Allan Simonsen, who was born in Odense Denmark, won the Danish Formula Ford Championship in 1999. When the money for his open wheel aspirations ran out he found he was in demand as a driver of GT cars and ended up running in 30 to 40 events a year across the globe driving models from Ferrari, Porsche and more recently Aston Martin.
Such was his enthusiasm and the demand for his services that in 2007 by missing the last race Le Mans GT2 Series he gave up his chance to become champion in order to drive in the Australian GT Series which he won outright the same year with a pair of Mark Coffey Racing Ferraris.
Two years later Allan Simonsen won the 2009 Asian Le Mans GT2 series driving a Ferrari F430 for Team Farnbacher. Allan also competed in the Australian International V8 Supercar Championship and made seven starts at Le Mans with a best finish of second in class in a Farnbacher Ferrari.
Known as a ‘cheeky chappie’ Allan teamed up for a full season in LMGTE Am driving an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE with fellow Danes Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen for 2013. Their car is seen winning the LMGTE Am class at Silverstone in April above.
Having qualified for LMGTE Am class pole at Le Mans and with a victory well within the teams grasp Allan lost his life while at the top of his game after an accident at Tetra Rouge on lap two of the 24 hour classic last Saturday.
His family bravely asked the Aston Martin team to race on in Allan’s memory when informed of the tragedy. A Danish flag flew at half mast for the remainder of the race while overall race winner and fellow Dane Tom Kristensen dedicated his victory to the memory of his fallen friend.
Condolences to Allan’s family and friends.
RIP Allan Simonsen 1978 – 2013.
