- Gerry Birrell
Infobox Person
name = Gerry Birrell
image_size = 113px
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1944|7|30|mf=y
birth_place =Glasgow
death_date = death date and age|1973|6|23|1944|7|30|mf=y
death_place =Rouen ,France
occupation =Racing driver
spouse =
parents =
children =Gerry Birrell (
30 July 1944 -23 June 1973 ) was a Scottish racing driver who was killed in an accident during practice for aFormula Two race atRouen-Les-Essarts .Birrell started racing single seaters at the relatively late age of 24. He began in
Formula Vee andFormula Ford , racing against drivers such asEmerson Fittipaldi andJames Hunt . He progessed toFormula 3 andFormula 2 in 1970, racing privateBrabham s and a Lotus 69. Birrell was also successful intouring cars , mainly in aFord Capri - taking a Class win in the1972 24 Hours of Le Mans .By 1973 he was being slated to replace his fellow Scot
Jackie Stewart atTyrrell Racing inFormula One . A promising career was ended during qualifying for the F2 Trophee D'Europe race at Rouen when a front tyre failed at the notorious "Six Freres" corner, Birrell's Chevron B25 being thrown into a poorly secured crash barrier. The rail was lifted by the force of the crash, and the Chevron passed beneath it, decapitating the unfortunate Birrell.Note : A driver with whom Birrell shared a drive at the
1973 24 Hours of Le Mans ,Helmut Koinigg , was killed in an almost identical fashion in the1974 United States Grand Prix ource
Motor Sport (April 2004 issue) - "Lost Before His Time" by Adam Cooper
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