Allan Simonsen (5 July 1978 – 22 June 2013) My memories of a great man

When I first went to the F3 and GT race meeting at Brands Hatch way back in 2008, I had no particular favourite team in the British GT championship. All this changed in a couple of hours when I met Ferrari drivers Hector Lester and his Danish Teammate Allan Simonsen. I got a signed poster off of them that to this day remains on my ceiling, but meeting those two guys changed my view of motorsport forever. Time and time again, we have seen arrogant sports "stars" who are in there for themselves, but Hector and Allan were happy to chat to everyone, rather than signing a poster and then ushering the fans onwards. They both seemed to be involved in motorsport not just because they were good, but because they enjoyed themselves and never seemed to take things too seriously. I immediately became a fan of them both. Their attitudes were a breath of fresh air against the single-mindedness of the F3 drivers. I returned in 2009 and again found myself having a pleasant chat with the drivers I supported most in British GT. Again I was surprised by how much time  they were willing to spend with their fans, rather than retreating to their motorhomes like the vast majority of the F3 drivers. I was back in 2010 and again in 2012, largely just to see those two who really made you feel like the only reason that they could go racing at all. You got the feeling that Hector and Allan cherished every single fan. I tuned in to 2013's Le Mans 24 hour race and caught the start, but at the end of lap 1 my parents forced me to take a walk with them. When I returned, I found out that Allan Simonsen had crashed. I am not a major follower of endurance racing, with my only attendance being the Britcar 'Into the Night' race in 2011 at Brands Hatch, so I didn't even know that Allan was racing at Le Mans this year. I heard the commentators say that he was conscious in hospital and I searched YouTube for the accident during an ad break. I saw the aftermath and did not think any more of it until two hours into the race, when the Eurosport commentators announced that he had succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. I went numb. I was sure it was a different guy called Alan. I was sure. In the very next ad break, I frantically searched and then it hit me: he was gone. Allan, long may your name be celebrated for as long as there is motorsport. May we never forget the talented driver, and more than that, a true sportsman and a perfect character.

Allan Simonsen (5 July 1978 – 22 June 2013)

A true hero gone,

Rest in peace

The signed poster on my ceiling showing Lester and Simonsen's car out in front