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abarth69

abarth69

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Very sad news from the Vintage Festival Mosport Ontario Canada. An American driver was killed this morning. The remainder of the event was cancelled afterwards. The name of the driver is being withheld until the family is informed. Speculation is of mechanical failure, possibly a piece of body work becoming detached at high speed on the Andretti Straight.

I was there on Sat.

Mark
 
His name was Dino Crescentini and he was driving a Walter Wolf Can-Am car--he apparently got airborne near turn seven, a slight kink on the back straight, and went end-over-end. There were no other cars involved and the track was dry. Someone said he may have missed a shift and got a bit sideways....

I was driving in group 2 and we were the first group out this morning, came in about 9:30. He must have been about two groups later as the track went very silent around 10:30 or so and though it took a while for the word to circulate around the paddock it was clear that something serious had happened. He was medivac'ed out and reportedly died at the hospital.

The Provincial Police were soon on the scene and their forsensics unit were measuring and documenting the incident--more than two hours after the crash the car was still on the track and at 1:00 PM they called us in for a drivers' meeting and briefly announced his death and that the remainder of the event was cancelled. The announcement was chilling to say the least and we all departed in a somber mood, this after a wonderful weekend where predicted rain materialized only once.

This was the first death in the history of the VARAC festival which will hopefully celebrate the 30th holding of this great event next year.
 
I took this on late on Sat.

Mark
 

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Wow!
Very, very sad.
I had planned on attending the Mosport Vintage. I had even talked to the VARAC registrar a while back to confirm that my logbook would be OK.
But I had to cancel due to a family event that conflicted.
As was said, it is sobering when this happens.
I was in a race at Lime Rock a few years ago where we lost someone (in a Radical sports racer). I was about the scond or third car to pass the accident scene and the result was obvious. Yes, sobering

[edit] There is a ~different driver with the same name~ who runs in Speed World Challenge. Just don't want any confusion.[/edit]
 
Yes, too bad about Scott Kalitta too. He had quit racing and then "got the bug" and returned.
A friend of mine lives nearby the Englishtown track and he noticed the lack of sound coming from the dragstrip (it was a big weekend and normally, he'd hear cars drag racing all day long)

Also, one of the fellows I know from another forum posted ~These Pictures~ of the Mosport Vintage event.

Although he actually witnessed the accident, out of respect, he has not included any pictures of that in this link.

I just scanned through them and do not see Michael in any, but there are lots of other familiar cars that I have raced with.
 
Very sad news, I just came across this news today (two days later).

I've never raced but I can respect the danger these people pursuing their hobby put themselves in. And to hear this...
 
I too had gone on Saturday. I had seen the car several times previously, but this time got my wife to take a couple of pictures of me kneeling by the car as it was at one time driven by Gilles Villeneuve, whose name was on the airbox. I was wearing a t-shirt with an image of GV on it, and Dino asked about it. i told him I have had the shirt for about 30 years, and only wear it on special occaisions, and we chatted for a few minutes.
I was shocked to hear this sad news the next day.
Simon.
 
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