Clay killed

[Ken Mason]

he BBC are reporting that: Former
Grand Prix driver Gianclaudio "Clay" Regazzoni has been killed in a road accident.
The Italian Ansa news agency said the 67-year-old Swiss, a former Ferrari driver, was killed in a collision with a lorry on a motorway near Parma. ...

Very sad, I always loved his relaxed style and he continued doing events even after he was paralysed from the waist down at Long Beach...

 

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

Damn...too sad news.
Another too great hero gone...and I think a lot is due to the dangerous of italian highways (I wellknow that part where he die, near Parma).
We have definitely too many trucks over our roads (in Italy 90% of commercials moves on trucks),and really always we can see too dangerous situations that dont became a tragedy only for lucky..

Rest in peace great Clay

Paolo

 

[Simon]

Very sad news, I remember him from my earliest interest in F1. He overcame a great disability. Sad news.
Simon

 

[David Morton]

How sad. I echo Paolo's comments as I often drive the A1 and A14 in Italy. I have never seen so many trucks, all nose to tail.

 

[Howard Jones]

Damn! I was present for the orginal crash a Long Beach. Close enough in fact not to need to stand up to see over everyone else. I was under the grandstand at the end of shoreline when his brake peddle broke off at 190MPH. His first impact of Nelsons parked car was right at my feet.

I'm so sorry to hear that it all ended up this way after all these years. His was such a brave recovery. Sad, So sad.

God bless you Clay.

 

[roaldin]

RIP.
He was described in another forum as one of the generation of "honest drivers", I'll go along with that.

Tim.

 

[Marcus]

He was a real character compared to other Ferrari star-drivers of the last couple of years...
In an orbituary it could be read that he drove several hundred miles just
to have a good game of cards with some old friends.

He´ll be dearly missed by all those whose hearts are touched by men like him,
defining themselves through the limits they explored and sometimes exceeded.

 

[David Morton]

Clay Regazzoni's funeral will take place on Thursday at the Sacro Cuore church in Lugano, Switzerland and there will be a memorial service in Monaco in January.

Reports from Italy say that the autopsy for the former Ferrari driver, who died following a car accident near Parma, did not reveal fatal injuries resulting from the crash and this would seem to suggest that the 67-year-old died of natural causes either before the accident occurred or in its immediate aftermath

 

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

right David,
They showed the car after the collision and the damage was absolutely not in the way I was thinking for.
The truck problem on our highways remains..but probably..almost this time that was not the main reason for Clay death.

So sad anyway...reading a little about his history..he was a sort of Eddie Irvine, that really knew how to enjoy life (driving skill was another world than Eddie's one btw..).
He made a lot also after his crash in Long Beach, for the people suffering similar handicaps..he was a real guide (as today only Zanardi is.....one of the nicest part in my wtcc experience...when I met him I only remind his incredible race in Laguna..and I understood his heart tatally remain on Indy experience..for too many reasons ).

We will definitely miss this legend.(think he still has the main rekord with Formula one over the 1976 Nordschleife track .......)

Paolo

 

[David Morton]

One of our local bookshops in the High Street has mounted a pencil drawing in a book of Clay Reggazoni in the front window of the shop. Clearly a CR fan.

 

[La Pilota Anna]

Gianclaudio was a very special friend since meeting him at the Mille Miglia many years ago and receiving warm greetings every year at many Italian rallies. We had a lot of great dinners with F1 drivers and played when at the hillclimb of the Futa to his own event, the Clay Reggazoni Classic Marathon. Now in California, my heart aches for the passing of my friend as I can't be in Monte Carlo to send a personal final farewell.

His gift of competition to people with mobility issues was a continual source of amazement as was his continued demeanor as the "hot blooded-Swiss" guy making people realize that "men" will always be "men". He was a role model in more than a thousand ways to people with disability issues, because they could now view themselves as men who stood even taller as they never shied away from challenge, difficulty or risk to be in the game.

If anyone knew him or respected him as a driver and as a humanitarian, you probably agree that he was a winner throughout his life, on or off the track.

Mi manca molto amico mio. Un abbraccio forte,
Anna