[Jack R]

Photo is actually Dave MacDonald.

[Clubhouse]

Originally Posted by frankpentangeli ↗

Thanks for the great post. Dr. Steve Olvey was the medical director that day and wrote a book called Rapid Response detailing many incidents. Here's his account of the Smiley incident:

"While rushing to the car, I noticed small splotches of a peculiar gray substance marking a trail on the asphalt leading up to the driver. When I reached the car, I was shocked to see that Smiley's helmet was gone, along with the top of his skull. He had essentially been scalped by the debris fence. The material on the race track was most of his brain. His helmet, due to massive centrifugal force, was literally pulled from his head on impact...I rode to the care center with the body. On the way in I performed a cursory examination and realized that nearly every bone in his body was shattered. He had a gaping wound in his side that looked as if he had been attacked by a large shark. I had never seen such trauma." (Rapid Response, pp 98-99).

PDF Version of book:

[Davinche14]

Stumbled across this thread again 9 years after my first post.. good to see it’s still going! Was looking up Gordon Smiley crash too and saw this, can’t remember if I’ve seen this here before so thought I’d share. You reckon this from the smiley crash?

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis ↗

Bonus: Super rare color photos

Just look at all the woman in the crowd covering there eyes, turning away, screaming. While all the men stand straight up look over shoulders to get better view of the body

[Gothgirl92]

Just joined and read through this entire thread. It's like an encyclopedia of racing accidents, excellent work!
I try to make it to races when I can, and Hinchcliffe had a blood drive at one I attended. When I met him, I mentioned that I had donated blood and he patted my arm and gave me such a sincere thanks.
I don't know if my grandma still has the tape, but I was on TV as a little kid because my family took me to the pre race festivities for an indycar race in the 90s. It's the closest I've ever gotten to being an indycar driver

[condor5]

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis ↗

I almost forgot, you have to use the wide screen on the JW player, if you dont it wont even look like it was zoomed in on Smiley

It really looks like it's his leg the marshal is holding, zoomed in there is a discernible tread, both feet are parallel and the tread/wear is visible on both. From where GS flips over and appears to be momentarily sitting upright, he goes over for the last time and out if sight, and both legs flop over together. Zoomed in, what could be taken for eyes, would appear to be the tongue and and upper part of the boot, also when he is tumbling in the seat, the fire balaclava seems not to be there at all.

[Davinche14]

A few more to add to the Gordon Smiley collection

[fastfish]

Tire flying over the grandstand during the 2023 Indianapolis 500.

The tire barely cleared the grandstand and hit a car in the parking lot.

[cheezinacan]

Originally Posted by shipyardjay ↗

I’m crying!!! “A moped.” You seem like a really good dude. Thanks for all the work you put in here. It’s cool u have such a passion for this stuff. My passions lay in many other places, but I can respect someone else’s when I see it. Your posts here have me locked in! Great work.

Couldn’t agree more. I have returned for years just for this thread.

[Banshee]

Been wanting to suggest people to use Topaz video enhancer. There is a youtube user that uses that software to enhance 9/11 videos... i am telling you, that made it feel like it just happened yesterday. The detail is mindblowing.

[AlvinKarpis]

Gordon Smiley images that are new to me.