Motorsports Trivia Thread!

  • Thread starter Cap'n Jack
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Absolute guesswork here based on the limited info I know about BTCC, but David Leslie and John Cleland? Next best guess is that one of them is Alain Menu, but I think he ran DTM into the early '90's...?
 
Your guesses are completely accurate.

Cleland was exclusively a works Vauxhall driver for the entire decade, competing in every race of the decade except rounds 17 & 18 in 1998.

Leslie drove sporadically during 1990-1991 in a privateer BMW, before becoming a permanent fixture for Vauxhall (1992-1993), Mazda (1994), Honda (1995-1996) and Nissan (1997-1999).
 
:embarrassed:: Lucky guess I suppose.

Not 100% sure that only 1 driver fits this, but I can only think of one, so here goes:

Who is the only driver to win the F1 world driver's championship without competing in any of the last 4 races of the season?
 
What was particularly unique about Alberto Ascari's Formula One titles?

I've italicised particularly because there's something unusual about them. And it's not that he was the first multiple champion.
 
Not bad, but not particularly unique.

Mario Andretti and Nino Farina were also both Italian. Ascari missed the 1953 United States Grand Prix along with every other champion of the 1950s, but did enter it in 1952 and retired. It's ironic that it was only once it was taken off the F1 calendar that F1 drivers really began to enter it.
 
Ha, also true but we're not thinking unique or unusual enough.

It's to do with how the races were organised.
 
Well, he won back to back in '52 and '53 right? so if it isn't that he was the first double champion, or the first back-to-back champion, or the only Italian to be champion twice in a Ferrari, then I'm at a bit of a loss.
I remember that the early '50's were a weird time with the distinction between Formula 1 and Formula 2 being a little blurry, but not specifically enough to really guess... did he win them both in a Formula 2 car or something?
 
HighSeasHoMastr
did he win them both in a Formula 2 car or something?
Click to expand...

Yes! This is what I was looking for.

Due to dwindling entries, the 1952 and 1953 seasons were ran to Formula Two regulations, to make costs cheaper and coerce more people into entering. The races were not Formula One races but were races which contributed to the World Championship for Drivers. Also, due to the F2 regulations, Ferrari used a straight-4 engine in their Ferrari 500, instead of the famous V12.

Strictly speaking, Ascari was never a 'Formula One' champion. Interesting, no?
 
Hmm, interesting. Why was it that they were all ran under F2 regs? Was there not enough interest in F1 at the time?

For the trivia though, moving away from Formula 1 for a moment:
Who manufactured the smallest engine to ever compete at Le Mans, and how big (cylinder count & displacement) was that engine?
 
HighSeasHoMastr
Hmm, interesting. Why was it that they were all ran under F2 regs? Was there not enough interest in F1 at the time?

For the trivia though, moving away from Formula 1 for a moment:
Who manufactured the smallest engine to ever compete at Le Mans, and how big (cylinder count & displacement) was that engine?
Click to expand...

Simca. 3 cylinders, 546cc.

@GOTMAXPOWER, I had forgotten about that question, but yes that is the correct answer.
 
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HighSeasHoMastr
Hmm, interesting. Why was it that they were all ran under F2 regs? Was there not enough interest in F1 at the time?

For the trivia though, moving away from Formula 1 for a moment:
Who manufactured the smallest engine to ever compete at Le Mans, and how big (cylinder count & displacement) was that engine?
Click to expand...

Hmmm I think it might be either the Mazda R26B engine from the 787B, which had 4 rotors and about 2600cc.
Or, the Nissan engine from the DeltaWing. I know that had only 4 cylinders but couldn't tell you the displacement
 
Fine
How many F1 drivers have raced under car number '1' without ever having been champion before or after running the number. eg despite racing under it at SIlverstone 1950, Fangio wouldn't count as he became champion afterwards.
 
Jimlaad43
Which driver and car had the biggest race number ever in an FIA sanctioned event?
Click to expand...

GOTMAXPOWER
Not sure if its FIA-sanctioned or not but Alex Lloyd ran car #40202 in the Homestead IndyCar race in 2009.
Click to expand...

Jimlaad43
@GOTMAXPOWER, I had forgotten about that question, but yes that is the correct answer.
Click to expand...

Just as an aside, the FIA do not sanction Indycar - Indy Racing League sanction Indycar.
 
Jimlaad43
Indys count. 2 is too small.
Click to expand...

In 1950, Johnny Parsons raced and won at Indy with the number 1.
In '51 it was Henry Banks who had the number. In 1952 it was the illustrious Duane Carter. In '53, there was no #1. Sam Hanks was #1 in '54. Jimmy Bryan in '55. Bob Sweikert in '56. Bryan again in '57 and '58. Tony Bettenhausen in 1959. Rodger Ward, one of the all-time greats, in 1960.

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
Just a clarification, there was two races where drivers shared cars, do they count? I have the list, I need to get the right number, so forgive me if I start shooting out numbers.
 
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