Notes:
The accident that claimed the lives of renowned French driver Maurice Nusbaumer, 46, and his co-driver Annie Gourdain, occurred during a special stage of the 1981 Rallye de la Baule, in Normandie region, department of Seine-Maritime, northern France.

It happened on Sunday, 17 May 1981. The Alpine-Renault A310 V6 #6 driven by Nusbaumer went out of control after crashing into a stone which was lying on the roadside. The car went off the road, rolled over and burst into flames, its two occupants were burned to death.

Normandie driver Maurice Nusbaumer, was a well known and successful rallyman and an Alpine-Renault enthusiast. Nicknamed "Nus" by fans and friends, he was a real gentleman, an experienced sportsman and a successful enterpreuner, President of the Normandy League. He had his debut in 1964, driving his personal Citroën DS in regional rallies. Two years later he bought his first Alpine-Renault, a marque to which he would remain loyal during almost his whole career, competing in France and Belgium.

Maurice Nusbaumer was a real car racing character and a popular and excellent rally driver. Among his victories with the Alpine-Renault Berlinette, many remember the 1976 Ronde d'Armor - later renamed Rallye de l’Ouest–Armor, in Bretagne, western France - beating his best opponent Guillaume de Saint-Pierre in another Alpine-Renault A110, by a second!

Like most of the gentlemen drivers of his time, Nusbaumer also lined up on hillclimbs and in sportscar events, often sharing the wheel with another Normandy driver, his lifelong friend Jean-Luc Thérier. He made two starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the 1000 km de Paris at Linas-Montlhéry.

In 1971, Nusbaumer with Thérier and Jacques Henry rose to the crazy challenge of the 41st Marathon de la Route - Nürburgring 96 Hours, in which the resourceful Frenchmen took a surprise victory in their Alpine-Renault A110 1600S Berlinette. Entered by the Nusbaumer private team, the car was not taken very seriously at the start by its best opponents but, althoug helped by limited works support, the small Alpine-Renault won the tough race.

In 1974 Maurice Nusbaumer was hired to drive with Philippe Wambergue a works Citroën SM Maserati in the gruelling Rallye du Bandama in Côte d'Ivoire. But in the early stages of the first leg, Abidjan - Yamoussoukro, they were forced into a withdraw.

Annie Gourdain had already raced as navigator alongside Nusbaumer. The pair finished seventh in the Rallye d'Ypres - also known as 24 Heures d'Ypres - in 1977, in an Alpine-Renault A110 1800.

A rally in Seine Maritime department, was titled as Ronde Régionale Maurice Nusbaumer, after him. Maurice's son Thierry Nusbaumer followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a historic rally driver.

• French Death Index, 1970-2020, retrieved by website MyHeritage: https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10823-4155422/maurice-leon-nusbaumer-in-france-death-index .
• Magazine Rombo, issue 07, May 1981.
• Magazine Echappement, issue of July 1981.
• Website AUTOSPORT → Forums → The Nostalgia Forum, thread "Speed's Ultimate Price: The Toll", page 47, posting by Piet Ram, message http://forums.atlasf1.com/showthread.php?postid=1972842#post1972842 .
• Website Facebook - La passion du rallye, page https://www.facebook.com/208496875828559/photos/a.349025841775661.90825.208496875828559/622618361083073/?type=3&theater .
• Website eWRC-Result.com by Tomáš "Shacki" Wanka, page http://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e=26417 .
• Website eWRC-Result.com by Tomáš "Shacki" Wanka, page http://www.ewrc-results.com/profile.php?p=51243&t=Maurice-Nusbaumer .
• Website Racing Sports Cars, page http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Maurice-Nussbaumer-F.html .
• Website Les 24 Heures, page http://www.les24heures.fr/database-24h/FR/PAGE_24h_mans_pilote_lm.php?P1=1377 .
• Website Touring Cars Racing History by Frank De Jong, page http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1971%20Nurburgring%2096hrs.html .
• E-mail by Jean-Charles Colombier, dated 24 October 2006.