Harry Schnell

Name: Harry Schell

Nationality: United States of America

Date of birth: June 29, 1921 - Paris

Date of death: May 13, 1960 - Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire

This charismatic, immensely popular semiprofessional racer was born of a French father, prewar Delahaye racer Laury Schell, and his feisty Irish-American wife Lucy O'Reilly Schell, who won the Coupe des Dames on the Monte Carlo Rally in 1929. Brought up in France, where his father ran Ecurie Bleu until his death in a car accident and then his mother took over the team, taking Rene Dreyfus to Indianapolis 500 in 1940. Harry went with the team and began racing after the World War II ended. He made his Grand Prix debut at Monaco in 1950 in a Cooper, the first rear-engined Formula 1 car. In the years that followed he raced Formula 2 machinery for HWM and Gordini, while enjoying his life as a playboy. In the mid-1950s he drove a Maserati and finished second in the Rome GP and third at Aintree. In 1956 he drove a Vanwall in the French Grand Prix at Reims, where he battled for the lead against a trio of Lancia-Ferraris. In 1957 he drove a works Maserati, finishing third in the Pescara Grand Prix, and produced a career best second place in the 1958 Dutch Grand Prix in a BRM P25.

He stayed with BRM through 1959 before switching to the Yeoman Credit Cooper team for 1960 in one of whose cars he was killed at Abbey Curve when he crashed during practice for the Silverstone International Trophy race. He was a popular figure and a partner in a motor racing bar in Paris. He also raced sportscars with some success.

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