Aston Martin loss his Driver in 24 Hours of Le Mans race
Allan
Simonsen's death after a spinout
cast a pall over the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The race still had more than 23½ hours to go, but there was
no call to stop it on Saturday after the first driver fatality in 16 years.
Simonsen's partner Carina, the mother to their daughter
born last year, made sure of that.
It was her
"specific request" that Simonsen's team, Aston
Martin Racing, continue the
world's most renowned endurance race in honor of the Dane.
Just 10 minutes into the race, Simonsen spun and skidded
into the barrier at the Tertre Rouge corner where cars typically reach speeds
of up to 105 mph. The 34-year-old Simonsen was taken to a hospital, where he
died of his injuries, race organizers said.
The violence of the impact showed as a tire from Simonsen's
car rolled on the track while a door hung wide open. The race was held up for
nearly an hour to repair the guard rail.
"Tragically,
and despite the best efforts of the emergency services in attendance, Allan's
injuries proved fatal," Aston Martin said in a statement.
The Aston Martin released the official statement :
