fbpx

“My connections to Belgium”

29. Nov 2021 
by David Kennedy
2788 views

David Kennedy (born in 1953) is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He started 7 F1 Grand Prix for Shadow in 1980, was a front runner and multiple race winner in the British Aurora AFX Formula One championship and a three-time Le Mans GTP category winner.

At the Human Side of Racing, we are delighted David has accepted to join our prestigious list of ‘Star Contributors’. In his first contribution, Kennedy fondly remembers… Belgium!

DK: “In 1979, I won in Zolder an Aurora F1 race in a Wolf WR3 (picture above) and the organisers didn’t have the Irish national anthem! They asked if they should play the British anthem. I said certainly not. So I asked them to play the Belgium anthem (not in deference to that great Irish man, Wellington), which they did… much to the confusion of the journalists and spectators!”

My second connection with Belgium, is that of the best part of 10 years, Pierre Dieudonné and I raced and worked together to bring Mazda to the three class wins and outright victory in Le Mans. I call Pierre my Belgium brother.”

Picture below: David Kennedy (with Pierre Dieudonné and Mark Galvin), Mazda 757, on his way to GTP-class victory and 7th overall, in the 1987 Le Mans 24 Hours.

 

Source: Frederick Roll

Leave a comment