This is pretty cool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ROrZeiSvU
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This is pretty cool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ROrZeiSvU
Impressive - to say the least. The surface is bumpy and breaking up as you can see when the Audi "yumps"
Actually, the turns look like they are in pretty good shape so do some patching and grinding then add some safer barriers above the rim and put it on the Indy Car schedule.:D It's nice and wide.
The first twin engine car entered into the Indy 500 was the Twin-Coach Special driven by Paul Russo in 1946. It had two 89 cubic inch supercharged 4 cylinder Offenhauser Midget engines. One engine mounted in the fashion of a rear engine racer and drove the rear wheels. The other engine was mounted in the front and drove the front wheels in the fashion of a front drive Indy type car. Russo qualified the car in the middle of the front row but spun on some oil on the 16th lap and hit the wall; finishing in 33rd and last place.
The last twin engine car entered in the Indy 500 was the Valvoline Special driven by Bill Cheesbourg in 1966. It had two 121 cubic inch Porsche flat six engines. One was mounted in the rear in the fashion of a rear engine racer and drove the rear wheels. The other engine was mounted in the nose of the car, ahead of the front axle, and drove the front wheels. Cheesbourg practiced the car but it was about 9 mph too slow to make the field.
As best I can find, the 4 motorsports accidents that killed more than 10 people:
4-(11)-1957 Mille Miglia-Driver Alfonzo de Portago, his navigator and 9 spectators
3-(11)-2011 Reno Air Races-Pilot James Leeward and 10 spectators
2-(16)-1961 Italian Grand Prix-Driver Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators
1-(84)-1955 Le Mans 24 Hour-Driver Pierre Lavegh and 83 spectators
J. G. Parry-Thomas, the first driver killed in a Land Speed Record attempt. His car, Babs went out of control after a mechanical failure and flipped down Pendine Sands in Wales on, this date, March 3 of 1927.
I remember only the Monza tragedy, 1961 was the first year I attempted to follow F1. Media coverage In Canada was very thin, and I relied on Road & Track reports a few months behind. The Monza tragedy did get front page coverage in Toronto dailies, but that was it, no dedicated analysis or follow ups, or opinion pieces. In retrospect all 3 auto tragedies were very close together and could be referred to as 1950s accidents.While loss of civilian life may not have been accepted, it was at least expected.
Today such carnage would not be tolerated, I think it is fair to say progress has been made in protecting spectator lives. Danger to drivers and course workers still exists, but has been greatly reduced, of that we can be thankful.
Yes, I remember seeing the Monza race on Wide World of Sports, tape delayed, (if I recall) and, although the spectators and driver loss of life was mentioned, it was blown off with less caring than if a racehorse had fallen and broken its leg. The big story was that an American had won the World Championship no matter that it was because the lead driver was killed.
The Monza accident actually claimed more lives than the Mille Miglia, yet My impression is that the MM accident caused reams of bad publicity In Italy against motor racing. Mind you the 50s were bad in Italy with respect to drivers' deaths, Castelloti, Musso, Ascari and others.
I believe that the Pope intervened at one point, possibly the MM tragedy.Also Ferrari moved away somewhat from hiring young Italians.
I'm left to wonder why the Monza tragedy was somewhat downplayed, or is that just a false reading?