Motion Pictures Killed Myself When I Was Young

[metalshapes]

Originally Posted by Digney in Burnaby

...And later in 1959 at Senator proposed its banning....

A line from that article:
"And yet how many bull fights are as bloody as the race not long ago in San Diego, Calif., where a woman driver died hideously and newspaper photographers took pictures of her hand protruding agonizingly from beneath her over-turned racing car"

That was the 1955 crash that killed Margaret Pritchard in Dick Morgensen's Buick powered special, at Torrey Pines.

After the crash it went to Max Balchowsky and it became known as Old Yeller, after he repainted it in Ina Balchowsky's favorite color.

[metalshapes]

I knew Senator Neuberger used that tragedy for his propaganda, but I had not found the acctual article yet.

Thanks for the link...

[flamingokid]

It's a good thing that safety has gotten better since then....

[KaddyKimber]

Watching that video makes you wonder how anyone survived racing early on. It's insane. Hard to watch all of the roadster crashes. I definitely agree, they had to have a brass pair. Wow...

[themachine]

thats hard to watch

[Cut55]

I remember as a kid seeing photos in an early '50s Life Magazine of a Grand Prix driver completely engulfed in flames after crashing his car during a race. No fire crew around, no water, no way to save him. Just the photographer clicking away as the guy died. That may have sold more magazines but I would have rather not seen those photos.

[chriseakin]

I remember seeing similar footage in driving class when I was in high school, along with the slide show of people killed in crashes when they were "thrown clear>" It convinced me to put on my seatbelt every time I got into a car but for some reason it didn't convince all of my friends. Now as a volunteer firefighter I've seen one guy killed because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Fortunately I've also seen a lot of people survive crashes because they were wearing them.
Watching the footage turns my stomach now as much as it did then.
Thanks.
Chris

[Weeks46]

RIP and Godspeed to those who lost their lives in the pursuit of their dreams.-Weeks

[Old Dawg]

Originally Posted by toml24

On March 6, 1960 Art Atkinson was tossed out the top of his '32 Ford on the front straight at Western Speedway Gardena, Ca, during a jalopy race. His car was barrel-rolling half the length of the front straight and the force sucked Atkinson out of his restraint belts as well as his shoes. What is amazing is by luck he was tossed back towards turn 4 so his own car did not run him over. This is the most reproduced photo in the history of So-Cal jalopy racing. Atkinson received a few bumps and bruises but was otherwise OK. I have a color home movie of this as well. When I get it converted to digital format I'll post. It really makes a person gasps.

Guys (and gals) Tom knows of where of he speaks. He wrote a book on the California Jalopy Association, a great publication and "must read" for all who are fans of the jalopies that ran the "bullrings" in SoCal "back in the day".

The said Mr. Atkinson, a Pasadena used car dealer, had the courtesy to lend his trailer to us (me and my fellow high school buddy) one night at Gardena Stadium. Having lied about our ages, my friend and I took a '33 Ford 2 door, in which we thought we had a hot 21 stud engine, to show the older boys "the short way around the track". Our youthful exuberance was dashed
when a weld of mine on the left front frame horn broke, sending the car spinning wheels up into the wall, then into the infield. When the promoter, Harry Schooler, told us to get the wreck out that night (we only had a tow bar); Mr. Atkinson stepped up. I call him "Mister", as, to this day, I have undying respect for him (and his memory).

Tom's book is "Memories of the California Jalopy Association"

Go to [url]http://californiajalopy.homestead.com

[styleline]

crazy footage guy,s whit steel balls and a hart as big as a freight carrier

[tunram2quad]

Real cool video.Hats off to all them racers,especially the ones in the open cars had to have some BIG STONES.Thanks for sharing.

[gnichols]

Originally Posted by Cut55

I remember as a kid seeing photos in an early '50s Life Magazine of a Grand Prix driver completely engulfed in flames after crashing his car during a race. No fire crew around, no water, no way to save him. Just the photographer clicking away as the guy died. That may have sold more magazines but I would have rather not seen those photos.

Very similar... Lorenzo Bandini was killed in Monaco in 1967. I remember seeing it on ABCs wide world of sports. I can't find any archival ABC footage, but there are a few of these kinds of links on utube. As I recall, the car burned out of control with no safety support and when the car was flipped over, to extricate him, it burst in flames a second time. One thumb up for for seat belts, seveal thumbs down for the Fred Flintstone era of track safety. Gary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUyIA...eature=related

[Spoggie]

Fitting link;

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=572212

[Steel A Rod]

The video was hard to watch. Really made my heart pound.
Thanks Ryan for sharing it and reminding me how fleeting life can be.

[Hans' Rod & Cycle]

i still get chills every time I watch that....