Fumes

Tuesday

Aug162011

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 01:21PM

August 17, 2011

"Senna" is a must see.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. I must admit that when I first heard about "Senna" the documentary, I was skeptical. I'm always skeptical when the sport of motor racing rises above its typical standing in the sports world, which too often lies somewhere between mild curiosity and unbridled fervor. And that spectrum certainly varies dramatically from country to country too.

In Europe and South America motor racing is a noble endeavor and a profession to aspire to, no matter if it's in the technical area, a supporting role, or to be a driver. Here? Sure, there are pockets of hard-core devotion and fervor among enthusiasts of all stripes for the various forms of racing in the U.S., but even in NASCAR's peak years and the glory days of CART most people looking in from the outside only paid attention to the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 every year. The rest of the time? Auto racing merited only a blurb at the end of a local newscast, and nine times out of ten only to show a particularly lurid crash.

So when I started to read the glowing reviews of "Senna" and noticing that it had begun to garner myriad awards at film festivals from serious film critics, I knew this was a film worth going out of my way to see. Just the mention of the film and its subject matter brought back memories of going to see Grand Prix - the classic John Frankenheimer film about Formula 1 racing in the 60s - at a special showing and marveling at not only the camera work but reveling in the glorious sound of those engines that was captured so exquisitely. And of course experiencing the Steve McQueen-orchestrated racing movie Le Mans was so memorable it seems like only yesterday that I saw it for the first time.

So, in to this memory set comes this brand new documentary film about Ayrton Senna, the extraordinarily gifted Brazilian driver who mesmerized the racing world for a decade. A driven, and at times maniacal genius behind the wheel, Senna was the most compelling driver to come around in years and the direct opposite of the robotic Michael Schumacher who inherited the mantle from him. This film captures Senna the man brilliantly, allowing the viewer to get a fleeting glimpse of the individual who transfixed Formula 1 with his unearthly talent and unbridled will to win.

Senna involved his entire being in the quest to be the best driver in the world. No lap record was good enough because he knew he could always be better and faster. And it consumed him right up to the last race of his life. This after a particularly brutal season that saw Martin Donnelly shattered by a horrific crash at Jerez, Spain, and that fateful weekend at Imola when Rubens Barrichello survived a devastating crash and Roland Ratzenberger didn't. When his friend and Formula 1 Medical Director Professor Sid Watkins suggested that they both retire and go fishing, that with three World Championships Senna could afford to take a break, the Brazilian driver responded with a simple, "I can't quit." Two hours later, he was dead.

Brilliant, mercurial, driven, obsessed and committed to his quest of being the champion of champions, Senna the man comes alive on the big screen in this film in a totally unexpected and disarming way. You understand his passion. You feel his unbridled love for "pure driving" as he so eloquently puts it. You see him as a national hero. And you begin to get a glimpse of the emotionally charged man who may have been the greatest to ever sit behind the wheel of a racing car.

Do yourself a favor and make every effort to see "Senna."

It's an extraordinarily riveting portrait of a complex man and a most extraordinary talent.

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Pomona, California, 1967. Ed Hedrick launches his famous "Dragonsnake" Cobra (CSX2093) at the Winternationals. It is the most successful competition Cobra in drag racing history winning 7 NHRA National events with Hedrick or Bruce Larson behind the wheel. The famous Cobra was recently offered by Mecum at their Kissimmee, Florida, auction last January. Only eight cars were configured as drag racers by Shelby American, with only one of those powered by a 427 cu. in. engine.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.