RIP - Queen of the RING

[Chuck Miller]

Sabine Schmitz dies at 51 …..

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a3...0Non%20Openers

[Bullethead]

What a shame... She was a gem!

If there's a cockpit heaven, she's mashing the pedal. RIP.

[Xavier PJB]

Une sacrée bonne femme. Big loss indeed.

[Peanut]

Way too young. What a shame.

Scott

[NZVW]

Very very sad, I loved her cheeky smile and humour RIP.

[bob joyce]

I hate it when young people die

[skinnerd]

One incredible driver.
Seem to remember one race at the RING, where she was driving a GT3 from the back of the grid.
The quickness that she was passing everyone and his uncle was shocking to say the least.
Blowing by them like they had cement galoshes on.
Her abilities towered above most that drove that track.
Will be huge loss to the the motorsport and automotive world.

[davep]

A truly great driver and personality. Condolences to her family and friends.

[LongRanger]

Still remember her taking a Transit 'round the 'Ring . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiC03_wVjc

'How many times have you crashed?'


'Oh --- many times . . . I can't count, actually. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha'


Hilarious

[911kiwi]

Long time Kiwi Porschephile Neil Tolich met Sabine back in 2006. On hearing the sad news of Sabine’s passing, Neil emailed the following tribute to share with the Early911NZ group. With his permission, I am sharing this with our ESR members:

“These photos were taken in 2006...David Fitz and I went to the Nurbugring for a training weekend...he took 3 cars, the 2.7RS, the 968CS, and the Capri 3 litre. David also booked Sabine as our tutor. Of the 968CS she referred to it as a housewife's car. Of the Capri I don't recall her even looking at it! Of the 2.7RS, when she took me for a lap before I got into the drivers seat, she said..." I have never driven one of these, it's a very old car". Then about 5 kms later as we hurtled flat out at impossible speeds she yelled...."this is a FANTASTC car"!!!
Over the weekend I did about 10 laps in the 2.7RSL with her ‘tutoring’. She said that she would hold her hands up high with the gap between them indicating how far she wanted me from the kerbs and over the blind brows. So, in the passenger seat, she would hold her arms up 1 metre apart or half a meter apart with her left fingers pointing to which side of the track she wanted me to place the car. She also said I was to go full throttle unless she indicated to ‘lift off the throttle’ with the action of the palm of her left hand…always clearly in my periphery vision.
So away I went. I’d already done lots of race/rally miles in the 911 and about 30 laps of the Nurburgring so I could go reasonably quickly, safely. But, I was not prepared for her demands. No half measures. If I didn’t clip an apex, or rocket over a brow at ‘exactly 1 meter’ she would whack my helmet and yell “I said vun meter!” At one point, she was indicating to me keep my foot flat over the 5th gear blind brow and sweeping right hander into Flugplatz (about 4kms in). But I had never done that before….I’d always slightly feathered and then tipped the 911 into the curve once I could see it. Before I could do anything, her lovely long left leg reached across the 911’s flat floor and she jammed her foot on top of mine so I couldn’t lift! And, of course, the car barrelled over the brow and into the curve at ‘exactly 1 meter’ from the inside kerb, and felt utterly planted and happy! She was amazing. Some months later, we raced the Alfa GTA at the OldTimer 400 and won class. All credit to Sabine.
So sad she's gone too soon. Fabulous woman. Fabulous driver. Fabulous memories.
Go Girl. Go fast. Go safe. God speed.”
Neil Tolich

(Neil in blue race suit, David in white race suit)
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