That Philippe Streiff, you know, the name sounds familiar. Heard he was a big shot, driving them Formula One cars, real fast ones. Sixty-seven years old, they say. Gone now, bless his soul. Heard it on the Saturday, December 24th it was. A Frenchman, that’s what they called him. Drove in them Grand Prix races, 53 of ’em, or was it 55? My memory ain’t what it used to be.
He was a racer, that’s for sure. Drove them fast cars, round and round. They call it Formula One. Fancy name for driving fast, I reckon. He did that Le Mans 24 Hours too, heard about that. Drive all day and all night, imagine that. Tough fella, that Philippe Streiff must have been. Strong like an ox, I bet. Driving them cars ain’t for the weak.
Then there was that crash, I heard about it. Back in ’89, a long time ago. Testing them cars, they were, before the big races. Heard it was a real bad one. Left him, well, they say he couldn’t move much after that. Quadriplegic, that’s the word. Fancy word for hurt real bad. Couldn’t walk, couldn’t move his arms much neither.
They say the care he got after wasn’t so good. Makes you wonder, don’t it? All that money in them races, and they can’t take care of a man when he’s down. It’s a shame, a real shame. He needed help, and it sounds like folks weren’t doing enough. That ain’t right, no it ain’t.
Heard they retired some number for him, number 17. Don’t know much about that, but it sounds like a big deal. Must’ve been a real good driver to get that kind of honor. And something about a halo, some kind of protection thing they put on the cars now. All them open-wheel things, they call ’em. Guess they learned something from that crash, huh? Better late than never, I suppose.
They say he was in the world sportscar championship too. Sounds fancy. Lots of traveling, I bet. Seeing the world, driving them fast cars. Must have been a life, before the crash, that is. A life most of us can only dream of, I reckon. Now he is in a better place, no more suffering.
- Philippe Streiff, a race car man.
- Formula One, that’s what they called it.
- Drove in 53, or maybe 55, Grand Prix races.
- That bad crash in ’89.
- Number 17 retired, that’s what I heard.
- Something about a halo, for protection.
- He did the Le Mans 24 Hours, driving all day and night.
This Philippe Streiff, he lived a fast life. Probably saw more in his years than most folks see in a lifetime. It is a pity that accident happened. It is a dangerous game, driving them fast cars. It’s a life of risks, that’s what it is. They go so fast, it’s like a blur. But that’s the way it is, I guess.
I remember hearing about other drivers too, back in the day. They all have their stories, these racers. Some good, some bad. But they all share that love for speed, for the thrill of the race. It’s in their blood, I reckon. They can’t help it. Just like some folks are born to farm, these fellas are born to race. That Philippe Streiff, he was one of them, for sure.
It’s sad when someone passes, especially someone who lived such a full life. But that’s the way of things. We all gotta go sometime. At least he lived his dream, even if it was cut short. He got to do what he loved, and that’s more than some folks can say. He had guts, that’s for sure. To get in them cars and go that fast. Takes a special kind of person to do that. Philippe Streiff was one of them kind.
Well, that’s all I know about that Philippe Streiff fella. Heard the name, heard the stories. Seems like he was a good one, a real racer. May he rest in peace. And hope they learned their lesson about taking care of folks after a crash. It’s the least they can do, for all the money they make.
