Thankfully things have come a long way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N9-QrRl1Uk
Take an hour and watch this
- Thread starter qposner
- Start date
Richard Broadhead
Flag & Com
Wes,
You're talking about the last days when.... Drivers "BELIEVED" it was better to leave the car then stay in it while it crashed. And in fact that might not have been as strange as it sounds. Many, many crashes in those days were in to trees, houses and 'massive' ditches lining the 'race tracks'. Cars would vanish into the woods and an hour later the stretcher would come out (covered). Stewart led the way in changing a lot of those attitudes. And improving safety procedures in ALL of racing. We today have a lot to thank the Wee Scot for.
We are talking about the same era where "indy type" cars in the USA went over the rail with driver flying out. Some actually made it some didn't.
Yeah things are way better today. I 'think' Aryton Senna was the last F1 fatality back in 1994.
The 'first one' I mourned was Peter Collins at the German GP in his Ferrari circa 1958. To Senna there were over 30 more in F1 alone... sigh. Lot of my boyhood heros
I haven't watched this since Quinn posted it here. But I think I've watched it in the past. Is this the one where they are rather "HARD" on Collin Chapman for the "weak" but fast designs of the Lotus cars in those days??
BOYHOOD HERO: Maston Gregory
After a DNF one reporter asked him WHY he jumped out of his car when it was about to crash??? His answer... "You didn't see what I was about to HIT!".
Last edited:
Ken Killam
Fats
One story is that Jimmy's loss sent the Scot to battle.
westipton
Well-known member
I remember when Moss went upside down and was flung from his car, onto his head. He was never the same after that, but without a roll bar he would probably not be here now if he'd stayed in there.
I met Sir Jackie at Long Beach in the late 70's and he is still my hero because of both his driving and his obsession with safety improvements. Those men had balls the size of grapefruits, but they didn't really know how brave they were until conditions started improving and they realized how bad they had been. Too many good men lost so that those who followed, including all of us, could race and live to tell about it.
I met Sir Jackie at Long Beach in the late 70's and he is still my hero because of both his driving and his obsession with safety improvements. Those men had balls the size of grapefruits, but they didn't really know how brave they were until conditions started improving and they realized how bad they had been. Too many good men lost so that those who followed, including all of us, could race and live to tell about it.
mikecolangelo
Well-known member
This reminds me of what NASCAR went through during the same period. NASCAR race car safety equipment, design, etc. went through a dramatic transformation not too long ago to reduce injuries and deaths and some of what was learned has filtered down to us amateur road racers.
A number of years ago I took a tour of Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. A very famous and cool NASCAR track. Kind of like the Laguna Seca for the NASCAR types. They have a museum with generations of NASCAR race cars on display. They also have a section showing the safety improvements that have been mandated over the years and how it has greatly reduced injury and death. Fascinating. I'll never strap into a race car without my HANS!
A number of years ago I took a tour of Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. A very famous and cool NASCAR track. Kind of like the Laguna Seca for the NASCAR types. They have a museum with generations of NASCAR race cars on display. They also have a section showing the safety improvements that have been mandated over the years and how it has greatly reduced injury and death. Fascinating. I'll never strap into a race car without my HANS!
westipton
Well-known member
I recall an old friend and former Conference racer who grew up around Montesano and the various dirt tracks in that area in the 50's. His uncle had no budget, so they fashioned a roll cage from beer cans for their jalopy, painted it - and passed tech! A few laps into the race he spun and another car broadsided him, with fatal effect. We have come a very long way...