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Tom & Sharon
11-06-2011, 15:20
I've been a motorsport official (Post Chief) for over 27 years,and i have just witnessed probably one of the biggest most violent motorsport crashes to befall anyone at Le Mans live on Eurosport.

The No 3 Audi R18 driven by the Scottish driver Allan McNish was overtaking car No 58 a Ferrari 458 Italia cresting the rise exiting the Dunlop bridge corner at over 160mph and clipped the Ferrari sending the Audi off into the gravel trap.
The audi flew across approximately 150yds of gravel trap and hit the tyre wall at barely un-abated speed and flipped into the air and landed back down on the tyre wall.
Some 20/25 photographers behind the tyre wall all escaped without any injury despite body work and wheels flying into them.
Allan was extricated by the marshals some minutes later without apparent injury and taken to the medical centre.
The driver of car 58 (not sure which driver) escaped unhurt.
A testament to the strength of modern day racing cars.

Tom

Susief
11-06-2011, 16:17
Saw that earlier Tom, he was lucky to get out alive and that no spectators or media were injured or worse from the flying debris! Good job those barriers were there!
I was only saying to my hubby 5 mins earlier 'don't you get bored of just watching them go round?' and then that happens! lol.
Luckily no serious injuries and the red car just drove off!

CIM
11-06-2011, 16:52
Theres a video here:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11062011/58/le-mans-24-hour-video-mcnish-survives-horror-crash.html
I have seen worse though. I used to take my ex to advanced driving classes for women....

Tom & Sharon
11-06-2011, 17:26
Theres a video here:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11062011/58/le-mans-24-hour-video-mcnish-survives-horror-crash.html
I have seen worse though. I used to take my ex to advanced driving classes for women....

You've driven with Sharon as well :lol:

Here it is; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Nb0Ienv6k

Still cannot believe the luck of the photographers, i like the nonchalence of the photographer with the blue tabard,totally oblivious to the wheel above his head coming crashing down and chasing one of his colleagues

AJP
11-06-2011, 17:54
I've been a motorsport official (Post Chief) for over 27 years,and i have just witnessed probably one of the biggest most violent motorsport crashes to befall anyone at Le Mans live on Eurosport.

The No 3 Audi R18 driven by the Scottish driver Allan McNish was overtaking car No 58 a Ferrari 458 Italia cresting the rise exiting the Dunlop bridge corner at over 160mph and clipped the Ferrari sending the Audi off into the gravel trap.
The audi flew across approximately 150yds of gravel trap and hit the tyre wall at barely un-abated speed and flipped into the air and landed back down on the tyre wall.
Some 20/25 photographers behind the tyre wall all escaped without any injury despite body work and wheels flying into them.
Allan was extricated by the marshals some minutes later without apparent injury and taken to the medical centre.
The driver of car 58 (not sure which driver) escaped unhurt.
A testament to the strength of modern day racing cars.

Tom

I,ve just seen it on Sky news,how no one was seriously injured is beyond me,how close did that car come from going into the crowd,the look of relief on the teams face speaks volumes about the seriousness of this crash

Tom & Sharon
11-06-2011, 22:17
Another horrendous high speed crash on the Indianapolis curve section involving the No 1 Audi R18 team car from the same team as the car driven by Allan McNish earlier today.
The car driven by Mike Rockenfeller was overtaking the No 71 car another Ferrari 458 Italia driven by Robert Kauffman when they touched approaching 200mph on the Indianapolis section resulting in the No 1 car spearing off to the left into the guardrail.
The driver managed to extricate himself and was over what was left of the guardrail by the time emergency teams arrived on scene.

reggie
11-06-2011, 22:30
I have seen those audi's at goodwood' they came straight from le mans, they are massive, at 200 mph they really ought to give each other a bit more room, like they say, you cant win a race on the first corner, I get invited there every year, and its supposed to be a good laugh outside the circuit, bit it dosnt light my fire, same as F1, monaco is worth going, but the rest, you dont see as much, as watching it on TV,

Tom & Sharon
11-06-2011, 22:43
I have seen those audi's at goodwood' they came straight from le mans, they are massive, at 200 mph they really ought to give each other a bit more room, like they say, you cant win a race on the first corner, I get invited there every year, and its supposed to be a good laugh outside the circuit, bit it dosnt light my fire, same as F1, monaco is worth going, but the rest, you dont see as much, as watching it on TV,

Never marshaled there,but went for about three years on the run in the late eighties.
Believe me there is plenty to do if you like drinking,fun fairs,ladies of the night,partying etc etc etc :drinking::stars::driving::cheer::juggle::popcorn:
They reckon the big three are Monaco,Indy 500 and Le Mans
Well worth a visit. :crazy:

dokgolf
11-06-2011, 22:46
Theres a video here:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11062011/58/le-mans-24-hour-video-mcnish-survives-horror-crash.html
I have seen worse though. I used to take my ex to advanced driving classes for women....

:crylaughing::crylaughing::crylaughing:

timmylish
12-06-2011, 00:53
And people question the validity of modern motor sport! Some of the safety aspects are reproduced in to-day,s family saloons.

FirstWaaaa
28-07-2011, 18:18
Ive been watching it off an on since it started this morning.

I dont get as excited about Le Mans as I do about the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Although the I like the history of Circuit de la Sarthe, the speeds are faster at Daytona. Plus I think Le Mans, and ALMS for that matter, are flawed in that theres too many car classes. Sometimes certain classes only have a couple cars in them too.

I like the Rolex series for better balance. Since the bio-diseal cars came to endurance racing, theyve had a huge advantage. Even the addtional weight put on the cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year doesnt make much difference.

Goforgold
28-07-2011, 18:47
Theres a video here:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11062011/58/le-mans-24-hour-video-mcnish-survives-horror-crash.html
I have seen worse though. I used to take my ex to advanced driving classes for women....

Thanks for putting the link of CIM - just shown OH, he's a race instructor at Prestwold Circuit and said Alan sometimes does passenger rides on Corporate days in the Radical they've got there. He says he's a really nice chap - he was very lucky that day!!

Peterrayner
28-07-2011, 19:04
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08uXTVTQu0Y