Aust tributes flow for dead Le Mans driver Tributes have flooded in from Australia's motorsports community following the death of Danish driver Allan Simonsen at the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. The 34-year-old, competing in the mythic race for the seventh time, spun off on the third lap, hitting the safety barrier at the ultra-quick Tertre Rouge bend and demolishing his car. The news shocked drivers and administrators in Australia where Simonsen was a popular figure after competing in several V8 Supercars events including the Bathurst 1000 and winning the Australian GT Championship in 2007. Former V8 Supercars champion Garth Tander was one of many V8 pilots to express their shock in the wake of the tragedy. "Saddened to wake to the news of Allan Simonsen's passing last night at Le Mans," Tander wrote on Twitter. Top bloke, great racer, dad of a daughter same age as mine. Simonsen first competed at the V8 Supercar endurance events in 2003 and was set to compete in this year's races as the co-driver of David Wall at Holden's Brad Jones Racing (BJR). Jason Bright, a teammate of Wall's at BJR, is competing in the Le Mans race and also used Twitter to express his shock at the news. "Gutted to hear that we have lost Allan Simonsen," Bright said. It was a pleasure to spend time with him a few years ago at Bathurst. Simonsen started the 2011 Bathurst 1000 on pole position alongside New Zealander Greg Murphy and eventually went on to claim his best finish of third in that race. The other teams he drove for in Australia included Garry Rogers Motorsport, Perkins Engineering, Triple Eight Race Engineering, Paul Morris Motorsport and Dick Johnson Racing last year. His co-driver at last year's endurance events, Steve Johnson, said he couldn't comprehend the news his good friend had died. "Distressing news this morning that my endurance co-driver last year Allan Simonsen has died at Le Mans," Johnson said. Can't believe it.