Passion and courage

In 1980, Clay Regazzoni, at 41, finds once more shelter in Mo Nunn’s Ensign team, but his F1 career comes to a bitter end during the US Grand Prix West, on the urban circuit of Long Beach in California, fourth race of the season.

On the 51st lap, victim of a break failure at the end of the longest straight of the circuit, Clay takes the escape lane at 280 km/h, where the Brabham of Ricardo Zunino is stationary.

After a first and heavy contact with the Brabham, the Ensign hits the concrete wall, with extreme violence. His back seriously injured, Regazzoni is taken to hospital and undergoes a surgery to stabilise his wounds. Unfortunately, without success and Clay remains paraplegic…

Enthusiast, always passionated and courageous, Regazzoni then continues to race episodically until the end of the 90s, in cars specially equipped with steering wheel controls. Clay thus participates in rallye-raids such as the Paris-Dakar or London-Sydney, but also the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1993.

Sadly, Clay Regazzoni dies on 15 December 2006 in a road accident , when his Chrysler Voyager hurts a truck it was trying to pass. Everything suggests that Regazzoni felt unwell and lost control of his vehicle. A sad day for everyone who loved motor racing.