I don’t know what it is, but humans just love watch race crashes. And when an announcer says it’s a big crash, a big crash, we are all fascinated by the spectacle of destruction. Amazingly in this video compilation of old cars racing many drivers are able to walk away after being ejected from their vehicles. Fortunately racing cars and tracks are much safer today…Wear your 5-Point Harness. Thank you Walt. (source Jalopy Journal)
Vintage Racing. Killed Myself When I Was Young
Published by April 14th, 2011 in Editorial and Videos.15 Responses to “Vintage Racing. Killed Myself When I Was Young”
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those guys from the past were tuff , and must have had balls the size of that car they were driving. cool vidio . looked fun though..
I admit that car crashes attract my eyes.
It is a human nature…I also like watching various craches, destructions and so on and so on….It is normal for people. And cool video of course…I like retro things
R.I.P. to all the racers who lost their lives in that video.
ooouch! peace
Thank you for posting this, I have huge respect for these periods in the evolution of the sport. I cringed several times watching this, incredible forces at work here taking their toll on the fragile flesh and bone.
How things have changed.
A sprint car drive from the 1950’s once told me he wouldn’t race with the new breed of driver because all the safety features have them driving like they are invincible. About that time a car owner told me he was getting out of the game because the drivers are destroying his equipment for the same reasons.
And ya still hear talk of the need for an “uncrashable” motorcycle.
Just what we need…. a bunch of morons buzzing about, thinking they can’t crash.
-nicker-
Thanks for sharing Cyril, how can you not be in awe of some of these pioneers…..
nicker – from the looks of that video, some of those guys drove like they were invincible. Probably part of the racing genome.
rest in peace to many of those racers in the video
These guys had balls, no brains, but alot of balls!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Good stuff, with regard to seat belts, I read with interest this article about Dan Gurney (an American innovator with plenty of brains) and his All American Eagle F1 cars. . . Read the last sentence!
Addressing the weight issues, Terry had developed a very special version of the F1 Eagle for Gurney to race in 1967. The fourth Mark 1 chassis built, it was constructed from mostly exotic metals. The aluminium of the monocoque skins was replaced by magnesium and titanium was used for many of the suspension parts and also the exhaust system. This was not free of risks as magnesium is very volatile. Gurney, reportedly, refused to use seatbelts in the lightweight Eagle as he preferred to be thrown out of the car to being burned in case he was ever involved in an accident.
Entire story here:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/vintage-gurneys-eagle-mark-1/
Good Welding!
Jim
Rub. What is worst than death? 2 deaths?
It’s funny/odd how when I was a kid the idea of dieing in a race car was just part of the mystique. Thank God for guys like Jackie Stewart who began refusing to race if safety demands were not met.
Hoyt,
RE:
“…from the looks of that video, some of those guys drove like they were invincible…”
Seems to be that the film technology gives em more of a “Keystone Cops” look than actually occurred.
But certainly it was more dangerous business when compared to today’s sprinters.
They were undoubtedly doing the best they could with what they had.
Ancestor of the modern day sprint car and still one of the best racing shows on earth.
Front engined Champ roadsters forever…… 🙂
-nicker-
Granted, My respects to those that got hurt or killed in the video, but other scenes were just plain FUNNY! Some guy getting thrown out, sittin’ on the ground going “What the Fuck just happened?DA, DA, DA!! SONOFA!!” YUK-YUK!! Wiz