Aryton Senna movie

[Downriviera]

The movie Senna opens tomorrow at the Main in Royal Oak. Senna was a 3 time World Driving Champion as well as the only 3 time winner of the Detroit Grand Prix. He lost his life in a tragic crash in 1994 at the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy. I was lucky enough to know him and work along side him at Toleman Group Motorsport in 1984, his first year in Formula One. I'm really looking forward to seeing this documentary film. Some of the in car camera shots of his laps will be breathtaking on the big screen. To coincide with the release of the film, I'm displaying some pictures I took of Senna over the years at City Coffeehouse in downtown Allen Park. I'm not a photographer, so these are snapshots of a personal nature and I think that makes them a bit more interesting.

http://www.sennamovie.com/


http://www.citycoffeehouseinc.com/

[stromberg2]

WoW!! So you knew Senna....that is effin' cool!!

Stromberg2

[gnome]

cool, will try to stop in and see your snaps, DR.

[Downriviera]

Saw the movie this afternoon. It was very well done and well worth seeing even if you know nothing of Senna or F1 racing. If fact, a reviewer in this weeks Real Detroit gave it four stars and enjoyed the film not knowing who Senna was. The ending was a bit hard on me, going back to that awful weekend in 94. Aryton's spirit and dedication are something I carry with me everyday.

[gnome]

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend, DR. It is never easy losing a close friend.

[Andrew in Windsor]

Senna was a true legend one of the greatest.

[douglasm]

People tend to forget that Roland Ratzenberger lost his life at Imola less than 24 hours before Senna.

It's amazing to think that no driver has died in F1 since Serna's 1994 crash. Motorsports like F1, NASCAR, and Unlimited Hydro racing have come a long way in regards to driver safety. Sergio Perez's practice crash this year in Monaco might not have killed him in the "old" days, but surely would have injured him much more severely than he was.

[Detroitej72]

I remember seeing him in one of the Grand Prix's that were held downtown, hard to believe its bee 17 years since he died.

[Downriviera]

Ratzenberger's crash affected Senna greatly. The film has a clip of him watching the crash from a monitor in the garage. A spectator was also killed that weekend after the crash at the start when a wheel flew into the grandstands. Someone, I think it might have been Niki Lauda, said that God had kept his hand over Formula 1 for a long time. That weekend he took it away.

[Downriviera]

One of my fondest memories with Senna was at Dallas. It was the first and only time we would race there and no one had been on the track yet. I was sitting in the hotel lobby when Aryton arrived from Brasil with his family. He saw me and came over to ask if I knew how to get to the track. I told him I did and he asked me to take him there. He didn't even take the time to check in or take his bags to his room. We took his rental car to the track and the security people wouldn't let us in. I showed them my credentials and told them by FIA rule all team members and drivers must have full access to the facilities and track at all times or there would be sanctions. That was not really true but it worked and we were able to do a few hot laps in the rental car. Even in the rental car it was amazing what he could do with racing lines and braking. I had one hand on the roof and the other on the door handle just to brace myself. It was a bigger rush that any ride I've been on at Cedar Point. He showed me where certain areas of the track would not hold up. Sure enough, the first day of timed practice there were several delays as they worked on the surface of the track that had broken up. While the other drivers were out partying that day, Senna already had a track test.

[douglasm]

I know it wouldn't get a lick of interest, but I sometimes wonder if maybe a film should be made highliting all the Richie Ginthers [[or Rob Walkers) of the world. Every sport's got them. Seems like for every Louis Hamilton, there are a half dozen Rubens Barrichellos who seem to spend their careers and their talents driving dogs but without who, the grid would be mostly empty.....

[stromberg2]

Wow, DR, just Wow!! You must have a ton of stories!

Stromberg2

[canuck]

Great story DR!

[Downriviera]

I know it wouldn't get a lick of interest, but I sometimes wonder if maybe a film should be made highliting all the Richie Ginthers [[or Rob Walkers) of the world. Every sport's got them. Seems like for every Louis Hamilton, there are a half dozen Rubens Barrichellos who seem to spend their careers and their talents driving dogs but without who, the grid would be mostly empty.....

So true. I worked with guys like Teo Fabi, Christian Danner, Bernd Schneider and Johnny Cecotto just to name a few. Great drivers and even better people. And yes, I do have a lot of great stories with Aryton. He was at his most relaxed with us on the team when the fans and press were not around.

[torbusto]

Loved that story about Dallas!
I use to go to the races in Detroit during the Friday free days and take my camera to shoot. I remember seeing the yellow helmet, wanted him to win and followed his career intensely until that tragic day in May, 1994.

I too would love to go to the coffee house in Allen Park to see your pictures! How long will they be up for?

I just got back from vacation but planning on seeing Senna this week at the theater in Royal Oak and will be taking my son Ayrton, who is now 12 years old to see it with me

[torbusto]

It's aYrton not aRyton

my son's teachers are always spelling it the wrong way too

[Downriviera]

The photo display will be up through September. You might want to call before you go, they have some funky hours, its more of a late afternoon and evening place. They usually open at 4 pm. Their number is 313.383.7510

[Downriviera]

It's aYrton not aRyton

my son's teachers are always spelling it the wrong way too

Thats awesome that you named your son after Senna!

[Downriviera]

Here is a shot from inside the basement at Cobo Hall where we worked on the cars. Thats me on the left of Senna. The Detroit circuit was very bumpy and demanding and Aryton was getting banged about the cockpit and getting bruised. I was helping to add some foam to a few areas inside the car to help pad him.

[Downriviera]

One of my tasks was applying decals to the body work and keeping it clean. All that work by the mechanics on the engine will go to waste if theres dirt on the car affecting the aerodynamics.

[wstevens]

thanks for the reminicences DR. Did you ever get to meet Gilles Villeneuve? any other F1 tales would be greatly appreciated!

[Downriviera]

Never got to meet Villeneuve. I started in F1 in 83, he lost his life at the Belgian GP in 82. I think of anyone, he was similar to Senna. Another moment with Senna stands out for me. I was giving him a ride from the track back to the hotel. As we got in the car he buckled up and I did not. He asked me about this and I told him I never wore seat belts. Aryton said, "When I drive on the tracks in F1, I drive with 25 of the very best drivers in the world. When you drive on the streets you drive with millions of the very worst drivers in the world." After that day in 84, I started wearing my seat belt. Two years later while stopped at a light I was rear ended very hard. My car was totaled yet I walked away with just a few bruises. Had I not had the belt on I surely would have gone through the windshield.

[Downriviera]

It's aYrton not aRyton

my son's teachers are always spelling it the wrong way too

I've always spelled it wrong, we even had it wrong on his pitboard a few times. Good thing I only had to put his last name on the car. All the Brits I worked with on the team couldn't pronounce it right either.

[Downriviera]

Ayrton Senna carving up the streets of Detroit.

[Downriviera]

Here is a pic from the last F1 race in Detroit in 1988. I was working with the Zakspeed team and we had some problems with the cars and did not qualify for the race. So I basically had Sunday race day off. This enabled me to hang with Senna a bit. I had full access to him and his car on the grid and got a few nice shots.