This is when men had balls of steel.

[8250RPM]

http://youtu.be/NyJHaqeX6gk

 

[VoodooBoss]

If you like that watch Grand Prix:The Killing years.

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1954483/

 

[302 Hi Pro]

Rich:

I saw that documentary a couple of years ago and it is an excellent documentary on early behind the scenes GP racing. Jackie Steward worked hard to improve driver safety and it culminated in Steward organizing a boycott of SPA GP in 1970. This track was so dangerous that it took about 5-7 years for them to shorten and fix the track before racing resumed there in the later 70's.

You would think that all of the GP drivers of the day would have joined in solidarity, but surprisingly many were hesitant and some did not support it at first.

It is really sad to see so many great drivers who lost their lives by not having basis safety measures that we all just take for granted today.

In the very early days, most drivers thought that seat belts were dangerous to wear!

We come a long way in terms of safety.

302 Hi Pro

 

[302BOB]

While certainly not racers, my parents (rest their souls) thought seat belts were dangerous also. Their logic was something along the lines of getting hit from the side and being trapped in the car. One day they were involved in a bad wreck on the highway. With no belts on, my Mom was thrown around like a rag doll with serious injuries to her lower legs and a torn open scalp from the rear view mirror. My Dad's back bore the brunt of the impact and was barely able to walk for weeks after that. Had they had their seat belts on I'm sure their injuries would have been minimal to say the least. When a car is going 60 plus mph and suddenly stops...... you without seat belts will continue to travel at that speed even tho the car has stopped.

 

[TymeSlayer]

Brave and pioneering souls who sought out adventure and found it. Foolhardy? Perhaps but my hat's off to these guys for blazing the trail. And yes, we're safer today from the things we learned from the men with balls of steel.