Let's hope Gary Ash doesn't back out....

[BobPalma]

...of his vintage race car project after viewing this from The Jalopy Journal forum. I recognize many clips from early Indianapolis Motor Speedway footage in here.

In the event anyone questions today's safety requirements in auto racing. (No comment on the accompanying audio, other than I would have preferred something else!)

Yipes:

http://vimeo.com/20247765

[r1lark]

Ouch, no Safer Barriers back then. And no roll cages or belts.

[jnormanh]

Ouch, no Safer Barriers back then. And no roll cages or belts.

I find this sort of ghoulish thing disgusting. The only saving grace is that the two crashes I recognize (Duke Nalon in a fiery Novi against the Indy wall, and Louie Meyer being thrown from his car at Indy) did not result in serious injuries.

Maybe this guy has some videos of puppies being drowned which you can watch if it's your thing.

[ddub]

Remember multiple thousands attend races perhaps subconsciously hoping to see a wreck.

[garyash]

Bck out? Nah, everyone already knows I'm not rational. In fact, at this very moment I'm in the airport on my way to spend 4 days learning how to make - and repair - aluminum bodywork. See www.tinmantech.com.

Besides, what could be dangerous about planning to go 100 mph on 80 year old axles?

[Bob Andrews]

I find this sort of ghoulish thing disgusting. The only saving grace is that the two crashes I recognize (Duke Nalon in a fiery Novi against the Indy wall, and Louie Meyer being thrown from his car at Indy) did not result in serious injuries.

Maybe this guy has some videos of puppies being drowned which you can watch if it's your thing.

I disagree. To me it displays the abject courage of the men who took the risks in pursuit of what they were called to do.

Driving race cars is not for everybody. In fact, some might say the TRULY blessed are those who have never felt a pull to hurtle oneself crazily around a race track. They are probably right. Those who put up with the work, and the cost, and the danger, and the heartache for the tiny percentage of reward available only do so because there is a call inside them to do so. It makes no sense, other than that God has places and works for us all, and they're all different.

I am one of those with that fire. I clearly remember the start of it when I was 8 years old. I finagled a chance at a few hot laps at 12, and built my first at 16, as soon as I had a license to drive a hauler on the road. I never drove a car without a cage or roof, but close to it. I had dangerous cages, cars with no floors, never owned a blowproof bellhousing. Used seatbelts out of junk cars and scrapped airplanes. Raced 5 seasons with a $29 Nava snowmobile helmet. Never owned racing gloves or shoes till I moved up to Oswego Speedway; always had sneakers and bare hands. I had a length of pipe come through the windshield mesh and smash a big hole in my helmet just above my right eye; no official noticed, and I used it the rest of the season. I drove 24 seasons on all types of tracks and at all levels; won more than my share. I survived intact with just the occasional burn, cut, hyperextended knee, broken finger, that sort of thing. Nothing lingering save for damage to my neck and one minor and two major concussions; those have stopped my racing on Doctor's advice.

So now I'm almost 50 and a little worn down physically. Yet that fire is still burning in spite of everything. I have spent the last 7 or so years fighting that demon, compromising with an occasional guest appearance. I do tire testing and fill in a couple times a year. This year I'm making some business/financial moves; but next year I may well go back to see if I can douse that fire, Doctor be damned. Linda understands why I must do it, although I do not. In the end, when God has given you a real gift- and calling- it's hard to let that go. My dear friend, the late Sammy Reakes, won hundreds of races all around the country. He has a picture from the 50s of him in a coupe- upside down- ABOVE the treetops. He had a lap belt, shortie helmet, and t-shirt on. He would say, "Eeh, few days in the hospital and I was good as new!" He continued to drive at least part-time until 78, when cancer took him away. Until the end he was determined to get well and get ready for next season. Another good friend, the legendary Bentley Warren, is preparing for this season in a Supermodified during which he will turn 71. Why? He was nearly killed in an Indy car in Argentina in the 60s. He's wealthy, and a successful businessman. He's in every HoF that's heard of him, holds dozens of records, and is a true legend and hero. Why would he risk another serious injury? Because he's called to do so.

Which leads back to my original point. In my eyes the subject video demonstrates the quest against all odds- and all risk. To me, there is nothing more enjoyable than watching someone do what God has called them to do. I see beauty in that. If you see something different, I can't disagree. But it's guys doing what they have to, where puppies cannot choose whether to be drowned or not.

To each his own, right?

(Man, one 60 degree day and the Spring fever just swallers you up)

[BobPalma]

Post #6: Thoroughly enjoyable exposition, Bob. "Thanks for sharing," as trite and "cutsey" as that sounds.

One of my favorite videos is my copy of Rare Sportsfilms' First Ten Years of NASCAR. I'll bet I've watched it 20 times; it's only about 42 minutes long...and I hope to watch it another 20.

One notable scene in that footage is at the end of a long dirt-track race where the legendary (and some say crazy) Herb Thomas has claimed another victory in a Hudson Hornet; this one a 1954 model. The cameraman is right there when Herb pulls into the winning area, as crude and ill-defined as it is in comparison to today's grandiose "winner's circles."

Herb unstraps the belt around the car's B-pillar and opens the car's door. He steps out in a filthy, sweat-drenched T-shirt and removes his simple helmet. What strikes me is that you can distinctly see the car's steering wheel as he steps out: A bone-stock 1954 Hudson Hornet steering wheel, complete with the full, die-cast horn ring intact!

As sharp as die-cast "pot metal" can be when fractured, I've often considered the consequences of those drivers being impaled by a broke piece of die cast horn ring in a wreck...I mean, who needed a horn ring in a 1954 NASCAR-prepped Hudson Hornet?

But those drivers were doing what they loved to do, and that risk was simply the price of admission to [potential] glory back then. (Being as this is a family forum, I'll "euphemize" my speculation about those fella's testicals, which were likely of comparatively gargantuan proportion when compared to that part of their brain(s) dedicated to self-preservation. <GGG>) BP

[clonelark]

I find this sort of ghoulish thing disgusting. The only saving grace is that the two crashes I recognize (Duke Nalon in a fiery Novi against the Indy wall, and Louie Meyer being thrown from his car at Indy) did not result in serious injuries.

Maybe this guy has some videos of puppies being drowned which you can watch if it's your thing.

Obviously you have never driven a race car, or felt the thrill of acceleration. So i dont think you qualify to judge someone for posting about previous races.
The Puppy comment has nothing to do with racing, and he didn't mention puppies or post about them.

[Chris_Dresbach]

Just my thoughts...
For some (like me) racing is in their blood. There is a huge adreline rush when you are at speed around the track, even more when you win. There is a huge danger factor, but I'm still racing! I think a good example of "racing in their blood" is a former South Bend Speedway driver and friend of mine, Stan Suski. On a hot summer night at South Bend speedway in the mid 1970s, Stan was racing as usual, in the lead, then came what was barely not a fatal accident. Stan hit the wall at full speed and the impact broke a brace in the concrete wall. The brace in the wall flew thru the window and hit Stan, all while flipping his car multiple times. The crash was so bad that Stan was put in a body cast for (I think) over a year. The doctors said he would probably never walk again. Stan was not going to have this however. As soon as he got out of his body cast he got up, walked, and got in a racecar! Stan went on to win more races driving borrowed cars (after the wreck, he didn't build his own). After some time he retired from racing cars to move on to something at a little slower speed, modified lawn tractor racing. Today Stan still has a gash in his arm from where the brace in the wall hit him. He dosen't race anymore, he's our track announcer. Now I race against Stans son and grandson. Stan will never quit being involved in some way with racing.

[PlainBrownR2]

I think what the movie shows, well besides an individual's home movies of a day at the races, is the progression of safety equipment over the past 100 years. Without those car crashes, the ending result may have never been, belts, harnesses, safety barriers, and the like. I don't think most of the individuals shot the movies just to record the crashes(at least I hope not), but the movies do show some of the safety items now, that weren't available at the time the movie was shot. I'd also like to applaud the research into physics, engineering, and test design, that made the safety equipment possible, and even survivable. I also don't think they'll let Gary out with a vintage car onto a track with vintage safety standards, what with being higher probability of death and liability, and all.

[JRoberts]

I find this sort of ghoulish thing disgusting. The only saving grace is that the two crashes I recognize (Duke Nalon in a fiery Novi against the Indy wall, and Louie Meyer being thrown from his car at Indy) did not result in serious injuries.

Maybe this guy has some videos of puppies being drowned which you can watch if it's your thing.

I think maybe you should read the blog where this video was foiund. Ryan (the author) acknowledged that most of this is sichening, especially for those who have ever been involved in racing. But he wend on to honor those who have given their lives to the sport. I shoujld be obvious that the film also shows, as others here have said, why most responsible racing organization demand of racers to keep them safe. It never ceases to amaze me when folks try to get around safety rules. Here is the link to the Jalopy Journal bloq that included this video. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=11527

[garyash]

Actually, there are a number of events for vintage cars where real competition takes place. The more competitive the racing, meaning the possibility of contact with other cars or stationary objects, the higher the level of safety regulations. At a minimum, cars need seat belts, quick-release steering wheels, externally available electrical shutoffs, fuel cells, radiator overflow tanks, crash helmets, etc. Mike Cleary's #18 car typically races with a roll bar bolted on. The Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSCCA) holds events where cars race the clock but are not placed in positions where two cars can collide. As I build, I'm trying to construct with the current regulations in mind. The three Studebaker Indy cars that race (#18, #34, and #37) have been modified enough to meet these standards. That said, it is always possible to exceed one's own driving skill or have something break resulting in a crash, but running at the limit is what it is all about.

[BobPalma]

Philosophy Department: This topic has brought out some good discussion about human nature; specifically, people's motivation for participating in or attending racing events where the threat of serious accident or injury is always at the fore.

I doubt that few people on this forum have witnessed one automobile race car driver being killed first-hand, much less two famous ones in the most famous race of all, and up close. But I have, and will share my impressions and reflections.

To wit: At age 18, I attended the 1964 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race with my younger brother Stanley, age 15 at the time. ('Drove the family's second car, our Coppertone & White 1957 President 2-door to the track, as a matter of fact.) It would have been difficult to buy better seats to witness the horrific accident that claimed famous race car drivers Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald at the north end of the front straightaway just after Turn Four.

The mayhem simply occurred directly in front of us. We were close to the track in those bleachers, perhaps 8 to 12 rows up from track level. (Our Mom had entered an Eckrich Ball Park Franks contest to "win two tickets to the 500" and was among several winners of a pair of tickets each.)

If you ever watch a film of that race, the thick, black smoke engulfing the crash area is what we remember the most. We were close enough to choke on the smoke, and people in front of us had minor debris thrown on them from the crash. We were far enough up to escape any debris, but not the intense heat of the resultant fire....and we had a little ash on our skin and face to wash off when we were able. That's what we remember most; the smoke and heat. The smoke was simply too thick to catch anything but an occasional glimpse of the drivers burning in the cars, so I suppose we were spared the possibility of watching (or temptation to watch) the drivers burn to death or succumb to the noxious smoke by inhalation. (I understand at least one of them died of smoke inhalation.)

Addendum: Here is a 38-second video of the crash. Note the thick, black smoke that quickly engulfs the crash area. We were right in the thickest part of the smoke, sitting in the bleachers on the left side of the screen that immediately becomes blocked from the video by the smoke:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9RaX5rBgU

Even at age 18, it was a somber moment for me and my brother; neither of us were enamoured with the alleged "thrill" of witnessing such a tragedy. I suppose we were even briefly scared, but that was a minor issue at ages 15 and 18. Perhaps there are some people (all folks being different) who would secretly relish the opportunity to see something like that first-hand, but having "been there, done that" as we say nowadays, neither one of us would be in that demographic. BP

[DEEPNHOCK]

To add to BP's post, with some 'Six degree's of Kevin Bacon' added for conversation...

Dave McDonald was driving one of the very few cars that Mickey Thompson designed and built of Indy.
Quite a radical car for the time.
In 1963 Mickey Thompson had an entry that was quite radical...
What was really unusual was it had a stock block Chevy belly button engine in it.
OK, soooooo.....
The year before in 1962, Mickey Thompson was using the lightweight aluminum block Buick V6, with a punk kid named Dan Gurney driving it.
And before that 1962 entry, the last 'stock block' engine to actually make the Indy 500 race was brought there in 1946 by Andy and Joe Granatelli (Grancor powered by Ford)
In 1964 the Mickey Thompson / Dave McDonald entry had one of those new fangled Ford racing engines in it...
That accident spurred the change from gasoline to alcohol as fuel for USAC Indy cars.
That was indeed a sad year. I still make sure to try to listen on the radio every year...TV be damned...
Jeff

1963:


1964: