Racing is life....

[Fax]

We all know Steve McQueen's famous line from "LeMans"
but what racing great did Steve borrow the quote from?
John

[Ferrari Spider]

Just as a guess, Bruce Mclaren[/img][/img].

[Fax]

Well done Spiderman!
The late, great Kiwi was the one who uttered those immortal words.
John

[Ferrari Spider]

Well done Spiderman!
The late, great Kiwi was the one who uttered those immortal words.
John

One of my hero's, words aren't enough. Where are the modern day Mclaren's.

[Fax]

Hi Spider,
Yes indeed, by all acounts a lovely guy (and one hell of a racer and engineer).  The 1970 Mid-Ohio Can-Am was the first motor race I ever attended and I still have the program.  There is a very a simple and touching tribute to Bruce in it (just a few weeks after Bruce's death) I'll dig it up, scan it and try to post it here.   Would be interesting to see what he would think of this BS called F1 now.  I suspect (as have the people who knew him) he would be find it appalling.
The great tragedy of his accident was that most thought he was ready to get out of the driver's seat, his love was the engineering side of the sport and in another year or two was ready to lead McLaren Racing from the other side of the pit wall for good.  What if?
John

[Black Granny]

There is a memorial to him at the Goodwood Circuit, where he lost his life in a testing accident on the Lavant straight.

It's just outside the flying club and was unveiled about 12 years back. the unveiling ceremony was attended by the likes of Denny Hulme, John Cooper, Ken Tyrell, George Harrison, all of which are also no longer with us.

[Grand_Fromage]

According to Michael (Speedmerchants) Keyser the phrase was borrowed from an original quote by tightrope performer Karl Wallenda of the "Great Wallendas" who finally fell to his death at age 73.

"Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting."

[Andy Zarse]

I remember Karl W being on Blue Peter, training John Noakes, not long before he fell to his death. A great man with balls of steel and little common sense!

They showed the film clip of his death on the 9 O'clock news. He lost his balance between two skyscrapers in Brazil, fell a couple of hundred feet and bounced off the bonnet of a VW Beetle. I was only about twelve at the time and I don't think my parents intended me to see the clip. A few sleepless nights after that...

I had no idea that he was the originator of the phrase.

[Fax]

Well that's interesting.  The racing is life quote has always been widely attributed to the Le Mans winner and Can-Am champion.
Perhaps one or the other borrowed it and put the their own twist on it.
John