Back in the day car racing

[Paul G]

These poor guys had it rough. You know some of those drivers did not survive these crashes.    



http://devour.com/video/vintage-race-car-crashes/

[Ghoste]

Yeah, I think up until Jackie Stewart started pushing for better driver safety features auto racing was about the most dangerous occupation going.

[JB400]

I think I seen about 5 or 6 crashes where the driver wasn't moving afterwards.  The guy on fire and the guy that sideswiped a tree probably didn't fair all to well.  I think the worst two were the guy that was ejected and then landed on his car while it was still tumbling and the guy in the white car at the end.   At least we have learned from crashes like these for the most part and our favorite motorsports are more safer today.

[Ghoste]

.

[moparstuart]

  those old time drivers had big balls , they were crazy   


   there was a great movie on velocity about them 


              http://blogs.discovery.com/velocity/2012/06/deadliest-crash-the-1955-lemans-disaster.html


   

[moparstuart]

this show too was great     




       http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_VtQ9Uc062M#!

[Ponch ®]

if you have an hour and half to spare, watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzvRz7hWdFA
(you can get a link to part 2 from that page)

Its pretty gory tho.

[speedfreak68]

All the more reason to buckle up..... that ejection is bad business.....

[Aero426]

All the more reason to buckle up..... that ejection is bad business.....

In those days, ejection was preferable to being strapped in. 

[Mike DC]

                      
Yeah . . . dirt tracks + relatively low speeds + flimsy minimal car structure = better to be thrown out.
   
       
       
That logic sure became ridiculous once the cars had closed sheemetal cabins, though.  It amazes me that anyone was still buying into that when it came to muscle cars.  (Have they actually thought about the process of their body exiting the car during a wreck?  It ain't gonna be pretty.) 
     
I guess people just liked having an excuse to cruise without a seatbelt.
     
     

[moparstuart]

All the more reason to buckle up..... that ejection is bad business.....

In those days, ejection was preferable to being strapped in. 

alot of them burned up too , and none of the super strong trangulated cages of today  , and look we still have deaths occasionally today .

[speedfreak68]

yeah, I was referring to now days. Not just in racing though. Seeing those people fly through the air, and the way they looked like "rag dolls" is pretty incredible.  Especially the ones that got rolled over and then sat up....