1/6/1937 - 29/1/1967
Record updated 01-Jun-17
Martín was one of the several young Argentinean drivers who in the late 1960s entered the 'Junior Team' created by the Automobile Club Argentino to help new drivers. The ACA not only organized the famous Formula 3 Temporada races, which included some of the worlds best drivers in that class, all of which helped the local to gain significant experience, but they also supplied racing cars and mechanics to the members of its team.
In the first race the Lotus 41 proved to be a handful in the streets of Mar del Plata and the drivers were not happy with the set-up of the car, and none of them could cope with it. The car was thus assigned to Martín as he was the most junior team member. He only managed to qualify in twenty-fifth spot. Before the race, trying to find out more about the car, Martín stated "I don't know if the Lotus is either an understeering or oversteering car. It is a very sensible chassis. I'd rather like the Brabham". But, as the least fancied member of the team, this choice was not up to him.
Having just completed just one lap, Martín approached the first turn - an eighty-four degree right hander, the corner from Avenida Marínez de Hoz into Avenida Juan B. Justo. And, at the point where the cars brake for the turn, the Lotus suddenly changed direction, veered to the left and hit a hard wall. The vehicle flipped and Martín was killed in the accident.
Fourteen laps later two people were killed when the car of Rosadele Facetti ran into a group of spectators. Following the two accidents the race ended up in total confusion. Such an unfortunate sequence of events brought to an end the street circuit in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Motorsport Memorial