Alain de Cadenet
photo by Alain de Cadenet Collection
Alain de Cadenet, a fixture at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, died last Saturday.
Byron DeFoor said, “We at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival have been privileged to have had Alain de Cadenet as such an important and integral part of our event, since we inaugurated it in 2019.
“Not only was Alain an outstanding celebrity and a knowledgeable analyst during our Time Trials and the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend, he was a true gentleman, friend, and his passion for racing and collector cars was evident in his commentary.
“No one can ever replace Alain; he was unique in so many ways.
He always said he was truly proud to be a part of the Festival, and we have been profoundly honored to have had his presence at the Festival since its beginning. He will be missed. We extend our love and prayers to his wife Alison, his family, friends and fans.”
Mr. de Cadenet (Nov. 27, 1945 – July 2, 2022) was a Formula 1 and endurance racer and TV commentator. He constructed his own racing cars, and hosted TV and commentary shows on auto racing and classic cars. After retiring from racing, his career as a broadcaster included stints at Speed Channel, ESPN, and the Velocity Channel. He hosted Legends of Motorsport for Speed, network coverage of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and Speed's Victory By Design, in which he drove vintage racing cars and discussed their history.
Most recently he hosted Renaissance Man for the Velocity Channel (now Motor Trend Network) covering cars, motorcycles and racing at Monaco. He had been an important member of the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival since its inaugural year in 2019.