Live Fast // Die Young

With an interest in history and a passion for motorsport, we are hoping to spark a bit of interest and explortion into the life of one of racings greatest heroes and most tragic losses. Cold Track Days presents the Jo Siffert documentary: Live Fast, Die Young. We cannot go into too much detail in regards to the film, considering we have not seen it, and it is in Swiss. But we can offer a bit of background on the man himself, and maybe prompt our readers to take a look at the DVD. Siffert, born to a dairy farmer in Fribourg, Switzerland, began his career on two wheels. After winning the 1959 350cc Swiss motorcycle championship, Siffert decided a transition to four wheels was in store. Starting in the Formula Junior class, Siffert made the move to F-1 as a privateer in 1962. He soon joined forces with Rob Walker Racing, which proved a brilliant move for the young Swiss, and in '68 he made F-1 history as he dove the teams Lotus 49B to a 1st place finish at Brands Hatch. This is often regarded as the last GP win for a privateer in Formula One. Where Siffert met fame, he would soon meet fate. At the end of the '71 season, Siffert returned to Brands Hatch for an end of season, non-points race. An incident with Ronnie Peterson in the first lap left the front suspension damaged on Siffert’s BRM P160. A few laps later the suspension failed, Sifferts BRM crashed into the banking, and the young Swiss was unable to remove himself from the burning car. Siffert’s death prompted a movement toward additional safety measures not only in car, but on the circuits as well. The DVD is available from http://www.grandprix-originals.com/ for 27 Euros.