The Top 10 American Racing Drivers In History

November 15, 2018

5. Mark Donohue

People seem to forget about Mark Donohue, and I think that’s a shame. He was a fantastic driver, but more than that, his love for cars was obvious. He was able to set up his own cars, something that most drivers would pale at doing. He studied engineering at Brown University, and joined Roger Penske’s race team in 1966, racing a Lola T70. By 1971, he had raced in pretty much every discipline going. He raced in and won the Trans-Am championship, as well as racing at Sebring, Le Mans, Watkins Glen, in the American and Canadian Grand Prix, as well as nine USAC races.

Come 1973, Donohue focused on the Can-Am championship, racing in a Porsche 917/30K, which developed over 1100 horsepower. He outgunned everyone else on the track without breaking a sweat. He achieved pole position in every race, and won the last six races in a row. At Elkhart Lake, he became the first man to achieve a sub-two minute laptime. There was no stopping him at his peak. Tragically, Donohue would meet his end at the age of 38 in the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix.

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