Donohue's role in the 'cage

Sir,

In your July issue’s Technofile, the Safety Devices company and Tom Walkinshaw are credited with pioneering the approach of improving chassis rigidity by using a roll-cage in 1980. They may not have been the first, however, according to Mark Donohue in his book, The Unfair Advantage.

He applied this concept to a Chevrolet Camaro in 1967, doing so in typical Donohue fashion, which is to say he designed and welded it himself in a single day. He writes of incorporating the front spring towers, rear subframe, rollbar, and the four rear spring perches, all with a mind for improving handling (and safety).

As a five-year-old boy, I met Donohue in 1973, interrupting his lunch during a race weekend at Kent in Washington. He was gracious and approachable as he tousled my hair and granted me an autograph.

I am, Yours etc,

Andrew Gilchrist, Medford, Oregon, USA