Marcel Albers Fatal Crash @ Thruxton 1992 (Report)
- 3 months ago
egarded as a young Dutch driver of exceptional promise, after a succesful career in the European lower formulae, Marcel Albers decided to settle in England, hitting a road that many youngsters from all over the World had taken before and after him.
Unbeknownst to his father, who had been active in rallying, Marcel Albers started competing in his early twenties. From his early successes in Formula Ford - he won the Dutch Formula Ford Championship in 1989 - he progressed to the EFDA Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries in 1990, competing against the likes of Rubens Barrichello, Vincenzo Sospiri and Gil de Ferran among others, going on to finish a remarkable sixth in the championship.
The following year he progressed to the British Formula 3 Championship, driving a Ralt for Alan Docking Racing. He was fifth in the final standings, scoring two second places. Marcel Albers took a fine podium finish, third place, in the first edition of the prestigious International Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort, behind the winner David Coulthard and Jordi Gené.
In sight of the 1992 edition of the British Formula 3 Championship, all the front-runner teams, including the West Surrey, Bowman, Paul Stewart, Edenbridge and Fortec, switched to Reynard cars. Only the Alan Docking Racing remained with their Ralt RT36-Mugen cars, for Marcel Albers and a young American newcomer, Elton Julian.
Albers had been the primary test and development driver for the make during the winter, and in the opening round of the series, at Donington Park in March 1992, his Ralt took an impressive outright win. In the subsequent round at Silverstone, Marcel Albers did not finish the race.
In the third round of the season, scheduled to be contested at Thruxton on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992, Marcel Albers qualified in second place. Shortly after the start of the race, he overtook the poleman Gil De Ferran and took the lead, but on third lap sudden gearbox problems forced him to slow down and he fell in seventh position.
On the eighth lap of the race, the #7 red and white Alan Docking Racing's Ralt RT36-Mugen driven by Marcel Albers collided with the rear wheels of team mate Elton Julian's Ralt, in the long Brooklands straight, between the Church bend and the Club chicane. Albers' cas was hurled high in the air, cartwheeled and tumbled off the course, crashing into the safety fencing.
The car was badly damaged upon impact, and some debris hit the crowd, being three spectators, including a child, slightly injured. The rescuers found Albers still alive, he was trapped in the wreckage and it took track officials, doctors and ambulance staff about one hour to extricate him. Sadly, Marcel Albers succumbed to his injuries during the transport to the circuit's medical center.
R.I.P
Unbeknownst to his father, who had been active in rallying, Marcel Albers started competing in his early twenties. From his early successes in Formula Ford - he won the Dutch Formula Ford Championship in 1989 - he progressed to the EFDA Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries in 1990, competing against the likes of Rubens Barrichello, Vincenzo Sospiri and Gil de Ferran among others, going on to finish a remarkable sixth in the championship.
The following year he progressed to the British Formula 3 Championship, driving a Ralt for Alan Docking Racing. He was fifth in the final standings, scoring two second places. Marcel Albers took a fine podium finish, third place, in the first edition of the prestigious International Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort, behind the winner David Coulthard and Jordi Gené.
In sight of the 1992 edition of the British Formula 3 Championship, all the front-runner teams, including the West Surrey, Bowman, Paul Stewart, Edenbridge and Fortec, switched to Reynard cars. Only the Alan Docking Racing remained with their Ralt RT36-Mugen cars, for Marcel Albers and a young American newcomer, Elton Julian.
Albers had been the primary test and development driver for the make during the winter, and in the opening round of the series, at Donington Park in March 1992, his Ralt took an impressive outright win. In the subsequent round at Silverstone, Marcel Albers did not finish the race.
In the third round of the season, scheduled to be contested at Thruxton on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992, Marcel Albers qualified in second place. Shortly after the start of the race, he overtook the poleman Gil De Ferran and took the lead, but on third lap sudden gearbox problems forced him to slow down and he fell in seventh position.
On the eighth lap of the race, the #7 red and white Alan Docking Racing's Ralt RT36-Mugen driven by Marcel Albers collided with the rear wheels of team mate Elton Julian's Ralt, in the long Brooklands straight, between the Church bend and the Club chicane. Albers' cas was hurled high in the air, cartwheeled and tumbled off the course, crashing into the safety fencing.
The car was badly damaged upon impact, and some debris hit the crowd, being three spectators, including a child, slightly injured. The rescuers found Albers still alive, he was trapped in the wreckage and it took track officials, doctors and ambulance staff about one hour to extricate him. Sadly, Marcel Albers succumbed to his injuries during the transport to the circuit's medical center.
R.I.P