Allan Simonsen (racing driver) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Allan Simonsen |
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Simonsen in 2011
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| Nationality |  Danish |
| Born | 5 July 1978 Odense, Denmark |
| Died | 22 June 2013 (aged 34) Le Mans, France |
| Previous series | |
| 1999 1999 2000 2001 2001 2002 2003–2004 2003–2007 2005 2005–2012 2006 2006, 2008 2006–2009 2007–2013 2008 2009 2009, 2012 2009–2012 2010, 2012 2010, 2012 2010–2012 2011–2013 2012–2013 2013 |
Formula Ford 1800 Netherlands Danish Formula Ford Championship Formula Palmer Audi German Formula Three Championship British Formula Renault Championship British GT Championship Australian Nations Cup Championship V8 Supercars V8 Ute Racing Series European Le Mans Series FIA GT3 European Championship FIA GT Championship Australian GT Championship British GT Championship American Le Mans Series Aussie Racing Cars Rolex Sports Car Series V8 Supercars VLN Porsche Carrera Cup Asia PSCRAA Enduro Championship Australian GT Championship FIA World Endurance Championship ADAC GT Masters |
| Championship titles | |
| 1999 2007 |
Danish Formula Ford Championship Australian GT Championship |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 2007–2013 |
| Teams | Autorlando Sport KSM Hankook Team Farnbacher Aston Martin Racing |
| Best finish | 12th (2010) |
| Class wins | 0 |
Allan Weel Simonsen (born 5 July 1978 – died 22 June 2013) was a professional racing driver from Odense, Denmark. He was known for his skill in sports car racing. Sadly, Allan died after a crash during a famous race called the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Allan Simonsen's Racing Journey
Allan Simonsen started his racing career in karting, where he competed against future champions like Kimi Räikkönen. In 1999, he moved into car racing and quickly won the Danish Formula Ford Championship. He then raced in other series like Formula Palmer Audi in 2000, and German Formula 3 and Formula Renault 2.0 UK in 2001.
In 2002, Allan switched to sports car racing. He drove a Ferrari 360 for Veloqx Motorsport in the British GT Championship. In 2003, he started racing in Australia for Mark Coffey Racing. He finished 8th in the Australian Nations Cup Championship and 2nd in Group 2. He also placed 8th in the Bathurst 24 Hour race that year.
While in Australia, Allan also raced in the popular V8 Supercar events. His best result in the famous Bathurst 1000 race was in 2011. He finished third with his teammate Greg Murphy in a Holden VE Commodore. Allan won the Australian GT Championship in 2007 and came in second in 2008.
At the 2011 Sprint Bathurst event, Allan set an incredibly fast lap time of 2:04.95 at the Mount Panorama circuit. This was a huge achievement, as it was two seconds faster than any V8 Supercar lap at the time. It was even close to the Formula 3 lap record set the next year. His time was so fast that race officials first thought it was a mistake! But after checking with manual timers and team data, the time was confirmed.
Allan also competed in the Le Mans Series. In 2007, he finished fourth in a partial season, including a win in the GT2 class at the Nürburgring 1000 race. From 2008 to 2011, he drove Ferraris for Team Farnbacher in various international races. During this time, he won the GT2 class at the 2009 1000 km of Okayama. He also won the SP7 class in the 2010 24 Hours Nürburgring. Allan raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times. He finished on the GT2 class podium twice, taking third place in 2007 and second place in 2010.
Allan Simonsen's Tragic Death
On June 22, 2013, Allan Simonsen was racing in the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just nine minutes into the race, on his third lap, he was leading the LMGTE Am category in his Aston Martin Vantage GTE car. As he sped through the Tertre Rouge corner, his car briefly lost control. When he tried to correct it, the car went left and hit the safety barriers hard.
Allan was taken out of the car and was reportedly conscious. He was then rushed to the medical center at the track. Sadly, he passed away from his injuries. His death was the first during a race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1986.
To honor Allan, race officials raised a Danish flag at half mast over the circuit's podium during the race. Another Danish driver, Tom Kristensen, won the race that year and dedicated his team's victory to Allan Simonsen's memory.
Memorials
The award for the fastest qualifier at the Bathurst 12 Hour race is now named the Allan Simonsen Pole Position Trophy. Allan had won this award in 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Allan Simonsen (piloto) para niños
