your Distance" after being rear-ended by a number of drivers including Verstappen Sr.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Thanks! I gotta get that as a decal for my GTS cars lol

 

[Liquid]

BAR also had Don't Walk on the back of their cars as well as Look Left and Look Right on the front of their cars one season too, for the tobacco-free races.

It's the BAR 006 so at least in 2005.

 

[Liquid]

Q: Alfonso de Portago was a Spanish aristocrat and gentleman driver of the 1950s. He raced in Formula One, sports cars and races such as the Mille Miglia and the Carrera Panamericana.

He has a unique distinction to do with the races he entered. Can you guess what that might be?

Guesswork before clues.

 

[Barra333]

He never started anywhere but last on the grid?

 

[Pezzarinho17]

He only ever entered 1 race in each series contested?

 

[DK]

He had the longest name on the entry lists?

 

[TheCracker]

He's known for originally owning some rare/important classic Ferraris, so maybe the answer is that he only ever drove a Ferrari?

 

[Liquid]

None of those is quite flirting with the answer.

Clue: it's to do with non-motor sport races too.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Did he always use the same race number?

 

[Carbonox]

Didn't he always race barefoot?

 

[Dotini]

In all the sports he raced in, he never served an apprenticeship, always starting at the top, with the best. Also, he usually wore black.

 

[Pete05]

Was he always the only Moroccan to be in the race?

 

[Liquid]

No. I'll repeat the clue.

It's to do with non-motor sport races too.

He holds a unique distinction involving motor races he entered and non-motor races he entered.

 

[Dotini]

No. I'll repeat the clue.

It's to do with non-motor sport races too.

He holds a unique distinction involving motor races he entered and non-motor races he entered.

An Olympian at bobsleigh, and a GP driver. That's a distinction.
He raced both F1 cars and Grand National horses at Aintree. That's probably unique.

 

[Liquid]

An Olympian at bobsleigh, and a GP driver. That's a distinction.

Getting warmer.

He raced both F1 cars and Grand National horses at Aintree. That's probably unique.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Alfonso de Portago is, as far as I can research, the only man to enter both horse races and motor races at Aintree.

 

[Dotini]

Name both car and driver. The driver dabbled in F1 GP racing, but was a champion in sports cars, winning overall in one of the endurance classics, with numerous class wins.

Is there something "different" in the photo below? (Don't click on it!)

 

[Liquid]

Just as a guess, is this that experimental car which had two engines? I think it was an Alfa Romeo.

 

[Dotini]

Just as a guess, is this that experimental car which had two engines? I think it was an Alfa Romeo.

Not an Alfa, and not two engines. It is a car which eventually raced across multiple categories and had longish career. The car pictured is in a special configuration for which the car was not originally intended. What is this car's purpose?

 

[DK]

Was it a Maserati adapted for the Dakar Rally?

 

[Dotini]

Was it a Maserati adapted for the Dakar Rally?

Getting warmer! It was not a Maserati, but a different (closer to home) marque disguised(!) to look like a Maserati. And not for the purpose of rallying, but for yet another purpose, but yes, about long distance racing. Take another look at the photo. Does there appear something a bit odd about the lighting and shadows? Can we guess now what the car's real purpose is, and work out the real marque and driver's name?

 

[XJ40]

Getting warmer! It was not a Maserati, but a different (closer to home) marque disguised(!) to look like a Maserati. And not for the purpose of rallying, but for yet another purpose, but yes, about long distance racing. Take another look at the photo. Does there appear something a bit odd about the lighting and shadows? Can we guess now what the car's real purpose is, and work out the real marque and driver's name?

Now you mention about the shadows, is it in a studio?

 

[Dotini]

Now you mention about the shadows, is it in a studio?

Not certain about being in a studio, but it looks like the lighting may be artificial. You don't suppose those 'mechanics' are really actors, do you?

 

[XJ40]

Is it an f1 car converted for the road? Spare wheel, lights, mudguards?
This is going to annoy me...

 

[Dotini]

Is it an f1 car converted for the road? Spare wheel, lights, mudguards?
This is going to annoy me...

Getting colder now!

The marque was manufactured in small numbers from 1949 to about 1957, usually in F2 form but also for F1 and sports car. Its greatest success came at the 195X International Trophy at Silverstone, the greatest tragedy at the 1956 Mille Miglia.