What became of Dave Luckett?
Gulliver
An article about the Belgian GP in the current F1 news magazine reminded
me about Dave Luckett, the Arrows mechanic seriously injured in a terrible
startline accident at the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix.
What became of him? I heard he was involved in F1 as recently as 1992, when
he worked for March. Is this true, and what's he up to now?
--
Angus Gulliver
an...@spuddy.mew.co.uk
Also at a.w.r.g...@herts.ac.uk
I plan to live forever...
...or die trying!
Simon Turner
In article <Mw4Gy4DY...@spuddy.mew.co.uk>
an...@spuddy.mew.co.uk "Gulliver" writes:
> An article about the Belgian GP in the current F1 news magazine reminded
> me about Dave Luckett, the Arrows mechanic seriously injured in a terrible
> startline accident at the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix.
>
> What became of him? I heard he was involved in F1 as recently as 1992, when
> he worked for March. Is this true, and what's he up to now?
Dave Luckett was Chief Mechanic for Simtek for the 1995 season -- what
there was of it 8-(. I'm not certain what he did between March and
Simtek, but Indy rings a vague bell. I can probably find out, if
anyone's interested...
I'm not sure what happened to him when Simtek went bust, but I spotted
a West Surrey Racing advert in Autosport in May this year (looking for
mechanics and a bodywork technician for their BTCC team), giving Dave
Luckett as the contact point for applications, so it looks like that's
what he's doing now.
I assume we're talking about the same Dave Luckett; I wasn't aware of
his Arrows accident (although it's probably not the sort of thing he
liked to talk about), but his age and experience fit in with having
been a mechanic in 1981.
Simon
--
Simon Turner DoD #0461
si...@ashes.demon.co.uk
Steve LaVergne
Simon Turner <si...@ashes.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> In article <Mw4Gy4DY...@spuddy.mew.co.uk>
> an...@spuddy.mew.co.uk "Gulliver" writes:
>
> > An article about the Belgian GP in the current F1 news magazine reminded
> > me about Dave Luckett, the Arrows mechanic seriously injured in a terrible
> > startline accident at the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix.
> >
> > What became of him? I heard he was involved in F1 as recently as 1992, when
> > he worked for March. Is this true, and what's he up to now?
>
> I assume we're talking about the same Dave Luckett; I wasn't aware of
> his Arrows accident (although it's probably not the sort of thing he
> liked to talk about), but his age and experience fit in with having
> been a mechanic in 1981.
>
Perhaps the most horrifying accident not involving a driver. One of the
Arrows stalled on an extremely muddled start. Lickett thought the race
was stopped and he jumped over the wall to restart the car. The green
lights came on and the cars started. One of the cars behind him didn't
realize the Arrows was stalled and slammed into the rear of it, smashing
Luckett between them. Luckett flopped over to the side like a rag doll.
At the time, everyone assumed he was dead. I don't remember the injuries
exactly, but I do recall both his legs were broken.
Steve
slav...@accessus.net
JoRoMa
On Aug 21, 1996 22:22:04 in article <What became of Dave Luckett?>,
'an...@spuddy.mew.co.uk (Gulliver)' wrote:
I recently met Dave when he briefly worked for West Surrey Racing's
Mondeo BTCC team. He was the Workshop Manager but said that he
really prefered single seaters and wasn't going to be staying.
He said that he had often been to Califonia restoring old Shadow F1 cars
for Don Nichols and that he was going out there again for a while.
That was about a month ago so presumably that is where he is now.
I don't remember his accident, what actually happened?
--
Malc
Burnham
UK
'I am not designed to finish second, I am designed to win'.
Ayrton Senna
Gulliver
In article <4vl66j$l...@news.accessus.net>,
It was this accident that made FISA decide to tighten up the start
procedure. To fans who weren't watching in those days it looks a shambolic
affair...
Patrese in the Arrows stalled, as did several others. There had been a
protest about another mechanic who had been run over in the pitlane the
previous day (he later died) just before the start. Patrese waved his
arms frantically to signal he had stalled, and nobody thought the race
would start. Dave Luckett leaped over the pit wall (OK, he should not have)
and disappeared behind the huge rear wing the cars had in them there days.
The organisers, showning great competence start the race...
Most cars get around Patrese, but his team-mate Siegfried Stohr is coming
from near the back of the grid (Patrese was 4th or something) and thinks
he can see a gap that will help him make up places. As cars jink around
Patrese's car Stohr suddenly can see what has happened and tries to stop
but there is no chance. He slamms into the rear of Patrese's car, and
Luckett ends up sprawled on the racetrack. He is alive but obviously in
great pain. His arm is coverng his face, which seems to be bleeding (the
arm has a lot of blood on it) and he is shaking (woudln't you?). Stohr
(a trained psychiatrist I believe) leaps from his car and almost stumbles
to Luckett - Stohr cannot believe what has just happened.
Neither, apparantly, can the race organisers who don't stop the race...
AIUI Luckett suffered broken legs and facial cuts. Given the speeds
involved and the possibility of him being crushed between two cars he
was a luck man to survive and return to work.
It was a terrible accident caused by slack procedures. Now it could not
happen with the tight starting procedure. Nigel Mansell was so shocked
(the accident happened just as he was passing Patrese and Mansell
could see everything in his mirror) he refused to get out of his car when
they finally did stop the race. He believed he'd never get back in again.
Christine Johnston
In article <50277s$9...@serv4.vossnet.co.uk> JoRoMa, jor...@vossnet.co.uk
writes:
>I don't remember his accident, what actually happened?
In the good old, bad old days...... Patrese stalled his Arrows on the
grid at Zolder. Luckett leapt on to the track to restart it. The race
started regardless and Patrese's team mate Stohr saw a gap and went for
it and realised too late that the gap was really a stalled Patrese with
Luckett and he ran in to them. Didn't even stop the race either,
b?$$Łrds.
Sylvan Smyth
jor...@vossnet.co.uk(JoRoMa) wrote:
>I don't remember his accident, what actually happened?
Patrese's Arrows stalled on the 1981 Zolder grid and Luckett jumped onto
the track to restart the car. Then the lights went green. Siegfried
Stohr, the other Arrows driver, ran smack into Luckett working away at
the back of Patrese's car. Fortunately at a much lower speed than
Paletti/Pironi or Lamy/Lehto in 1994, but it still looked like a sure
fatality. I remember pretty clearly watching the accident on TV, but
nothing about the ensuing race. I think that was the one where
Reutemann set the record for most consecutive points finishes at about
15 and Piquet and Jones had a bit of a disagreement. I think it was
also the meeting where the young Osella mechanic was hit by Reutemann's
Williams in the pits and subsequently died. Not as bad as Imola 1994,
but still a weekend to forget.
---
Sylvan Smyth
syl...@islandnet.com
Victoria, B.C. Canada
The Formula 1 Sounds Home Page, featuring Murray Walker
http://www.islandnet.com/~sylvan/f1sounds/
A J Samuels
In article <CnMJy4DY...@spuddy.mew.co.uk>, Gulliver (an...@spuddy.mew.co.uk) writes:
An excellent summary of a shocking catalogue of disasters which was
truly horrifying to watch live.
>It was this accident that made FISA decide to tighten up the start
>procedure. To fans who weren't watching in those days it looks a shambolic
>affair...
>
>Patrese in the Arrows stalled, as did several others. There had been a
>protest about another mechanic who had been run over in the pitlane the
>previous day (he later died) just before the start. Patrese waved his
>arms frantically to signal he had stalled, and nobody thought the race
>would start. Dave Luckett leaped over the pit wall (OK, he should not have)
>and disappeared behind the huge rear wing the cars had in them there days.
>
>The organisers, showning great competence start the race...
>
>Most cars get around Patrese, but his team-mate Siegfried Stohr is coming
>from near the back of the grid (Patrese was 4th or something) and thinks
>he can see a gap that will help him make up places. As cars jink around
>Patrese's car Stohr suddenly can see what has happened and tries to stop
>but there is no chance. He slamms into the rear of Patrese's car, and
>Luckett ends up sprawled on the racetrack. He is alive but obviously in
>great pain. His arm is coverng his face, which seems to be bleeding (the
>arm has a lot of blood on it) and he is shaking (woudln't you?). Stohr
>(a trained psychiatrist I believe) leaps from his car and almost stumbles
>to Luckett - Stohr cannot believe what has just happened.
>
>Neither, apparantly, can the race organisers who don't stop the race...
>
I have to disagree with you on this one point. As I recall the race
was stopped at the end of the first lap, although a few drivers
ignored the red flag and completed an additional lap.
When the race was later restarted it ran to about 2/3 distance at
which point it began to rain and this was enough for the stewards
to wave the chequered flag and bring the whole thing to a sorry
conclusion.
>AIUI Luckett suffered broken legs and facial cuts. Given the speeds
>involved and the possibility of him being crushed between two cars he
>was a luck man to survive and return to work.
>
>It was a terrible accident caused by slack procedures. Now it could not
>happen with the tight starting procedure. Nigel Mansell was so shocked
>(the accident happened just as he was passing Patrese and Mansell
>could see everything in his mirror) he refused to get out of his car when
>they finally did stop the race. He believed he'd never get back in again.
>
After this and then what happened the following year I don't think
anyone was sorry to see the back of Zolder.
AJ
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AA AA JJ "It's not a question of whose habitat it is,
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Gulliver
In article <50277s$9...@serv4.vossnet.co.uk>,
jor...@vossnet.co.uk(JoRoMa) wrote:
> On Aug 21, 1996 22:22:04 in article <What became of Dave Luckett?>,
> 'an...@spuddy.mew.co.uk (Gulliver)' wrote:
>
> I recently met Dave when he briefly worked for West Surrey Racing's
> Mondeo BTCC team. He was the Workshop Manager but said that he
> really prefered single seaters and wasn't going to be staying.
>
> He said that he had often been to Califonia restoring old Shadow F1 cars
> for Don Nichols and that he was going out there again for a while.
>
> That was about a month ago so presumably that is where he is now.
>
By now you have probably read my description of the accdent. If you are
really interested, I think it is still commercially available on Duke Video's
review of the 1981 season. It was quite horriffic, but could have been
much worse.
Thanks for the info, can't ask for more than what he was up to a month
ago!
Gulliver
In article <12...@dolomite.win-uk.net>,
ajsa...@dolomite.win-uk.net (A J Samuels) wrote:
>
> In article <CnMJy4DY...@spuddy.mew.co.uk>, Gulliver (an...@spuddy.mew.co.uk) writes:
>
> An excellent summary of a shocking catalogue of disasters which was
> truly horrifying to watch live.
Fortunately I only vaguely remember seeing footage after it happened,
probably on the news.
[snip]
> I have to disagree with you on this one point. As I recall the race
> was stopped at the end of the first lap, although a few drivers
> ignored the red flag and completed an additional lap.
The organisers let the cars do one complete racing lap before calling a
halt to the race. That was bad enough, with all the people gathered around
the Arrows cars and Luckett, any accident on the straight could have been
utterly catastrophic. Piquet was leading and must have crossed the line
before the red flag was shown because he did an extra lap.
> After this and then what happened the following year I don't think
> anyone was sorry to see the back of Zolder.
They must have resented being asked to go there in 1984.
Hari Saini
I remember this day well. There was a drivers protest on saftey before the race began. Once the race got under way Riccardo Patrese was
frantically waving his arms signalling that he had stalled his engine. The race starter sterted the race any way. At thos point Dave Luckett
jumped over the barrier to restart the engine but was hit by Ricardo's team mate Huub Rottengater (AKA Huub the tube). One race lap was
completed and Piquet went through the start finish area at full speed. When Pironi came through he saw what had happened and slowed down and
started to weave and signalling the other drivers to do the same. Only after this did the red flag come out.
Dave was a lucky man just to have broken legs. I remember seeing a full page ad in Autosport some weeks later taken out by Dave Luckett
himself thanking everyone for their assistance.
--
Hari Saini
Systems Engineer,
Client Integration Specialist
Applied Technology Group
Santa Cruz Operation
425 Encinal Street
P.O. Box 1900 Ph: +1 (408) 427-7039
Santa Cruz Fax: +1 (408) 425-3544
CA 95061-1900 E-Mail: ...uunet!sco!haris ha...@sco.COM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe,
Attacked ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion,
I watched C-beams glitter in the darkening of Tannhaeuser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time,
Like tears in rain,
Time to die........
- Roy Batty, Nexus Six
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JoRoMa
On Aug 30, 1996 13:45:35 in article <Re: What became of Dave Luckett?>,
'ajsa...@dolomite.win-uk.net (A J Samuels)' wrote:
>After this and then what happened the following year I don't think
>anyone was sorry to see the back of Zolder.
Earl Ma
In article <322EFC...@sco.com>, ha...@sco.com says...
>I remember this day well.
<snip>
>At thos point Dave Luckett jumped over the barrier to restart the
>engine but was hit by Ricardo's team mate Huub Rottengater (AKA Huub
>the tube).
Obviously not that well! ;)
Huub did not compete in his first F1 race for another three years.
Patrese's teammate was in fact Sigfried Stohr.
Now my question is - now that we all know what became of Dave Luckett,
what became of Sigfried Stohr?
Earl
Emile Naus
Hari Saini wrote:
[snip]
> I remember this day well. There was a drivers protest on saftey before the race
> began. Once the race got under way Riccardo Patrese was frantically waving his
> arms signalling that he had stalled his engine. The race starter sterted the
> race any way. At thos point Dave Luckett jumped over the barrier to restart the
> engine but was hit by Ricardo's team mate Huub Rottengater (AKA Huub the tube).
> One race lap was completed and Piquet went through the start finish area at full
> speed. When Pironi came through he saw what had happened and slowed down and
> started to weave and signalling the other drivers to do the same. Only after
> this did the red flag come out.
I have to disagree with you on two details: It was Siegfried Stohr in the second
Arrows-Ford who hit Ricardo. He was in no way to blame for the accident, as he
was closely following Keke Rosberg. Keke saw the stalled Arrows at the last moment,
but managed to get around him, but Siegfried had no way of doing this - he simply
didn't see Ricardo's car till the moment he hit him.
Also, it was a mechanic's protest before the start, although a number of drivers
also took part in it. The reason was the fatal accident of Giovanni Amadeo (Osella
mechanic) on Saturday.
The race was effectively stopped by the drivers, as you said. A disgrace for the
organisers, after the dreadful act of starting a race with a mechanic still on
the grid.
I for one am very happy not to see Zolder on the calender anymore, with two major
accidents in 1981, Villeneuve's fatal accident in 1982.
Emile