Deadliest Crash

[Neil.P]

I just noticed that BBC4 in the UK are showing a documentary on the 1955 Le Mans accident, that claimed 83 lives. tonight at 9PM:

At 6.26 pm, June 11th 1955, the world of playboy racers and their exotic cars exploded in a devastating fireball. On the home straight early in the Le Mans 24-Hour race, future British world champion Mike Hawthorn made a rash mistake. Pierre Levegh's Mercedes 300 SLR smashed into the crowd, killing 83 people and injuring 120 more. It remains the worst disaster in motor racing history.

The story was quickly engulfed by conspiracy theory, blame and scandal. Was the mysterious explosion caused by Mercedes gambling all on untried technologies? Did they compound it by using a lethal fuel additive? Have the French authorities been covering up the truth ever since? Or was the winner, the doomed British star Mike Hawthorn, guilty of reckless driving and did his desire to win at all costs start the terrible chain of events?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sfptx

Neil.P

[Dare]

I wish w could get this here,I'd love to see it

[cosworth151]

So do I, Dare. Levegh's Mercedes ran up the back of an Austin Healey. It launched onto the air and struck a pole. It then exploded onto the grandstands. Remember, no fire safe fuel tanks in those days.

[Scott]

The Swiss banned all track racing as a result of that accident (they still allow a couple of small rally's).  They tried to repeal that law a few years back when it looked like Switzerland had a chance for an F1 track, but it didn't work, so the F1 plan fell apart too.

[Canada Darrell™]

I just finished watching this. The lack of safety regulations back then is simply astonishing but thats just the way things were. In a twisted way though, many lives were saved in the future as a result of safety reform.
Towards the end of the program there are some never seen before photos compiled into a movie that shows in startling detail exactly how this tragedy occured.