Allan Simonsen (racing driver)

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Allan Simonsen
Allan Simonsen (cropped).jpg
Simonsen in 2011
NationalityDenmark Danish
Born(1978-07-05)5 July 1978
Odense, Denmark
Died22 June 2013(2013-06-22) (aged 34)
Le Mans, France
Previous series
1999
1999
2000
2001
2001
2002
20032004
20032007
2005
20052012
2006
2006, 2008
20062009
20072013
2008
2009
2009, 2012
20092012
2010, 2012
2010, 2012
2010–2012
2011–2013
20122013
2013
Formula Ford 1800 Netherlands
Danish Formula Ford Championship
Formula Palmer Audi
German Formula Three Championship
British Formula Renault Championship
British GT Championship
Australian Nations Cup Championship
V8 Supercars
V8 Ute Racing Series
European Le Mans Series
FIA GT3 European Championship
FIA GT Championship
Australian GT Championship
British GT Championship
American Le Mans Series
Aussie Racing Cars
Rolex Sports Car Series
V8 Supercars
VLN
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
PSCRAA Enduro Championship
Australian GT Championship
FIA World Endurance Championship
ADAC GT Masters
Championship titles
1999
2007
Danish Formula Ford Championship
Australian GT Championship
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years20072013
TeamsAutorlando Sport
KSM
Hankook Team Farnbacher
Aston Martin Racing
Best finish12th (2010)
Class wins0

Allan Simonsen (5 July 1978 – 22 June 2013) was a Danish racing driver, born in Odense. He died after a crash during the third lap[1] of the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.[2][3][4]

Career[]

Simonsen driving an Aston Martin Vantage GTE at the test session prior to the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.

After beginning his career in karting racing against the likes of future Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, Simonsen moved to cars in 1999, winning the Danish Formula Ford Championship. He raced in Formula Palmer Audi in 2000, before moving to German Formula 3 and Formula Renault 2.0 UK in 2001.[5]

Simonsen moved to sports car racing for 2002, driving a Ferrari 360 for in the British GT Championship. He began racing in Australia in 2003 for Mark Coffey Racing, driving a Ferrari 360 Challenge to 8th place in the 2003 Australian Nations Cup Championship for GT style cars and 2nd place in Group 2. He would then go on to finish in 8th place in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour driving a Lamborghini Diablo GTR. In the 2004 Australian Nations Cup Championship he drove the 360 to 3rd place in the Trophy Class while driving a Ferrari 550 GT2 in a limited campaign to 7th in the outright class.

While in Australia, Simonsen also drove in the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar events. Simonsen's best Bathurst result came in 2011, when he finished third for Kelly Racing driving alongside Greg Murphy in a Holden VE Commodore.[6] Simonsen won the Australian GT Championship in 2007 (driving both a Ferrari 360 GT and a Ferrari F430) and finished second in 2008 driving a Ferrari F430 GT.

At the 2011 Sprint Bathurst event, he set a blistering time of 2.04.95 around the famous Mount Panorama circuit. This was a monumental effort at the time as it was a full 2 seconds clear of any V8 Supercar lap time and comparable to the Formula 3 lap record set in the following year.[7][8] This time so amazed the officials that they initially removed it from the timing screens as they believed it to be in error. It wasn't until it was confirmed by the manual time keeper and the teams own data that the time was reinstated.[9]

Simonsen placed fourth in the 2007 Le Mans Series season, in a partial season driving a Porsche 911 GT3 for Virgo Motorsport, which included a GT2 class win in the Nürburgring 1000.[10] He drove Ferraris for Team Farnbacher in the Le Mans Series and various international series from 2008 through 2011. During that time, Simonson won the GT2 class at the 2009 1000 km of Okayama with Dominik Farnbacher and the SP7 class in the 2010 24 Hours Nürburgring with Farnbacher, Leh Keen, and Marco Seefried. He participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times between 2007 and 2013, finishing on the GT2 class podium twice: third in 2007 and second in 2010.

Death[]

Simonsen in the No. 95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE before crashing

In the 9th minute of the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans,[11] and on his third lap,[12] Simonsen was leading the LMGTE Am field with his No. 95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE.[13] At the Tertre Rouge corner, Simonsen's car twitched as he accelerated through the right hand turn,[13] and when he attempted to correct,[13][14] the car veered left before impacting the crash barriers on the outside of the corner.[3][4] He was extricated from the car, reportedly conscious,[15] before being taken to the on-site medical centre where he succumbed to his injuries.[16] His death was the first in racing conditions during the 24 Hours of Le Mans since Jo Gartner died in a 1986 crash, while French driver Sébastien Enjolras died more recently in a pre-qualifying session accident in 1997.[16]

Race officials raised a Danish flag at half mast over the circuit's podium during the race in honor of Simonsen. Fellow Danish driver Tom Kristensen won the race overall and dedicated his team's victory to the memory of Simonsen.[17]

Memorials[]

The award for the fastest qualifier at the Bathurst 12 Hour, which Simonsen won in 2013, is named the Allan Simonsen Pole Position Trophy.[18]

Career results[]

Career summary[]

Season Series Position Car Team
1999 Danish Formula Ford Championship 1st Van Diemen RF99 Ford
2000 Formula Palmer Audi 11th Van Diemen PA Audi Team Brask
2001 British Formula Renault Championship 26th Tatuus FR2000 Renault
2003 Australian Nations Cup Championship 8th Ferrari 360 Challenge Mark Coffey Racing
Australian Nations Cup Championship Group 2 2nd
V8 Supercar Championship Series 67th Holden VX Commodore Garry Rogers Motorsport
2004 Australian Nations Cup Championship 7th Ferrari 550 Millenio Mark Coffey Racing
Australian Nations Cup Championship Trophy Cars 3rd
V8 Supercar Championship Series 52nd Holden VY Commodore Garry Rogers Motorsport
British GT Championship GT Cup Class 13th Ferrari 360 Modena Lester/Glenvarigill Racing
2005 V8 Utes Series 10th Ford BA Falcon XR8 Ute
V8 Supercar Championship Series 57th Holden VY Commodore Perkins Engineering
2006 FIA GT3 European Championship 15th Ferrari F430 GT3 JMB Racing
FIA GT Championship GT2 Class 38th Ferrari F430 GT3
Australian GT Championship 11th Ferrari 360 GT Consolidated Chemical Racing Team
V8 Supercar Championship Series 46th Ford BA Falcon Triple Eight Race Engineering
2007 Australian GT Championship 1st Ferrari 360 GT
Ferrari F430 GT3
Consolidated Chemical Racing Team
Mark Coffey Racing
Australian Tourist Trophy 1st Ferrari F430 GT3 Maranello Motorsport
Le Mans Series LM GT2 Class 4th Virgo Motorsport
British GT Championship GT3 Class 10th Christians in Motorsport
V8 Supercar Championship Series 25th Ford BF Falcon Triple Eight Race Engineering
2008 FIA GT Championship GT1 Class 11th Aston Martin DBR9 Gigawave Motorsport
Australian GT Championship 2nd Ferrari F430 GT3 Maranello Motorsport
Australian Tourist Trophy 1st
British GT Championship GT3 Class 7th Christians in Motorsport
American Le Mans Series GT2 Class 23rd
Le Mans Series LM GT2 Class 17th Porsche 997 GT3-RSR
2009 Le Mans Series LM GT2 Class 7th Ferrari F430 GT3
Asian Le Mans Series LM GT2 Class 1st
British GT Championship GT3 Class 4th
Australian GT Championship 20th Maranello Motorsport
V8 Supercar Championship Series 58th Ford FG Falcon Triple Eight Race Engineering
Le Mans Series LM GT2 Class 106th Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Farnbacher-Loles Racing
2010 British GT Championship GT3 Class 5th Ferrari 430 Scuderia Team Rosso Verde
Le Mans Series LM GT2 Class 17th Ferrari F430 GT3 Team Farnbacher
V8 Supercar Championship Series 49th Holden VE Commodore Paul Morris Motorsport
Le Mans Series LM GTE Pro Class 5th Ferrari 458 GTC Team Farnbacher
2011 British GT Championship GT3 Class 10th Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Ferrari 458 GTC
Team Rosso Verde
International V8 Supercars Championship 32nd Holden VE Commodore Kelly Racing
Brad Jones Racing
2012 International V8 Supercars Championship 52nd Ford FG Falcon Dick Johnson Racing
Australian GT Championship 4th Ferrari 458 GT Maranello Motorsport
British GT Championship GT3 Class 12th Ferrari 458 Italia Team Rosso Verde
2013 Australian GT Championship 17th Ferrari 458 GT3 Maranello Motorsport

24 Hours of Le Mans results[]

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2007 Italy Autorlando Sport
Germany Farnbacher Racing
Germany Pierre Ehret
Denmark Lars-Erik Nielsen
Porsche 997 GT3-RSR GT2 309 21st 3rd
2008 Germany Kruse Schiller Motorsport France Jean de Pourtales
Japan Hideki Noda
Lola B05/40-Mazda LMP2 147 DNF DNF
2009 Germany Hankook Team Farnbacher Germany Dominik Farnbacher
San Marino Christian Montanari
Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 183 DNF DNF
2010 Germany Hankook Team Farnbacher Germany Dominik Farnbacher
United States Leh Keen
Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 336 12th 2nd
2011 Germany Hankook Team Farnbacher Germany Dominik Farnbacher
United States Leh Keen
Ferrari 458 Italia GTC GTE
Pro
137 DNF DNF
2012 United Kingdom Aston Martin Racing Denmark Christoffer Nygaard
Denmark Kristian Poulsen
Aston Martin Vantage GTE GTE
Am
31 DNF DNF
2013 United Kingdom Aston Martin Racing Denmark Christoffer Nygaard
Denmark Kristian Poulsen
Aston Martin Vantage GTE GTE
Am
2 DNF DNF

Bathurst 24 Hour results[]

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2003 Australia Mark Coffey Racing Australia Paul Stokell
Australia Luke Youlden
Australia Peter Hackett
Lamborghini Diablo GTR A 487 8th 6th

Bathurst 12 Hour results[]

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2010 Australia Action Racing Australia Jason Bright
Australia
Ford Mustang Shelby I 121 26th 1st
2011 Australia Red Alert Laser Tag United Kingdom
Australia
Ferrari 430 GT3 A 276 6th 5th
2012 Australia Maranello Motorsport Australia John Bowe
Australia
Germany Dominik Farnbacher
Ferrari 458 GT3 A 114 DNF DNF
2013 Australia Maranello Motorsport Australia John Bowe
Australia
Finland Mika Salo
Ferrari 458 GT3 A 111 DNF DNF

International V8 Supercars Championship[]

V8 Supercar results
Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Pos. Pts
2003 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VX Commodore ADE
R1
ADE
R1
PHI
R3
EAS
R4
WIN
R5
BAR
R6
BAR
R7
BAR
R8
HDV
R9
HDV
R10
HDV
R11
QLD
R12
ORA
R13
SAN
R14

29
BAT
R15

Ret
SUR
R16
SUR
R17
PUK
R18
PUK
R19
PUK
R20
EAS
R21
EAS
R22
69th 80
2004 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VY Commodore ADE
R1
ADE
R2
EAS
R3
PUK
R4
PUK
R5
PUK
R6
HDV
R7
HDV
R8
HDV
R9
BAR
R10
BAR
R11
BAR
R12
QLD
R13
WIN
R14
ORA
R15
ORA
R16
SAN
R17

Ret
BAT
R18

10
SUR
R19
SUR
R20
SYM
R21
SYM
R22
SYM
R23
EAS
R24
EAS
R25
EAS
R26
51st 156
2005 Perkins Engineering Holden VY Commodore ADE
R1
ADE
R2
PUK
R3
PUK
R4
PUK
R5
BAR
R6
BAR
R7
BAR
R8
EAS
R9
EAS
R10
SHA
R11
SHA
R12
SHA
R13
HDV
R14
HDV
R15
HDV
R16
QLD
R17
ORA
R18
ORA
R19
SAN
R20

17
BAT
R21

20
SUR
R22
SUR
R23
SUR
R24
SYM
R25
SYM
R26
SYM
R27
PHI
R28
PHI
R29
PHI
R30
57th 128
2006 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford BA Falcon ADE
R1
ADE
R2
PUK
R3
PUK
R4
PUK
R5
BAR
R6
BAR
R7
BAR
R8
WIN
R9
WIN
R10
WIN
R11
HDV
R12
HDV
R13
HDV
R14
QLD
R15
QLD
R16
QLD
R17
ORA
R18
ORA
R19
ORA
R20
SAN
R21

17
BAT
R22

12
SUR
R23
SUR
R24
SUR
R25
SYM
R26
SYM
R27
SYM
R28
BHR
R29
BHR
R30
BHR
R31
PHI
R32
PHI
R33
PHI
R34
46th 210
2007 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford BF Falcon ADE
R1
ADE
R2
BAR
R3
BAR
R4
BAR
R5
PUK
R6
PUK
R7
PUK
R8
WIN
R9
WIN
R10
WIN
R11
EAS
R12
EAS
R13
EAS
R14
HDV
R15
HDV
R16
HDV
R17
QLD
R18
QLD
R19
QLD
R20
ORA
R21
ORA
R22
ORA
R23
SAN
R24

10
BAT
R25

5
SUR
R26
SUR
R27
SUR
R28
BHR
R29
BHR
R30
BHR
R31
SYM
R32
SYM
R33
SYM
R34
PHI
R35
PHI
R36
PHI
R37
25th 63
2009 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford FG Falcon ADE
R1
ADE
R2
HAM
R3
HAM
R4
WIN
R5
WIN
R6
SYM
R7
SYM
R8
HDV
R9
HDV
R10
TOW
R11
TOW
R12
SAN
R13
SAN
R14
QLD
R15
QLD
R16
PHI
Q

10
PHI
R17

21
BAT
R18

Ret
SUR
R19
SUR
R20
SUR
R21
SUR
R22
PHI
R23
PHI
R24
BAR
R25
BAR
R26
SYD
R27
SYD
R28
59th 91
2010 Paul Morris Motorsport Holden VE Commodore YMC
R1
YMC
R2
BHR
R3
BHR
R4
ADE
R5
ADE
R6
HAM
R7
HAM
R8
QLD
R9
QLD
R10
WIN
R11
WIN
R12
HDV
R13
HDV
R14
TOW
R15
TOW
R16
PHI
Q
PHI
R17
BAT
R18

6
SUR
R19
SUR
R20
SYM
R21
SYM
R22
SAN
R23
SAN
R24
SYD
R25
SYD
R26
49th 204
2011 Kelly Racing Holden VE Commodore YMC
R1
YMC
R2
ADE
R3
ADE
R4
HAM
R5
HAM
R6
BAR
R7
BAR
R8
BAR
R9
WIN
R10
WIN
R11
HID
R12
HID
R13
TOW
R14
TOW
R15
QLD
R16
QLD
R17
QLD
R18
PHI
Q

23
PHI
R19

13
BAT
R20

3
32nd 509
Brad Jones Racing SUR
R21

17
SUR
R22

17
SYM
R23
SYM
R24
SAN
R25
SAN
R26
SYD
R27
SYD
R28
2012 Dick Johnson Racing Ford FG Falcon ADE
R1
ADE
R2
SYM
R3
SYM
R4
HAM
R5
HAM
R6
BAR
R7
BAR
R8
BAR
R9
PHI
R10
PHI
R11
HID
R12
HID
R13
TOW
R14
TOW
R15
QLD
R16
QLD
R17
SMP
R18
SMP
R19
SAN
Q

26
SAN
R20

21
BAT
R21

17
SUR
R22
SUR
R23
YMC
R24
YMC
R25
YMC
R26
WIN
R27
WIN
R28
SYD
R29
SYD
R30
52nd 108

Complete Bathurst 1000 results[]

Year Team Car Co-driver Position Laps
2003 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore VX Australia Nathan Pretty DNF 42
2004 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore VY Australia Nathan Pretty 10th 160
2005 Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore VZ Australia Alex Davison 20th 129
2006 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon BA United Kingdom Richard Lyons 12th 161
2007 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon BF United Kingdom Richard Lyons 5th 161
2009 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon FG United Kingdom James Thompson DNF 152
2010 Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Commodore VE New Zealand Greg Murphy 6th 161
2011 Kelly Racing Holden Commodore VE New Zealand Greg Murphy 3rd 161
2012 Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon FG Australia Steven Johnson 17th 161

References[]

  1. ^ "Race — Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  2. ^ "24 Heures du Mans. La course endeuillée" (in French). Ouest-France Multimédia. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Richards, Giles (22 June 2013). "Danish driver Allan Simonsen, 34, killed at Le Mans". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Danish driver Simonsen killed in Le Mans endurance race". BBC. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  5. ^ Karlsson, Ross. Åberg, Andreas (ed.). "The racing career of Allan Simonsen — in detail". Driver Database. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  6. ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (23 June 2013). "Allan Simonsen killed in Le Mans 24 Hours". SpeedCafe. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Ferrari breaks into 2:04s bracket at Bathurst". 13 November 2011.
  8. ^ Video on YouTube
  9. ^ Mount Panorama Circuit#Lap records
  10. ^ "Nürburgring 1000 Kilometres". Racing Sports Cars. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Le Mans in shock as Danish racing driver Allan Simonsen dies after crashing during 24 hours race". The Telegraph. 22 June 2013. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  12. ^ "2013 Le Mans Race Classification" (PDF).
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Driver Death at Le Mans Raises Safety Issue Again | Edmunds". Edmunds. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  14. ^ Nightingale, Brian (27 June 2013). "Allan Simonsen's death a tragic loss". Western Advocate. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Danish driver Allan Simonsen dies at Le Mans". Reuters. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Dagys, John (22 June 2013). "LE MANS: Simonsen Killed in Early Race Accident". SPEED.tv. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  17. ^ Baldwin, Alan (23 June 2013). "Le Mans win tinged with tragedy for Kristensen". Reuters. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  18. ^ "Allan Simonsen Trophy for Bathurst 12 Hour". Speedcafe.com. 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2017.

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Australian GT
Champion

2007
Succeeded by
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