Since I've been born (which is roughly 28 years ago) there hasn't been another racer in the world that has inspired me as much as Ron Fellows, that includes F1 champions, CART champions, NASCAR champs, etc. To others this may make no sense and maybe a little over the top but I honestly feel this way because I view sport car racing as the "purest" form of motorsport in the world. Might be corny but he's the reason why I autocross and do the occasional road racer warrior thing. Well I might of never turned out to be as great as Ron he still keeps me going today and his win in the Nationwide Series has pushed me once again.
So lets say Fellows all the sudden stated today he was going to retire from racing full time. No NASCAR, no ALMS, no Grand Am, no WCGT, etc...where would his legacy stand in Amercian sport car racing? How about North American racers as a whole from open wheel to sports car - where would he stand in your opinion?
Is he comparable to other greats like Mark Donahue?
Not a bad season so far for Ronnie...especially since he said he was retiring after last year
Fellows is versatile but I can't really put him in the same light as Donahue. Mark won in Can-Am, Indy car, Trans-Am, and sports cars and died chasing his goals in F-1.
Ron, although immensely likeable has pretty much stayed within the sedan/GT ranks. He has been the most sucessful "ringer" in nascar over the years but I remember him best driving in Trans-Am.
Fellows is versatile but I can't really put him in the same light as Donahue. Mark won in Can-Am, Indy car, Trans-Am, and sports cars and died chasing his goals in F-1.
As a Sports Car driver, he is absolutely, hands down, the very, very best that Canada has ever produced. As a Sports Car driver. Combined with his success in road course NASCAR events, he certainly is one of the most diverse to have get behind the wheel of cars with fenders.
In open-wheel, Gilles Villeneuve, Jacques Villeneuve and Paul Tracy have probably got to be the top-three, but no one can touch the things that Ron has done in Sports Cars.
I have seen Ron Fellows win many races all over North America. In Trans-Am, in ALMS, in the old Players Challenge Series.
However, the most favourite and memorable win ever for Ron Fellows *(at least those I have seen live) was his overall win in the IMSA World Sports Car race at Mosport in 1997.
Ron drove incredibly well that day along with Rob Morgan in the Ferrari 333. That was an incredible race, with several cars in contention for the win. It looked like Dyson racing along with Weaver and Leitzinger was going to take the win, but in the last few laps, Ron got it. I still remember how excited he was. For a boy growing up watching F1 at Mosport and idolizing Gilles Villeneuve, it must have been such a thrill to win that race in a Ferrari.
Ron is certainly one of the best sports car drivers of the last couple of decades. He is so smooth, and has such great car control, especially in adverse conditions like we saw on Saturday. I would have loved to see him in an old Can-Am car; getting that 1200+ HP to the ground and making it stick would have been no problem for Ron. Unfortunately, his relative lack of international success (excluding Le Mans), and driving only sports cars for the most part leaves him out of the group with names like Villeneuve, Andretti, and Donohue. However, Ron Fellows is certainly one of the best racers North America has ever seen.
It somehow strikes me that Ron Fellows has that one thing in common with Richard Petty or, currently, Jeff Gordon: enough pure talent to drive anything; like both NASCAR drivers, he chose to specialize.
the guy is 48 years old and still battling for victories... he essentially got a late start in racing... if he would have been able to put a proper program together early on i think this would be rather easy. that said the fact that he is winning at almost 50 must count for something. i think you could argue ron into the top 3 for canada. hell, if it was close i'd give it to him just because he's just about the most classy driver i've ever seen or met.
Top 10 NA sports cars drivers. Top 5 NA Trans Am driver. Probably a top 20 driver if all NA drivers are considered. Someone near my house has the Ron Fellow's special edition Corvette and it is sweet, understated graphics with a menacing howl.
So lets say Fellows all the sudden stated today he was going to retire from racing full time. No NASCAR, no ALMS, no Grand Am, no WCGT, etc...where would his legacy stand in Amercian sport car racing? How about North American racers as a whole from open wheel to sports car - where would he stand in your opinion?
Is he comparable to other greats like Mark Donahue?
Yes. Because Mark Donahue got a special edition AMC Javelin in his honor:
And Ron Fellows got a special edition Chevrolet Corvette in his honor:
Ron Fellows is the best sports car driver ever. I want him to run one more year to win the GT1 class at Le Mans next year. I rather him to retire as winner.
Mark did tons of the engineerin on his cars. I don't remember every readin that Ron has. Case closed.
Shouldn't close the case with your hand still in the box ... it could really hurt! Ron's has done the majority of work on developing the Corvette's over the years. Although he may not have the degree like Donahue he's still been instrumental in the development and success of the cars since day 1.
I sent Ron a note after his great win at Montreal and I got a nice note back from his wife -- apologizing for being delayed! What a team they are.
I love listening to Dorsey Schrader whenever he's commentating on a race with Ron in it. He canNOT say Ron's name without a chuckle because of all the wars they fought, swapping door-paint corner after corner. When your competitors remember you so fondly, you know that you've played the game hard, and (mostly) by the rules. Respect is something you earn, and if you lose it you don't easily earn it back.
So much of being a successful race-car driver is about being in the right place at the right time and saying the right things. I don't know if Ron missed the "big offer" or maybe got it but didn't like all the details, but he is very talented, terrifically motivated, contributes a ton, and has still managed to stay a nice guy and appreciate the people who made his success possible, including the fans -- unlike some who think that god follows them around with a sunbeam. I make no apologies for the great career that Ron continues to forge, but maintaining his personal integrity in the process makes him a huge star in my books.
