azblackhemi
Old Man with a Hat
Wow! What an explosion and crash! He was talking to officials before heading to the hospital.
John Force Wreck
- Thread starter azblackhemi
- Start date
When I grow up, I want to be like John Force.
Force took a good lick and has lived to talk about it. Clearly the safety/construction of these cars, plus he may have been lucky he didnt hit any fixed barriers perpendicularly (e.g., a "T-bone").
Many of us may recall Earnhart's fatal crash. It didn't look like the impact was such that he wouldn't live through that one. Versus other racing crashes where you get the immediate impression, at the time, that the driver didnt make it.
With Force, what looks more concerning to me than his car bouncing off walls at oblique angles (contrast that with Scott Kalitta's funny car accident at Englishtown .. oh my
), was whatever blew up in the car (shrapenal risk).
Anyway, ole John seems to be physically ok . Best outcome given the inherent risk of this sport. He's still one of the best at his chosen professional .. and at 75 years old still doin' it at a high level.
Many of us may recall Earnhart's fatal crash. It didn't look like the impact was such that he wouldn't live through that one. Versus other racing crashes where you get the immediate impression, at the time, that the driver didnt make it.
With Force, what looks more concerning to me than his car bouncing off walls at oblique angles (contrast that with Scott Kalitta's funny car accident at Englishtown .. oh my
), was whatever blew up in the car (shrapenal risk).Anyway, ole John seems to be physically ok . Best outcome given the inherent risk of this sport. He's still one of the best at his chosen professional .. and at 75 years old still doin' it at a high level.
I remember watching that race and when I saw him hit the wall, I said out loud "He's dead".Force took a good lick and has lived to talk about it. Clearly the safety/construction of these cars, plus he may have been lucky he didnt hit any fixed barriers perpendicularly (e.g., a "T-bone").
Many of us may recall Earnhart's fatal crash. It didn't look like the impact was such that he wouldn't live through that one. Versus other racing crashes where you get the immediate impression, at the time, that the driver didnt make it.
View attachment 668031
With Force, what looks more concerning to me than his car bouncing off walls at oblique angles (contrast that with Scott Kalitta's funny car accident at Englishtown .. oh my
Anyway, ole John seems to be physically ok . Best outcome given the inherent risk of this sport. He's still one of the best at his chosen professional .. and at 75 years old still doin' it at a high level.
Basilar skull fracture - Wikipedia
They (NASCAR etc.) mandated the use of the HANS device and that has saved some lives. I noticed in one of the Force crash videos, he was wearing a HANS device. That may have saved his life, but that's speculation on my part.
I've always kind of admired Force. He came from nothing and got to where he is now.
Just saw this:
carguy300
Well-Known Member
He is one of the Best! I got see him in person one time at ennis texas, a regular guy who drives fast!
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
He was a truck driver when he decided to go full time drag racing.
I walked right into him at the Famoso Hot Rod Reunion one year. We both were looking at cars in the display area while walking at the same time. Ha!
Thanks for the update. I'll share this with my wife who has been asking. She's a big Force fan.
This is the one I can't believe the guy walked away from. Jim Nicoll died in 2015! This was 1970!Force took a good lick and has lived to talk about it. Clearly the safety/construction of these cars, plus he may have been lucky he didnt hit any fixed barriers perpendicularly (e.g., a "T-bone").
Many of us may recall Earnhart's fatal crash. It didn't look like the impact was such that he wouldn't live through that one. Versus other racing crashes where you get the immediate impression, at the time, that the driver didnt make it.
View attachment 668031
With Force, what looks more concerning to me than his car bouncing off walls at oblique angles (contrast that with Scott Kalitta's funny car accident at Englishtown .. oh my
Anyway, ole John seems to be physically ok . Best outcome given the inherent risk of this sport. He's still one of the best at his chosen professional .. and at 75 years old still doin' it at a high level.
nicoll snake crash - Yahoo Video Search Results
I knew a guy that drove a Top Fuel car in the late 60's. Front engines back then.
He told me of a crash he had where the car went off the strip and hit a pole sideways and broke the car in half right behind the engine... This was at night too. He said the car was going fast enough that he never really felt the impact... It just snapped the car in half like a twig. He didn't really see it either as it was real dark in that area. He got stopped and he wasn't hurt, but shaken up pretty bad. He said they helped him get his harness off and when he stood up, he couldn't figure out what happened to the front of the car... It was only after he got out of the car that he saw that the car was cut in half.
Petty at Darlington, 1970. Obviously he didnt get killed, but it sure looked bad.
Petty is unconscious and hanging upside down (the pinkish red falling off his body was his racing scarf, not part of him) strapped in his seat. Had that car landed differently, because he came OUT of it, well .....
The good out of it? The side net.
About six years too late for Joe Weatherly. That one was a bad as it looked cuz Weatherly's head was outside the driver's window during the impact sequence.
Anyway, ole John Force really did take a lick according to his injury report. Hope he recovers enough to decide IF he wants to keep racing, as opposed to the wreck making the decision for him.
Petty is unconscious and hanging upside down (the pinkish red falling off his body was his racing scarf, not part of him) strapped in his seat. Had that car landed differently, because he came OUT of it, well .....
The good out of it? The side net.
About six years too late for Joe Weatherly
. That one was a bad as it looked cuz Weatherly's head was outside the driver's window during the impact sequence.Anyway, ole John Force really did take a lick according to his injury report. Hope he recovers enough to decide IF he wants to keep racing, as opposed to the wreck making the decision for him.
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Petty at Darlington, 1970.
Obviously he didnt get killed, but it sure looked bad. Petty is unconscious and hanging upside down (the pinkish red falling off his body was his racing scarf, not part of him) strapped in his seat. Had that car landed differently, because he came OUT of it, well .....
The good out of it? The side net. about six years too late for Joe Weatherly
Anyway, ole John Force really did take a lick according to his injury report. Hope he recovers enough to decide IF he wants to keep racing, as opposed to the wreck making the decision for him.
View attachment 669941
I remember watching that wreck on TV. I think it was "Wide World of Sports".
The worst NASCAR wreck I ever saw on TV was when Don McTavish was killed at Daytona in 1969. I watched it on the news. I'm gonna let anyone that wants to see it can Google it as I'm not going to post the video. It is out there and it's horrifying to say the least.
I'm with you, man. I debated posting Earnhardt and Petty, cuz I really don't deal in that. Certainly was NOT gonna post Weatherly or Kalitta and kinda felt weird mentioning them.
Double edged sword that darn internet. Think of the worst thing that can happen, multiply that by ten, and you can find some nauseating, graphic depiction of of it in HD.
It also goes the other way .. some really uplifting stuff out there too.
All depends on what one wants to know about .. giddy to grotesque, it all there.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
I saw Darrel Russell crash on TV back in 2004. You knew right away by what the cameras where showing, it wasn't good. That was the reason for the plate behind the driver in Top Fuel cars. Shame someone has to lose their life to have a safety change.
I just looked up and watched the McTavish wreck. I had never seen that one. Yes, quite horrible.
A matter of history here that struck me: this was 1969, yet a large number of the cars were from 1966. I guess drivers really did hate the newer body designs.
A matter of history here that struck me: this was 1969, yet a large number of the cars were from 1966. I guess drivers really did hate the newer body designs.
the most dangerous circuit .. which I didnt know until 20 years after, and that was 25 years ago, was Formula One in the 1970's.
We sponsored F1 when I was ex-pat in Europe in the 90's, so local people were "thrilled" to regale me with the gory details.
I am not mentioning any drivers' names that went out badly, but damn. its all out there if anyone wants more details.
Prime example of the cars' performance of the day exceeding material standards, aerodynamics of the cars was not scientific yet, track safety protocols weak in case of accidents, etc.
F1 is way better now 50 years later, but racing is still what it is ... folks on the edge of control, high speed in metal objects with immovable walls, with little margin for bad luck/error.
We sponsored F1 when I was ex-pat in Europe in the 90's, so local people were "thrilled" to regale me with the gory details.
I am not mentioning any drivers' names that went out badly, but damn. its all out there if anyone wants more details.
Prime example of the cars' performance of the day exceeding material standards, aerodynamics of the cars was not scientific yet, track safety protocols weak in case of accidents, etc.
F1 is way better now 50 years later, but racing is still what it is ... folks on the edge of control, high speed in metal objects with immovable walls, with little margin for bad luck/error.
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I think probably the worst was the 1955 LeMans race where 84 spectators were killed when a Mercedes went into the grand stand. There's a grainy video out there of that tragedy.
I saw a guy get killed at Oswego Speedway in 1974. They race super modifieds, fuel injected big blocks on methanol around a 5/8 mile asphalt oval. Took me a while to go back there.
I saw a guy get killed at Oswego Speedway in 1974. They race super modifieds, fuel injected big blocks on methanol around a 5/8 mile asphalt oval. Took me a while to go back there.
I knew about 1955 LeMans race. Saw a newsreel on it years ago, but recall THAT was a horrific one. Shrapenal, fire, .... like a WWII battlefield.
Fans right on top of track. No fences, inadequate barriers. Totally unsafe for spectators AND drivers. Fpimd video, pics below. Nothing grisly.
Fans right on top of track. No fences, inadequate barriers. Totally unsafe for spectators AND drivers. Fpimd video, pics below. Nothing grisly.
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