Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips

Hello my friends. Today is a day to remember, no not 9/11 but the 10.September 1961. 50 years ago a yound German fromula 1 driver losts his life in a accident in his Ferrari in Monza.The crash happend at the end of a straight when he collided with the Lotus of Jim Clark together with 20 spectators. Count Wolfgang Berghe von Trips was a yound aristrocrate that was the ambassador for a new Germany,for sportmanship,fairness and living by example.He raced motorcycles,VW,Porsche,Mercedes and Ferrari around the Globe.From the Nurburgring,to the Mille Miglia where he let Magioli win as he was not overtaking his team mate that had problems with the gearbox. He drove in Argentina and in the US,even known in his young years as Count Crash or Taffy.He brought the Go-karts to Germany and developed his own formula junior.Until that tragic day he was leading in the world championship by 33 points and he could have been the first formula 1 champion from Germany.But history and fate lead to another outcome, his legacy lives on and on his initiated Go-Kart track a young Schumacher learnt the steps that would lead to his championships.Wolfgang you are missed, we honor you and your achievments ,hope ther is some racing where you are.............

Pretty sure it was 14 spectators.

Cheers Stefan... one of the GREATS

Todays coverage of the Italian GP on Speed with Sam Posey did a tribute to von trips said that 12 spectators were killed. Doesn't really matter the number as it was a terrible loss to the racing world. I've read many articles on von Trips and it was certainly a different era. He was a true gentleman which is something that the current breed of prima donnas could well use. Now if we could just meld the great era of sportsmanship with todays safety......

On F1 Debrief last night they said 14. :confused:

Wolfie was actually a 'Reichs'graf :


A Reichsgraf was a nobleman whose title of count was conferred or confirmed by the Holy Roman Emperor, and literally meant "count of the (Holy Roman) Empire".

to let your teammate with a crippled gearbox win, when you cut have chomped him, now that is class aint it.