Gordon Smiley: Original ABC Broadcast 5/15/82 (HQ Video and Pictures)

[AlvinKarpis]

Gordon Smiley, born April 29, 1946 in Omaha, Nebraska was one of the early
1970s dominant Formula Ford drivers, competing and winning in professional races (IMSA F-100), SCCA nationals and professional FF series in the United Kingdom where at one time he led the three
national championships entered in his factory supported Merlyn Mk. 25.

He drove up through the US FB ranks to arrive at F5000 in 1973 with a
brand new McRae GM-1 based out of a shop in Kansas City. His
resume is short, two races, but he impressed in each. At MIS he
started in the back due to mechanical difficulties in qualifying, along
with another of the faster drivers, Brett Lunger. As they raced through
the field, running fifth and sixth, Lunger unceremoniously hit Smiley's
leading McRae in the side, eliminating both in the ensuing crash. His
second and final race at Mid-Ohio he featured throughout, finishing
fifth in difficult wet/dry conditions. Serious conflicts with the
winner/sponsor ended Smiley's run in the series, but he continued in
formula cars to shine in F-Atlantic and later became the last American
to win an FIA international F-1 race, the Aurora AFX season finale at a
wet Silverstone in 1979 with a prototype Surtees TS20+. Smiley
returned to the states as a driver in CART for Patrick Racing and ran
in front with his teammates Mario Andretti and Gordon Johncock to
lead the 1981 Indianapolis 500 until contact while lapping a
backmarker put him out of the race. He died in a horrific qualifying
crash at Indianapolis May 15, 1982.

WARNING: If you dont like to read or you dont care about any facts, back story or additional information then stop right now and just watch the video instead of making a post bitching about things like "There are so many words" "Im so confused, Why is he explaining it all?" "Just post the video and shut up, Nobody cares about any info that you have" "How am I supposed to jerk off to watching his lifeless body slide down the race track with all those stupid words in the way?" 1 Star! Because you ruined the whole video with your stupid 500 ft long post about nothing"

You have been warned

I know this is a re-post, and I know the punishment for re-posting is death

But I will take that chance

This was recorded on VHS back in 1982 and is from the original ABC broadcast on 5/15/82 during time trials

The bad news is that it is from a VHS tape, the good news? Its still better quality then any vid I have seen posted on the internet

It has Al Micheals and racing legend Jackie Smith on the mics.

The sound is horrible, I wish it was better but with all the vids I post I dont screw around with trying to tweak the picture or sound.

The picture is really good and the slow motion second camera angle is stunning, horrific, jaw dropping and gut wrenching

The other reason I am making this a thread is to set the record straight as there is so much bullshit posted about Gordon Smiley that is just false

I will make a post about the myths and reality of Gordon Smiley later in this thread

I also have many many rare pictures of the crash and the entire broadcast, its just a very large file but if enough members are interested I will post it.


EDIT: Very Large HQ Pictures Have Been Located and Posted on Pages 4-5

[MrEzzzkiel]

damn!!! that was fukkin' sick! wtf happened?

[AnaleFaust]

Wheres the video?

[AmericanIllusions]

Originally Posted by AnaleFaust

Wheres the video?

Too gory for DR

[AlvinKarpis]

Originally Posted by AnaleFaust

Wheres the video?

You cant see the video?

Well thank god for my amazing description of what happened, if you close your eyes real tight I bet you can see it happen

I see the video and im in Google Chrome, let me log onto IE and see if its any different

Either way I will post the vid again

[Steve]

Post everything you have geez, I like to read.

[AlvinKarpis]

Originally Posted by Stevee

Post everything you have geez, I like to read.

Here we go

[Steve]

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis

I know you do brother

There are about 10 more of us that I have found so far out of the 26,988 members

And I will post some great stuff about Smiley today

[deeroozle]

Originally Posted by AlvinKarpis

You cant see the video?

Well thank god for my amazing description of what happened, if you close your eyes real tight I bet you can see it happen

I see the video and im in Google Chrome, let me log onto IE and see if its any different

Either way I will post the vid again

I can see it, but it's not embedded. I had to click on the attachment and open it in a new tab.

That being said: Holy fuck. Amazing video that I somehow hadn't seen until now (or saw a low quality version, at least). In the first shot, I thought he was sitting up for a split second until I remembered what just happened to him. You could tell that just about everything in his body was broken by the way he flopped...

Edit: And please, do post everything else you have if it isn't trouble. I'll sit and wait for a ZIP to download if I have to.

[DOLL]

Thats from 6G ti zero G in 1 sec. I was thinking of Senna when I watch this. Djeeze, this guys are tough, period.