Granatelli, Indy 500-winning car owner, dies at 90
Former F1 driver
Schumacher in critical condition
MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) -- Andy Granatelli,
the former CEO of STP motor oil company who made a mark on motorsports as a
car owner, innovator and entrepreneur, has died. He was 90.
Granatelli's
son, Vince, said his father died Sunday of congestive heart failure at a Santa
Barbara hospital.
Granatelli is a member of the International Motorsports
Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.
"Everything he did was bigger than life," Vince
Granatelli said. "The thing that gave him the most gratification in his life
was what he did at the Indianapolis 500."
Granatelli's cars nearly won at
Indianapolis in 1967 and `68 with turbine engines. He broke through in 1969
with Mario Andretti driving a car with a conventional engine. Granatelli
kissing Andretti on the cheek in Victory Lane is one of the most famous images
in Indy history.
In 1973, Gordon Johncock gave Granatelli another Indy 500
victory.
"Andy Granatelli - known appropriately as `Mr. 500' - understood
better than anyone the spirit and challenge of the Indianapolis 500 and had a
remarkable ability to combine innovative technologies with talented race car
drivers to make his cars a threat to win at Indianapolis every year,"
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement.
"Andy leaves a legacy of historic moments that will live forever in
Indianapolis 500 lore."
Granatelli was born in Dallas. He gained fame during
World War II as a promoter of racing events, such as the Hurricane Racing
Association.
He is survived by wife Dolly and sons Vince and Anthony.
Former F1 driver Schumacher in critical condition
By SARAH DiLORENZO and
GEIR MOULSON
PARIS (AP) -- Seven-time Formula One champion Michael
Schumacher was in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery following
a skiing accident in the French Alps on Sunday, doctors said.
The Grenoble
University Hospital Center said the retired racing driver arrived at the
clinic in a coma and underwent immediate surgery for a serious head trauma.
It was not clear whether the 44-year-old Schumacher was still in a coma but
the hospital statement, which was signed by a neurosurgeon, an
anesthesiologist and Marc Penaud, the hospital's deputy director, said "he
remains in a critical condition."
Schumacher fell while skiing off-piste in
Meribel earlier Sunday and hit his head on a rock, according to a statement
from the resort. Resort managers said he had been wearing a helmet and was
conscious when rescuers first responded to the scene.
Earlier in the day,
the Meribel resort said Schumacher had been taken to Grenoble for tests and
authorities said his life was not in danger.
But the situation began to
appear more serious when the resort said that orthopedic and trauma surgeon
Gerard Saillant had traveled from Paris to the hospital in Grenoble to examine
Schumacher. German news agency dpa said it was Saillant who operated on
Schumacher when he broke his leg during a crash at the Silverstone race course
in 1999.
In an email to The Associated Press, Schumacher's manager Sabine
Kehm said the champion German driver was on a private skiing trip and "fell on
his head."
"We ask for understanding that we cannot give running updates on
his condition. He wore a helmet and was not alone," Kehm said. Schumacher's
14-year-old son was skiing with his father when the accident happened, the
resort said.
As news of the accident spread, Formula One drivers used social
media to wish Schumacher a quick recovery.
His former Ferrari teammate
Felipe Massa, who recovered from life-threatening injuries sustained at the
Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009, wrote on Instagram: "I am praying for you my
brother!! I hope you have a quick recovery!! God bless you Michael."
The
Twitter feed of Germany's Adrian Sutil, who drives for Sauber, read: "I hope
Michael Schumacher will get well soon! All my best to him and his family."
Romain Grosjean of Lotus tweeted: "All our thoughts to Schumi and his family!
Hope you will recover soon (hash)legend (hash)Schumi."
In addition to the
crash at Silverstone, Schumacher was hurt seriously in a motorcycling accident
in February 2009 in Spain when he suffered neck and spine injuries. He
recovered sufficiently from those injuries to make a comeback in F1.
Schumacher initially retired from F1 in 2006 after winning five straight
titles with Ferrari following two earlier ones with Benetton. He returned to
the sport in 2010 and drove for three seasons for Mercedes without much
success before retiring again last year.
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