F1 Fallen Racers - Long Video

[Slaughter]

9-ish minutes

Workplace safe but does contain some disturbing images covering the history of F1 fallen racers. It's a tribute of sorts but not sure if I'd really call it that. Debated a couple days on whether to post it or not:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORs-8GT6SMU&search=f1%20perished%20heroes

He refers to them as "heroes" - I really strongly disagree. Nothing heroic in something so selfish as racing - except when you see the one racer RUNNING to stand in the flames in a failed attempt to turn the burning car over by himself.

[smokescreen]

to me all of them are heros. Hero's are those who've shown courage. These hero's died chasing a dream. And there is little more courageous than that. The bost courageous man in that videa however was the one man who would not quit trying to turn that car over. He had to be pulled away! I was tearing up for sure, damn that music. It was a very moving video.

[agirls]

Well, I am depressed now.

The guy trying to flip the car by himself was truely heart wrenching. I could not figure out why no one would help. Although I am sure it was too late, but still. Yeah, I'm looking for a tissue...

[blndweasel]

Thanks for this post Slaughter. I gotta agree with smokescreen though...

Hero (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero) -- A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.

It's a reminder to everyone exactly what's at stake when you strap yourself in and take the wheel.

Encouraging to know that there have been fewer deaths since the implementation of better safety devices and technologies.

[Ikazuchi]

I'd agree with Slaughter on the hero bit....but we all have our own definition. To little kids, guys like Shaq and Kobe are heros.. but to me they're just an ogre and a pompous ass.

For me, a hero risks his or herself for a noble purpose... racing, while it takes a lot of skill and courage to do well, is just a competition of egos.

(That's why I don't race anymore...got my ego crushed too many times :D ...that and I'm too poor to do it on my own right now.)

[quiklids]

d-i-f-f-i-c-u-l-t to watch...

bless them...

[svcat]

Thanks for posting that... very moving.

[malkey]

Originally posted by svcat
Thanks for posting that... very moving.
+1

[J.Moto]

Originally posted by blndweasel

Hero (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero) -- A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.


There's nothing noble in racing purpose. Like Slaughter said, it's all for selfishness, and the glory of speed and winning.

I have't watched it yet but I will later.

[smokescreen]

I disagree. Racing is noble, if the person is racing to fulfill their dreams. Not all people have the courage or nobility to risk chasing their dreams. And it's not all about winning, or some of those annual midpacks would have quit long ago.

[TIFOSO]

I remember watching that race when Senna died. I woke up at 4:30 to watch (it was my first season watching F1). The race already had a somber tone because of Ratzenburger's death just a day or two before. Very sad video.

[Slaughter]

I have to say that because I don't consider a racer to necessarily be a hero, it is NOT to say that I wasn't moved. I constantly replay scenes from that video in my mind. It does remind one of the price that has been paid AND the reasons for all the testing required now of FOCA cars.

I've worked in motor racing half of my adult life since 1975 and that is a part of what is racing. The video is pretty "in your face" graphic which some people objected to on the car racing boards.

I worked in fabrication of cars for USAC Champ car racing and SCCA F-Ford and FSV but never F1 and I got my opinion on it being selfish from hearing Bobby Unser making that statement after Swede Savage died. I thought otherwise at the time but that was before I got into racing and realized that it truly IS a selfish thing - and that is NOT a negative thing - just the way it has to be.

That IS an emotional thing to watch. No escaping that.

[zorak]

i just finished watching this video. very moving. i was fighting back tears by the time the video came to imola 1994 with ratzenberger and senna.

i am an absolute fan of senna all the way back to the 1988 f1 season. his "take no prisoners" approach and absolute dedication to perfecting his craft was astounding. i was at the 1991 us gp in phoenix when he took pole. i got his picture and his autograph afterwards. regardless of how he acted or treated his fellow drivers, he was practically embarrassed by the affection his fans showed him. his was the only death of a public figure that drove me to tears.

i've since read books on f1 drivers... their on- and off-track battles, their personal lives, and their deaths. i absolutely believe that these guys are heroes. i'm sure a lot of you would disagree with me but in the modern world of racing a driver (or a moto gp rider, for that matter) needs every help he can get to give him an edge over the other driver and confidence is a crucial part of that edge. to gain confidence you need a reliable car, a very good team, and an absolute belief that you are THE best driver on the grid, even if you have started in the back row for the last 10 races. unfortunately there is a fine line between confidence and just being plain egotistical and sometimes some drivers cross that line perhaps undeservedly.

i've been watching less and less f1 since senna died. i still have the vhs tape of speedvision's live broadcast of the race... and the 1993 donnington gp where he went from 4th to 5th to 1st place in the opening lap... then proceeded to lap the entire field... in the rain. there seems to be less and less heroes in f1 these days but back in the day, especially the drivers shown in that montage, every single driver was a hero.

thanks for sharing the link, slaughter! i'm bookmarking it right now.

[Tillers_Rule]

Originally posted by agirls

The guy trying to flip the car by himself was truely heart wrenching. I could not figure out why no one would help. Although I am sure it was too late, .


Yea, that was really crappy to watch. I think because he had hte firesuit on he was good. The rest of the guys there were just in regular suits so I'm sure the flames were extremmely excruciating to them. Makes one appreciate how far safety has come since then.

[Lonedog]

that crew guy that was crossing the track with a fire extinguisher to help the crashed racer and got hit was defiantly a hero!