Just watched this, the Belgian GP from SPA 1955 and thought some of the petrolheads might like it. For me this is motor racing at it’s best. Sadly six days later was the crash at Le Man in which 83 were killed and 120 injured, involving some of the drivers that were in this race.
Seeing how I mentioned a link to the Le Man accident and they didn’t stop the race, which is hard to believe. It’s a bit graphic, be warned.
knight2:
Just watched this, the Belgian GP from SPA 1955 and thought some of the petrolheads might like it. For me this is motor racing at it’s best. Sadly six days later was the crash at Le Man in which 83 were killed and 120 injured, involving some of the drivers that were in this race.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xWL0wCfIFU
Seeing how I mentioned a link to the Le Man accident and they didn’t stop the race, which is hard to believe. It’s a bit graphic, be warned.
I believe they said they didn’t want to stop the race as the people leaving would have got in the way of the rescue vehicles. Whether that was true or just an excuse after the event I don’t know, I believe the Le Mans crash led to motor racing being banned in Switzerland.
I love watching the old races and have nothing but admiration for the drivers of that era, but I’m so pleased that safety has improved to the point where drivers can walk away from horrendous crashes, that would have been fatal a few decades ago.
Muckles, couldn’t agree more about the safety aspect. You only have to watch the video, if I remember correctly all those helmets had was a layer of cork in the lining and that was about it for safety gear. There was no lack of speed, Fangio and Moss were doing over 180 mph along the straight at Spa and if I remember correctly it was about this period when the Auto Unions used to hit nearly 200 on the old Donnington circuit. This was the time when, thanks to my father, I started to take an interest in motor racing.
that was in the days when it was worth watching unlike for the last 20 years or so.
nowadays theres just no interest for me whatsoever plus removing the bints on the starting grid took even that aspect away from it completely.
the bikes are still of interest,especially the road races,but f1 is just completely boredom now.
dieseldog999:
that was in the days when it was worth watching unlike for the last 20 years or so.
nowadays theres just no interest for me whatsoever plus removing the bints on the starting grid took even that aspect away from it completely.
the bikes are still of interest,especially the road races,but f1 is just completely boredom now.
Despite the lack of coverage on telly, there is far more to motorsport than F1, Le Mans is still an amazing race with a unique atmosphere, both as a spectator or as part of the team, even though every year I did it I said never again, 
There are the BTCC weekends, loads of classes, loads of close racing and you’ll get far closer to the teams and drivers. The many series I’ve worked in if you’ve been in the right place the right time and ask politely, we’ll let you have a look round the garage, oh yes we also still got PR and grid girls. 
DD, agreed I stopped watching F1 many years ago and for me now it’s just bike racing mostly moto gp and the TT, though I’ve never been.
By the way i was a bit out with my timing, the Auto unions firs came to Donnington in 1937 and 1938, the rest of course is history.
knight2:
Muckles, couldn’t agree more about the safety aspect. You only have to watch the video, if I remember correctly all those helmets had was a layer of cork in the lining and that was about it for safety gear. There was no lack of speed, Fangio and Moss were doing over 180 mph along the straight at Spa and if I remember correctly it was about this period when the Auto Unions used to hit nearly 200 on the old Donnington circuit. This was the time when, thanks to my father, I started to take an interest in motor racing.
I’ve seen interviews with Stirling Moss, were he said most drivers didn’t bother with helmets, but his father forced him to wear one.
I think F1 has become very corporate and lost many of its characters, or at least the ones they’ll show you on telly, quite a few characters in the teams especially on a night out. the drivers are also cooperate mouthpieces, but what choice do they have when an off the cuff remark can cause a social media storm by SJW’s who have probably never seen a race and sponsors are so worried about being linked to bad publicity they’ll cut a multi million pound sponsor deal that could see a team closing up.
I have done some testing a PR work for an F1 team and would say the team were some of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with and the drivers and team manager were very relaxed, cracking jokes and having a laugh with all of us working there.
Firstly,while not being keen on single seaters,I think something was lost in terms of character of even those with the move to rear engined cars.
As for modern day ‘motor racing’ the whole thing has degenerated into an over regulated circus.With the rot setting in with the spread of formula racing of which ironically F1 turned into the worst type which is effectively pit strategy and driver racing and who can interpret strictly imposed rules to the optimum not motor racing at all.To the point where drivers will now throw their toys out of the pram if they thought/think that a competitor is driving a superior machine.Resulting in even the last bastions of real motor racing such as Le Mans and NASCAR being infested with zb like restrictors and weight penalties and circuit ‘changes’ like chicanes which remove any remaining outright speed advantage.When the idea of the fastest ‘car’ wins,and that the driver can drive so who gives a zb should be a given,was/is supposed to be the object of the bleedin exercise. 
IE when I think of Le Mans I think Porsche 917,Sauber Mercedes and Jag XJR 9.Or in the case of NASCAR real production based Ford/GM/MOPAR I don’t generally give a second thought to their drivers suffice to say were by necessity brilliant at their jobs.But if I had to pick one it would be Mark Donohue who memorably said of the 917 Can Am car that the thing would only be too powerful if the wheels were spinning up along the length of a 200 mph + straight. 
Those old Le Mans cars were magnificent, the speed and the sound OMG!
I’m not the least bit interested in F1 anymore, the Schumacher era finished that for me, it became a procession and there wasn’t any actual racing.
BTCC was by far the most entertaining racing, the lead position changing almost every corner, the race won by the driver, not the car. The best era for that was the Mondeo, Laguna, Cavalier, Alfa 155, Volvo T5 times, edge of the seat stuff from flag to flag. I liked the V8 Rover and Sierra Cosworth days too, but the racing wasn’t as close.
DTM was ok, a lot more expensive cars and outright speed, but not as boisterous as BTCC, however the ultimate motorsport for me is WRC, especially the Group B madness, just the sound of the Audi 5pot screaming its nuts off wipes the floor with any other form of motor sport.
Bikes are a different story, the road races are superb, MotoGP is fantastic, BSB and WSB are very good, but again, it’s the older machines that gave the biggest thrills, the two stroke GP bikes were insane, the rivalry between riders was intense, a close second to Group B for me, very close.
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The only moto gp race I’ve been to was the last 500 2 stroke race at Donington. Back in the days when Rossi and Biaggi were at each others throats, just to hear the two strokes before they were banned.
knight2:
DD, agreed I stopped watching F1 many years ago and for me now it’s just bike racing mostly moto gp and the TT, though I’ve never been.
If you won’t pay the rip-off prices for the TT like me,get yourself to an Irish road race. Skerries,Kells,Armoy,Ulster GP etc. It’s an education. You’ll never go to a purpose-made track again.
I manage the TT every year.
Brilliant place. Dear doo mind.
Makes the circuits look tame.
Not managed the Irish scene yet but definitely one for the future.
Seen that le man footage before. Scary.
Your right about character’s tho. Stirling moss is a legend among all the others of that era.
He once said “back in my day we finished a race then went chasing girls. Now they just thank their sponsors!” [emoji1787]
Still plenty of characters on the road racing scene tho [emoji106]
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I must be getting old it’s just dawned on me I have raced on a closed road, only a hill climb but it was a public road, many years ago.
Never been to the TT just seems like to much hassle and too pricey, I’m allergic to being ripped off. Had thought of the Irish races but never got around to it.