I tell you something, I do that lap time in a van
March 17, 2021 9:16 AM Subscribe
Celebrated racecar driver Sabine Schmitz, Queen of the Nürburgring Ring and two time winner of the 24 hours of Nürburgring but probably best known for embarrassing Jeremy Clarkson with a sub ten minute lap at the wheel of a Ford Transit, has died of cancer. She was 51.
The original boast. Start the video from the beginning for history of the Ford Transit.
The original boast. Start the video from the beginning for history of the Ford Transit.
Gutted to hear this news, she was hilarious and brilliant, at the same time. Watching her commenting on her fast laps or racing Ferrari 458s, she was an absolute star. So sad.
posted by bookbook at 9:23 AM on March 17, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by bookbook at 9:23 AM on March 17, 2021 [9 favorites]
.
posted by crocomancer at 9:25 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by crocomancer at 9:25 AM on March 17, 2021
Damn. She was fucking cool.
posted by dazed_one at 9:33 AM on March 17, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by dazed_one at 9:33 AM on March 17, 2021 [5 favorites]
Ahh, that's too bad. I always admired her cheerful excellence, and giving Jeremy Clarkson a hard time is always a worthy activity.
posted by Maxwell's demon at 9:34 AM on March 17, 2021 [10 favorites]
posted by Maxwell's demon at 9:34 AM on March 17, 2021 [10 favorites]
Ever since that original boast, she has been one of my favorite drivers and presenters. Very talented at both driving and presenting and funny as all get out. So sad to lose her at just 51.
.
posted by AugustWest at 9:35 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
.
posted by AugustWest at 9:35 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
.
posted by jim in austin at 9:37 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by jim in austin at 9:37 AM on March 17, 2021
.
posted by NoThisIsPatrick at 9:42 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by NoThisIsPatrick at 9:42 AM on March 17, 2021
.
This is the first I've heard of her and so I watched the video and... *sigh*.
posted by suetanvil at 9:48 AM on March 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
This is the first I've heard of her and so I watched the video and... *sigh*.
posted by suetanvil at 9:48 AM on March 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
Witness her, shiny and chrome.
.
posted by the painkiller at 9:55 AM on March 17, 2021 [19 favorites]
.
posted by the painkiller at 9:55 AM on March 17, 2021 [19 favorites]
I was charmed by her the first second I saw her on the screen.
posted by zzazazz at 9:58 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by zzazazz at 9:58 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
"I can do that time in a van" is a paraphrase we've incorporated into our family Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra.
She was a force of nature, and so impressive. I wish I had half of her exuberance. Definitely will be missed. <3
posted by librarianamy at 10:25 AM on March 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
She was a force of nature, and so impressive. I wish I had half of her exuberance. Definitely will be missed. <3
posted by librarianamy at 10:25 AM on March 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
Sad.
posted by Keith Talent at 10:44 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by Keith Talent at 10:44 AM on March 17, 2021
Such a delightful and fun person on screen. Both talented and charming, and it felt like she let us in on the fun. A person doing their thing and doing it well and having fun the whole time it seems.
.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 11:09 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 11:09 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
.
posted by cooker girl at 11:10 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by cooker girl at 11:10 AM on March 17, 2021
.
posted by drstrangelove at 11:14 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by drstrangelove at 11:14 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
I had no idea who she was but loved her thing with Clarkson. I guess I was not paying attention, as in the episode it seemed like he was bragging to the person at the entrance gate, just a random local familiar with the track, who then whooped his ass.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:46 PM on March 17, 2021
posted by Meatbomb at 12:46 PM on March 17, 2021
This news has been going around my social circle today. Hell of a shame - she seemed really good fun, and could definitely pedal. It's been a crap year for people in the industry dying in the US, too (not famous people as much as established 'part of the furniture' type people).
posted by Brockles at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Brockles at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
Just saw this. A terrible loss. Such a fantastic personality and talent.
.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:02 PM on March 17, 2021
.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:02 PM on March 17, 2021
.
posted by lewiseason at 4:35 PM on March 17, 2021
posted by lewiseason at 4:35 PM on March 17, 2021
.
posted by JoeXIII007 at 5:17 PM on March 17, 2021
posted by JoeXIII007 at 5:17 PM on March 17, 2021
. Dammit.
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 5:59 PM on March 17, 2021
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 5:59 PM on March 17, 2021
I just found out about this and I'm gutted. She really seemed like she was having the time of her life in every video I saw of her.
After Jeremy Clarkson departed Top Gear for, well, being an enormous asshole, I remember people saying Sabine Schmitz should take over Top Gear: she was just as personable, could drive circles around any of the Top Gear presenters, and was almost certainly less of an asshole. I stopped paying attention to Top Gear before Clarkson got fired so I missed that the BBC actually did make her a Top Gear presenter in 2016 (albeit as an occasional presenter rather than full-time host). Here's her in 2017 passing Porsches and BMWs in a VW Golf with Rory Reid. Of course, she was a TV veteran by that point; in addition to her guest appearances on Top Gear, she'd been hosting a German motoring show since 2006 and also made appearances on Top Gear rival Fifth Gear (here she is wrestling some extremely scary open-cockpit racers around a track with Tiff Needell).
And it turns out she was still racing for most of that period too; she co-owned her own racing team with her partner, and drove one of the team's two Porsche 911 GT3s as late as 2019. This video is from 2014, showing her passing (by a commenter's count) 39 cars in the space of eight minutes. That season, she finished tied for second overall.
It's kind of sad I'm only catching up on what she's done these last few years because she's no longer with us, but I guess better late than never. Thanks for the memories, Sabine.
posted by chrominance at 8:30 PM on March 17, 2021 [7 favorites]
After Jeremy Clarkson departed Top Gear for, well, being an enormous asshole, I remember people saying Sabine Schmitz should take over Top Gear: she was just as personable, could drive circles around any of the Top Gear presenters, and was almost certainly less of an asshole. I stopped paying attention to Top Gear before Clarkson got fired so I missed that the BBC actually did make her a Top Gear presenter in 2016 (albeit as an occasional presenter rather than full-time host). Here's her in 2017 passing Porsches and BMWs in a VW Golf with Rory Reid. Of course, she was a TV veteran by that point; in addition to her guest appearances on Top Gear, she'd been hosting a German motoring show since 2006 and also made appearances on Top Gear rival Fifth Gear (here she is wrestling some extremely scary open-cockpit racers around a track with Tiff Needell).
And it turns out she was still racing for most of that period too; she co-owned her own racing team with her partner, and drove one of the team's two Porsche 911 GT3s as late as 2019. This video is from 2014, showing her passing (by a commenter's count) 39 cars in the space of eight minutes. That season, she finished tied for second overall.
It's kind of sad I'm only catching up on what she's done these last few years because she's no longer with us, but I guess better late than never. Thanks for the memories, Sabine.
posted by chrominance at 8:30 PM on March 17, 2021 [7 favorites]
Here’s her in 2017 passing Porsches and BMWs in a VW Golf with Rory ReidI read that as passing Porsches and BMWs in a golf cart and thought yeah, she could do it.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:57 AM on March 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
.
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 9:54 AM on March 18, 2021
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 9:54 AM on March 18, 2021
She was my favourite part of Top Gear.
.
posted by biggreenplant at 5:43 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
.
posted by biggreenplant at 5:43 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
.
She was truly amazing. Have regaled my 2 girls with her stories. I was really more sad than I expected at her passing.
posted by chasles at 8:54 AM on March 21, 2021
She was truly amazing. Have regaled my 2 girls with her stories. I was really more sad than I expected at her passing.
posted by chasles at 8:54 AM on March 21, 2021
For however long it stays up, here's the Top Gear tribute to her.
posted by juv3nal at 10:59 AM on April 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by juv3nal at 10:59 AM on April 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
« Older The Original Nerdy-Sexy-Commie-Girl | The weather and the phase of the moon, in ascii... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Mitheral at 9:17 AM on March 17, 2021