Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. One of the drivers lost a leg in an accident on set. He had to have the foot wrapped in asbestos cloth because the plaster cast was. The beef between two racers paul newman and steve mcqueen were perhaps the most widely known celebrity racers ever. Much of the movie was shot right after the event, using the real track and real racing drivers all exhausted, having just competed in the world. Marc myers got to drive the route with the stuntman who deserves credit for the. Kurt mayer, steve mcqueen, gerd schmid and dieter wurster. He has been married to jeanie galbraith since december 22, 1993. Mcqueen owned a mini cooper, a car his son describes as hot but his favourite car was the jaguar xkss. A cult movie in the world of motorsport, le mans was the brainchild of steve mcqueen at the height of his popularity. Chad mcqueen bio, age, wiki, wife, karate kid, health, son. The character is not named after actor and race driver steve mcqueen, but after pixar animator glenn mcqueen who died in 2002. Nov 24, 2017 in 1971, steve mcqueen starred in a movie called le mans. Photos from the past that captured way more than expected.
Another uk band, the automatic, released a single called steve mcqueen as the lead single to their 2008 album this is a fix. Jul 30, 2010 steve mcqueen at the legendary 1970 12 hours of sebring race where mcqueen partnered with co driver peter revson raced with a broken left foot in a cast against racing great, mario andretti. For the le mans the car was converted into a camera carrier and was equipped with three cameras. American actor steve mcqueen in firestone racing driver suit sitting inside a lola t70 sl7014 car, at riverside raceway in riverside, california, circa 1966. Hed come second in a major race shortly before le mans. Jun 15, 2017 steve mcqueen, who played a racing driver called michael delaney in the 1971 film le mans, poses in the pit lane. However if you found yourself forgetting to breathe when a twelve cylinder passed by shrieking at race speed or a thundering v8 shaking the ground as if it were going to open up. Steve mcqueen with some of the porsche mechanics at the legendary 1970 sebring 12 hour race. Steve mcqueen was a carracing fanatic and owned a porsche 908. Sep 30, 2015 dick barbour, of barbour motorsports, trained both men stated, paul was a very methodical driver. Steve entered his solar productions porsche 90802 in the race and much to their surprise he and his co driver peter revson came in second being beaten only by 23 seconds. Oct 02, 2009 from a driver s perspective, the three most prestigious motorsport events of the racing year are the monaco formula one grand prix, the indianapolis 500 and the le mans 24hour race. Filming of 1971s le mans was a precarious proposition for mcqueen, who wanted to imbue the movieabout a race car driverwith his own personal love. He was racing dirt bikes by age nine, and in just three years, would go on to win his class in the world mini grand prix.
Tales of competition in toprank series from the 1960s. Le mans 1971 almost in breadth and depth of a documentary, this movie depicts an auto race during the 70s on the worlds hardest endurance course. From a driver s perspective, the three most prestigious motorsport events of the racing year are the monaco formula one grand prix, the indianapolis 500 and the le mans 24hour race. Hot off the back of classics like the thomas crown affair and bullitt, the racing fanatic began production of his passion project, le mans, centered on the 24hour car race in france. If you went to the brscc brands hatch october meet in 1961 you could be pretty sure one of the 3. In 1971, steve mcqueen starred in a movie called le mans. An avid race car driver and motorcycle enthusiast, he nearly raced professionally but settled for performing his own bigscreen stunts. It features mario andretti, dan gurney, jackie ickx, pedro rodriguez, and celebrity driveractor steve mcqueen.
Steve mcqueen was an experienced race car driver who was behind the wheel for much of the filming of the iconic car chase. Steve mcqueens last act steve liked to seduce blondes, but he married brunettes, his exwife neile adams said at mcqueens funeral in 1980. Steve mcqueen, who played a racing driver called michael delaney in the 1971 film le mans, poses in the pit lane. American actor steve mcqueen in firestone racing driver. Mcqueen in character as race driver michael delaney in le mans, which was shot on location at the famous sporting event. The story of an accident, a porsche 917 and steve mcqueen. Steve first competed in the 12 hour race at sebring in march of 1962. Making le mans nearly destroyed mcqueen, new documentary. He starred in such features as the great escape, bullitt and the getaway.
Racing suit and helmet worn by steve mcqueen in rm sothebys. Like mcqueen, bud was born in 1930, and spent time as a teenager in a reform school. Think of a hollywood actor who raced and an image of steve mcqueen will float before your eyes. This former us marine became the highestpaid actor in the world while simultaneously leading a busy offscreen life. But before he smouldered into the british consciousness on screen, he shouldered himself into the racing press with a blistering race in a borrowed mini. Whats even crazier is that mcqueen was driving with a cast on his left foot from a motorcycle crash he had a few weeks prior.
When peter revson teamed up with steve mcqueen to race in the 1970 12 hours of sebring, everyone took notice. With steve mcqueen, siegfried rauch, elga andersen, ronald leighhunt. Behind the scenes with steve mcqueen at le mans the drive. Bullit is well known for one of the most epic car chases in movie history. Friends of steve mcqueen 2017 car show photo gallery. The time steve mcqueen scared the crap out of bruce lee. In addition, the ekins brothers were racers mcqueen almost chose a career as a race car driver before an ultimatum from mcqueen s movie studio, united artists, forced him to pursue acting full time. Le mans 24 hours for steve mcqueen, and many others, a race. While steve mcqueen was an accomplished road and track race car driver, his interests also extended to piloting offroad vehicles at and beyond the limits of human and mechanical endurance. He drove cars and motorcycles in races all over the world like the mojave desert 500 and the 12 hours of sebring and he even filmed his 1971 classic le mans on the site of the actual race. Steve mcqueen at the legendary 1970 12 hours of sebring race where mcqueen partnered with codriver peter revson raced with a broken left foot in a cast against racing great, mario andretti. In addition, the ekins brothers were racersmcqueen almost chose a career as a race car driver before an ultimatum from mcqueens movie studio, united artists, forced him to pursue acting full time.
Steve mcqueen racing results,career statistics and team mates. He had a personal porsche 908 k flunder spyder chassis 908022 in which he had scored second in 1970 sebring 12h. Gulf jackets steve mcqueen le mans leather jackets. Driving this car during the 12 hours of sebrings 1970 edition with professional driver peter. The race would be filmed from all perspectives, including a camera car that would actually race alongside the other drivers. The plan was for mcqueen to enter the 24 hours of le mans race, with british formula 1 champion jackie stewart as his co driver. Sports car racing archives list of results of steve mcqueen usa all results. This made him the man he was, abandoned by his father before he was born and left aside by his mother, he grew up almost like an orphan until he was an adolescent and became the greatest hollywood star ever. Lightning mcqueen is an anthropomorphic stock car in the animated pixar film cars 2006, its sequels cars 2 2011, cars 3 2017, and tv shorts known as cars toons. Sep 17, 2019 steve mcqueen was one of the most popular and successful film actors of the 1960s and 1970s.
Steve mcqueen and his ultimate racing movie cbs news. Mcqueen believed that asbestos used in movie sound stage insulation and racedrivers protective suits and helmets could have been involved, but he thought it more likely that his illness was a direct result of massive exposure while removing asbestos lagging insulation from pipes aboard a troop ship while he was in the marines. But just two days before filming was to start, the films insurance company said steve couldnt drive in the. He was one of hollywoods hottest properties in the 1960s. Amongst the porsche 917s and ferrari 512s, one item from the film achieved international stardom. Rugged and selfassured, mcqueen was a lovable rogue whose passion for motor racing is put under the spotlight in new documentary steve mcqueen. But just two days before filming was to start, the films insurance company said steve couldnt. Nov, 2015 i dont think there is any race driver that could really tell you why he races. Chad mcqueen was the first and only son of steve and neile mcqueen. As an actor and producer, he was known for playing dutch in the karate kid and the karate kid part ii. He was a racing legend, a man so obsessed with the sport he not only made a film about the le mans 24 hours, but also raced at a very high level. They had a kind of warmup race there on saturday, a threehour production go in which all of us bmc drivers were put in austinhealey sprites. Rare discoveries from the past that will leave you speechless. Drivers drivers steve mcqueen merchandise, clothing.
Chad mcqueen is the only son of the legendary steve mcqueen. Jun 23, 2018 on june 23, 1971, the 106minute racing drama le mans, starring steve mcqueen and siegfried rauch as rivals, hit theaters stateside. It was released in the united states under the title two wheels good because of a legal conflict with mcqueen s estate. Mcqueen, along with racer peter revson, managed to take home the win for the threeliter class in their porsche 908. Apr 07, 2016 behind the scenes with steve mcqueen at le mans. The story of an accident, a porsche 917 and steve mcqueen only. Steve mcqueen passed away on november 7, 1980, at age 50 after the cancer surgery which was said to be successful.
Mcqueen was a magnet to the box office because, rather than an actor, he was a style. Everything youd want in a book by a great racing driver with a storied career is here. Chad mcqueen once stole his dad steves porsche 930 the. Looking back on steve mcqueens racing career engaging.
In 1970, mcqueen competed in the 12 hours of sebring race. Nov 30, 2017 steve mcqueen at the 1970 sebring 12 hour race drove with his left foot in a cast due to a motorcycle accident. Top flight le mans racing driver michael delaney steve mcqueen spots former rival piero belgettis widow lisa elga andersen buying flowers in the days before the race. He was the king of cool and the worlds most notorious ladies man. Movie star and racing driver steve mcqueen had an idea to make a film based on the le mans 24h racing. Race car driver steve mcqueen scared bruce lee after trying to prevent the star from making a dangerous purchase, writes biographer matthew polly, in an excerpt from bruce lee. Faced with the choice of driving for 24 hours in the race or driving for the entire summer making the film, mcqueen. Bullitt steve mcqueen refuses to back down when the charger trying to follow him takes it up a notch, leading to a chase through the streets of san francisco. The production was plagued by delays and cost overruns. He has taken up his fathers mantle, working as an actor, producer and racing driver.
In homage to the famous baja offroad races, mcqueen entered a special vehicle in the 1968 stardust 711 race and later the baja. For mcqueen, a serious amateur racer who had finished second sharing a porsche 908 with peter revson in the 1970 sebring 12 hours, making le mans was a selfconfessed seminal moment in his. Gq spoke to mcqueens son, and former racing driver. Jun 17, 2017 for mcqueen, a serious amateur racer who had finished second sharing a porsche 908 with peter revson in the 1970 sebring 12 hours, making le mans was a selfconfessed seminal moment in his life. May 12, 2009 steve mcqueen with some of the porsche mechanics at the legendary 1970 sebring 12 hour race. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea. In his spare time, mcqueen also dabbled in auto racing and even considered becoming a professional race car driver. But the infamously troubled production was plagued with financial troubles, on. American actor steve mcqueen in firestone racing driver suit near a lola t70 sl7014 car, at riverside raceway in riverside, california, circa 1966. He has a flashback of belgetti losing control of his ferrari, forcing him to crash as well. For all the attention steve mcqueen has received for the famous chase in bullitt, he only drove 10% of the scene. Photographs of the sebring race, 1962 to 1972 sebring, florida. Le mans 24 hours for steve mcqueen, and many others, a. Steve wanted to fly so high, but he couldnt tell when the wax left his wings these are the words of john klawitter, the onset documentary maker during steve mcqueen s 1971 classic race.
Mar 11, 2016 mcqueen, an accomplished race car driver who at one point nearly gave up acting to race fulltime dug the shades and persols other protective eyewear, and had a huge collection of their high. Looking back on steve mcqueens racing career engaging car. Feb 01, 2017 bullitt steve mcqueen refuses to back down when the charger trying to follow him takes it up a notch, leading to a chase through the streets of san francisco. Chadwick steven mcqueen born december 28, 1960 is an american actor, film producer, martial artist and race car driver. He wanted audiences to feel as he felt as a driver.
Then theres peter revson, a fulltime professional racing driver hired by mcqueen to be his codriver. Chassis 917024 was part of this group and it still wears its iconic. The racing world is no less creative in expression than film itself, he says. Mcqueen was preparing to film le mans, so the production crew was tasked with rounding up a fleet of vehicles to use in filming. Jun 08, 2018 race car driver steve mcqueen scared bruce lee after trying to prevent the star from making a dangerous purchase, writes biographer matthew polly, in an excerpt from bruce lee. Peter revson and steve mcqueen after the race bernard cahiergetty images. Jun 04, 2017 steve mcqueen owned one of 16 rare jaguars that burned in a fire. He has a flashback of belgetti losing control of his ferrari, forcing him to crash as. Rumpled good looks and effortless charisma made steve mcqueen hollywoods king of cool. Steve mcqueen was the second album by english pop band prefab sprout, which was released in june 1985. Photo gallery and event report from the friends of steve mcqueen 2017 car show, held june 3 at the boys republic in chino hills, california.
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