[AlvinKarpis]

Pedro Rodriguez: Norsring 1971

Fatal

[windowlicker]

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis ↗

Tadashi Sakai: 1967 Japan Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway

Non-fatal

Great post, crazy track, amazing escape...

[windowlicker]

This is what the banked section at the Fuji Speedway looks like today. It hasn't been used since 1974 after Hiroshi Kazato and Seiichi Suzuki died in a sportcar accident on the section. Many drivers had perished prior to what would be the last fatal accident.

Vic Elford recalls,
'In 1969 I spent two months in Japan doing a test contract for Toyota and their Toyota 7 (5 litre V-8), which along with a big Nissan (6.3 litre V-12), was destined for CanAm. My last testing and then the subsequent Sports Car GP were at Fuji, but the track was run in a clockwise direction. The reason that banking was so horrific, was that at the end of the straight we went over a blind crest at around 190/200 mph and dropped into the banking. At other tracks (Daytona, Monthlery, etc.) you climb up the banking. One of the results was that although there were many brave Japanese drivers there were not too many with great skill and the death toll from that one corner was horrendous. To such an extent that the big Gp 7 cars were then banned in Japan and thus, neither Nissan or Toyota ever made it to CanAm.'

Most of the banking was ripped down in 2005 but is still a small section left.

[DoubleZ1013]

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis ↗

This is the only other picture I could find of Forrest-Greene

Its a heavily doctored photo, super sensationalized with facial expressions airbrushed in

Back then almost every wire photo was doctored for strong effect

I wish I had the real one

I was re-reading this thread (it is AWESOME BTW) and I was looking at the pictures of Gordon Smiley and this one of Forrest Green. I have a hard time trying to see what is what in some pictures and I was wondering how long did it take you to identify things in photos. Do you have them printed out before scanning to use online?

[AlvinKarpis]

Originally Posted by DoubleZ1013 ↗

I was re-reading this thread (it is AWESOME BTW) and I was looking at the pictures of Gordon Smiley and this one of Forrest Green. I have a hard time trying to see what is what in some pictures and I was wondering how long did it take you to identify things in photos. Do you have them printed out before scanning to use online?

It took the effort of many crash/racing fans giving opinions on what was who in crash pictures

It got to the point where I could do it on my own, but at first we all gave opinions and narrowed each picture down

I would never print them, just scan them to my computer

Or if had been scanned by a previous crash fan then I would just be downloaded

[jeremycrpntr]

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis ↗

What in the holy hell is going on here?!

Lets try it again

AWESOME video my man!

[jeremycrpntr]

Originally Posted by The Dark ↗

Just thought I'd let people who aren't familiar with some of the Indycar crashes that they used to run on a Methanol mix of fuel. Now, it burns at a higher temperature than normal octane gas, the problem is it's an invisible fire - you can see a heat haze, but until a driver rolls about, you have little clue that he's burning up.
The fire can actually be put out with water rather than extinguisher, but it's still scary to see.

I've no doubt the Rick Mears clip where his car catches fire in the Indy pits is available, that's the most well known clip showing the dangers of methanol fires.

Funnily enough as IRL began to run under floodlights, they found an added benefit was they could then see the methanol burning, tended to be a blueish flame, and therefore made the response a little sharper.

Now the cars run on a Ethanol mix, which is more "green" and of course, very popular in Iowa!

Before switching the type of fuel ran, they actually added additives to maethanol with the only reason being so you could SEE the flames. My car runs on methanol, and even at my level the fuel has these same additives.

Methanol is weird. As you said, it doesn't float on water like petroleum based fuels like gas, diesel, etc., so it can be put out simply with water. It burns at a much higher temperature, yet actually keeps a motor cooler than gasoline. If you have ever felt methanol, the answer is right there. It is VERY cold, and you will find cuts on your hands u didn't even know u had! Once again, it's hotter, but not as combustible as gasoline. Also a car running on methanol uses about twice as much fuel as a car running on gasoline. Also, it is very corrosive. That is exactly why, every winter I have to make sure the fuel is drained out of my fuel cell, all lines and carbuerator. It will actually EAT the metal! Just a little useless knowledge!

[windowlicker]

Charles Waldo Barnett's fatal crash at Ord, Nebraska in 1947.

[windowlicker]

Angelo Garzoglio and Mauro Pregliasco crash and Angelo perishes in the flames on the first special stage of the Rally di Piacenza, on July 25th 1976.

Co-driver Garzoglio managed to get out of the car but it's driver and his close friend Pregliasco was trapped in the burning wreck. Garzoglio jumped back into the car and dragged Pregliasco out, but in doing so suffered burns that he would later die off. His friend made a recovery after a lengthy hospital stay.

This is what Pregliasco remembers of the incident, translated from an Italian website,

'It was the first special stage, the fourth curve: useless to seek the reason ... We are slightly outside, on the side of the road, a stone parapet ... the two tanks were full, usually started with twenty-five liters in one hand and fifteen reserve in the other, and yet, the two were full ... hit the parapet and the reservoir is squeezed like a tube of toothpaste, skip the cap and the gasoline spills. Stratos burns as we crossed the race yet ... just at the bottom of slope, flat on one flank, my navigator, Angelo Garzoglio, jumps out of the car, I however was trapped because the door will not open, a few moments after I pass out. When Angelo realizes that I'm still in, back in the car and on edge, get me out out, saving my life. After a few days, he will die by the horrific burns suffered . Instead, I regained consciousness in the hospital bed, I have the feeling of being still there, at the bottom of the embankment a terrible memory.'

[windowlicker]

Glicerio Barbolini's fatal accident at Monza on 7th May 1961 in a Lancia Appia Zagato at a 12 hour touring car race. The attached newspaper article tells the horrible the story...