[windowlicker]

Originally Posted by windowlicker ↗

On the 5th lap at Dayton raceway in Ohio on 31st August 1952, the leader Gene Force ran wide racing into the third turn. Jim Rigsby, just behind him attempt to pass for the lead. Rigsby's right front wheel climbed over Force's left front wheel, Rigsby's car skidded left then corrected itself. The foot throttle was damaged in this contact causing the engine to race wide open.

Rigsby's car raced up the third turn banking and launched over the single guard rail by 20 feet or more and landed in a cabbage patch some 200 feet from the track. The car erupted in flames... Jim had no chance.

One of the most bizarre and unpleasant crashes ever caught on camera.

Original post from page 84.

A magazine from the time covering the fatal accident of Jim Rigsby.

Jim finished 12th at the 1952 Indy 500.

[windowlicker]

Very rare photos of Derrick Williams fatal accident during the 1970 F5000 race at Anderstorp, the 12th round of the British F5000 Championship.

Coming out of the last corner on the first lap Williams hit Fred Saunder's car near the rear of the field and flipped his car over which then erupted into a fireball. Firemarshals fought the intense flames and two of them suffered severe burns trying to get the Welshman out. Sadly by the time the flames were extinguished and the car was righted, Williams was dead...

Reports from the time indicate that Derrick may have been dead, or the very least unconcious, after his Lola T142 - Chevrolet turned over.

Horrible scenes that were so familiar at the time with so many drivers losing their lives in similar crashes. Jo Siffert, Lorenzo Bandini, Jo Schlesser, Eddie Sachs, Dave MacDonald, Hans Laine, Pat O'Connor, Ed Elisian are just some of the racers of the 1960's and 70's who died in similar wrecks, and all of these crashes feature in posts in this thread.

[windowlicker]

The Argentinian 'Mecanica Nacional' single seater championship which was introduced in 1970, and this is Raul Kissling having an enormous crash at the 'Zonda' track, which would throw the driver from the car luckily with minor injury.

Tragically the wheel that can be seen flying from the right of the car hits a post and then a young spectator who can be seen on the far right and inflicts fatal injury.

[windowlicker]

Totally forgot to post in relation to Michael Schumacher's terrible recent skiing accident. I hope the great seven times F1 Champ can make a full recovery...Good luck Michael...

7 times F1 Champion
91 wins
155 podiums
1566 points
68 poles
77 fastest laps
German Formula 3 Champion 1990
Macau F3 winner 1990
Winner of two World Sportcar rounds 1990/91 with Mercedes
5th at Le Mans 1991
Multiple German and European kart champion

[windowlicker]

Leonard Mendenhall's fatal crash at the Hammond Speedway in Indiana 1938.

Leonard lost control of his Moore-Hisso on the first lap at the first corner of the dirt track, the car rolling and inflicting fatal injuries to its driver.

[windowlicker]

Originally Posted by windowlicker ↗

The Dutch GP 1973 and Roger Williamson crashes his privately entered March at the same corner as Piers Courage three years earlier.

The car suffered a front end punture causing the car to run wide into the barrier which was not correctly installed and bent over sending Williamson's March onto its side and stopping close to the inside of the next corner, already on fire.

Dave Purley who was close behind stopped but was unable to put out the fire with the single small fire extingisher he was given or roll the car over. None of the marshalls were wearing fire proof clothing and the heat from the fire was intense. Roger was alive and conscious in the up-turned car....he was overcome by the fumes and was dead by the time a fire truck arrived at the scene.

Very sad images of a wasted talent in a situation where he should never have lost his life.

( Evers, Joost / Anefo)

Original post from page 184.

A few more photo's of Roger Williamson's fatal crash. Its clear from the last but one photo that has Rogers helmet and upper body blurred out that Purley would have not only heard Williamson shouting for help, but clearly seen him trying to get out of the March. No wonder Purley's attempts were getting more and more panicked.

[Photoplay]

Well it took me two weeks but I started from page one right thru to page approx 233, I read every comment, saw every vid, looked at ever picture, at times enlarging them. I found myself smiling, and or shaking my head in the affirmative with some of the remarks made about different tracks, races, and drivers, sometimes remembering the racing incidents/crashes with heartfelt sadness, and learnt a lot on the way too!.

About Me
I started my interested at 8 years of age at the speedway, especially the sidecars and solo. Gathered momentum by 1975 Niki Lauda, Ferrari and reading about the Brabham team via magazines’. Was hooked on F1 from then on.
Tried out at 16-17 as a swinger on sidecar, didn’t do so great. It was the time of the Vincent H.R.D, Eso, the Jawa and then Honda Motors.
I Road Raced “B” Grade two stroke [Yamaha] and 4 stroke production [Honda], as well as legalized street racing but never made it to the big time. Wish I could say it was because of lack of sponsors or something, but in truth never made the “A” grade, it was the era of seeing the Japanese bike dominate the field and the British bikes disappearing. Yeah, was a great time?
Now of course I ride for pleasure and spend time keeping up with the new drivers/riders, tracks, rules and regulations in motor sports and love to reminisce.

Thank you

I would like to thank everyone for this thread it has been fantastic and I certainly look forward to reading more as it unfolds.
AlvinKarpis ~ What enormous contributions and historical thread you have given. You also showed your wonderful sense of humor. ~Thank you so much~
Window licker,~ you’re awesome, your threads are great. Have a feeling you’re a person of few words. Only speak when you have something to say.
lp199th ~[The 3d was great]
The Dark~ coming up with some 1stclass info and shots [Even giving little updates through Hurricane sandy 2011]
Barton Farley ~ [Always precise writing and tip bits]
Norwegian1 ~ [can tell you love the sport even knowing about Bathurst impressed me]
Eyoder55 ~ [verbalises his passion for the sport]
BELEIVEIT~ [finding those great shots of Earnhardt’s car plus some]
Thissmallfish ~ [Giving all the info on different fuels, updates, and improvements]
CaSe~ Joining because of this thread. What a compliment to AK. Good onya. Plus lots of comments.
Jeremycrpntr ~ [always so enthusiastic you can just see how happy thins dude is]
DoubleZ1013, Pauliina, and the many, many others, to many for me to remember.

The enormous work and effort is astounding. ~Thank you so much~.

[AlvinKarpis]

Originally Posted by windowlicker ↗

Original post from page 84.

A magazine from the time covering the fatal accident of Jim Rigsby.

Jim finished 12th at the 1952 Indy 500.

I knew I had the ultra rare video of the crash and after 10 minutes searching my old hard drive I found it

This video is mega rare, and I might add it looks like the footage is fake because of the massive air Rigsby gets

It sends chills down my spine

RIP Jim Rigsby

[windowlicker]

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis ↗

I knew I had the ultra rare video of the crash and after 10 minutes searching my old hard drive I found it

This video is mega rare, and I might add it looks like the footage is fake because of the massive air Rigsby gets

It sends chills down my spine

RIP Jim Rigsby

AK you've done it again big man!!!

AMAZING Rigby footage, definitely the real deal.

Horrible crash, the car cleared the guardrail by twenty feet and ended up in a cabbage patch some two hundred feet away.... Jim had no chance of survival.

[windowlicker]

Originally Posted by Photoplay ↗

Well it took me two weeks but I started from page one right thru to page approx 233, I read every comment, saw every vid, looked at ever picture, at times enlarging them. I found myself smiling, and or shaking my head in the affirmative with some of the remarks made about different tracks, races, and drivers, sometimes remembering the racing incidents/crashes with heartfelt sadness, and learnt a lot on the way too!.

Photoplay, that's a really nice post...I've been working through the thread again and it's pretty damn impressive, photos, video and comment that is difficult if not impossible to find in the one place, anywhere else...

Nice one to everyone who has posted in or just enjoyed the thread.