1:01. The impact shattered the March chassis, which completely disintegrated, causing the fuel tank to explode, and sent debris, including Smiley's exposed body, into the catch fence and then back onto the track, tumbling hundreds of feet across the short-chute connecting turns 3 and 4. Gordon Smiley during the 1982 Indy 500 qualifying was determined to get to 200 mph. He had a gaping wound in his side that looked as if he had been attacked by a large shark. The difference between the two crashes was that Ongais hit the wall at a slight angle with the left front of his car. CNN . But not what the legacy of Gordon Smiley. \"My son Brandon Smiley has passed away this morning.\"Smiley did not specify his son's cause of death nor give his age. Today, after Smiley had died, the three remaining pieces of the car were brought back to the garage in three tow trucks. CART medical director Steve Olvey, who was on staff at the time, discussed the crash in his 2006 autobiography, Rapid Response: My Inside Story as a Motor Racing Life-Saver: During an attempt to qualify for the Indy 500, Gordon Smiley, a cocky young driver from Texas, was determined to break 200mph or die trying. Smiley began racing at age 19. 'I think all racing wives have to thinkahead about this sort of thing. Originally posted by Henri Greuter Your last remark makes every post you make on this subject more than welcome and respected. Gordon Eugene Smiley (April 20, 1946 - May 15, 1982) was an American race car driver who was killed in a single-car crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Before the attempt, drivers must warm up their cars. Other than your assumption is there any evidence to support your being "very sure" that there was no autopsy? 1:13. Privacy Policy. In all, the one-lap record was broken five times, and the four-lap record twice, in the first 12 minutes of qualifying. He died instantly, marshalls on scene said brain matter was spread on the track. or am I missing your point? So did Andretti. The cockpit and front wing assembly collapsed on impact, sending Smileys head into the wall. Contents 1 SCCA and Road Racing Career 2 Indy career 3 Indy 500 results 4 See also 5 References She watched the race Sunday, but not to applaud. I think some of the current IRL drivers feel that way about Milka Duno too.One of the first people ABC-TV interviewed was Johnny Rutherford and he was visible shaken. All rights reserved. This article wasnt meant to scare Formula 1 fans who are just tuning into IndyCar because of Alonso into thinking Indy is a death trap. In 1982, Gordon was competing at the qualifiers for the Indy 500 when tragedy struck, according to This Day in Motor Sports History. Fletcher said the car was timed at 196.7 during earlier practice runs today, before the track was closed prior to the beginning of the qualifying period. Originally posted by MPea3 That is pure conjecture. He was only 36 years old when he died, and was the 38th race car driver who lost his life at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1909. Originally posted by Flat Black I don't want to seem morbid, but I'm so curious about something that I'll run the risk.The question for those of you who are up on the safety engineering of modern Indy cars is this: If a driver of a modern Indy car had an identical accident to the one that killed Gordon Smiley in 1982, would s/he survive?If you view the YouTube video of Smiley's crash, you might be inclined to think there's no way in hell anybody could survive such an impact in any car, no matter how well engineered. He was countersteering a slide in turn 3 and put the car head on into. Lone Star JR thought so. In 1976, with Canute. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/16/sports/gordon-smiley-a-driver-killed-at-indy.html. Smiley went out for his 4 Lap qualifying run, the average of which would serve as his qualifying time. ''Not good,'' said a woman standing close to Mrs. Smiley. 1:06. Originally posted by David M. Kane Yes Fines I'm curious too. Originally posted by Flat Black As for Thompson's machine, my research has indicated, without counterargument (until you showed up), that the car was fundamentally dangerous. Add it all up, and McDonald was driving un unguided missile around the speedway. Other townspeople became ill with the same thing, which turned out to only be sleeping sickness. Officials spent 3 1/2 hours cleaning the track from both debris from the car and from Smiley. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The disease turns the immune system against vital organs, so those with the strongest immune systems were more likely to die. Throughout the years, the sport of auto racing has seen plenty of accidents and fatalities. He turned into Turn 3, and the car broke sideways. [], It was at that point that I called out again and, once more, without any spasm, slowly, the eyelids lifted and undeniably living eyes fixed themselves on mine with perhaps even more penetration than the first time. Dead frozen bodies act as waypoints up Mt. Edwin Shafer, director of development and public relations at the hospital, said MacRae died at 2:15 a.m. at Bryan Memorial Hospital. On May 15th, 1982, a cocky young driver named Gordon Smiley went out to qualify for the 1982 Indianapolis 500. On May 15th, 1982, a cocky young driver named Gordon Smiley went out to qualify for the 1982 Indianapolis 500. Adding to the danger was Thompson's unwillingness to run the car with a full load of gasoline, owing to his search for speed. Only a week after Gilles Villenueves passing at Zolder, the world was worried about open-wheel racing and its perils. Originally posted by Old_school Gordon did not scrub much speed prior to impact..Both Piquet and Blundell had scrubbed off significant speed prior to their impacts. That must have been prior to the accident.'. Did you ever see or race against Gordon in FF and Formula Atlantic? Tom Sneva had set both the one-lap and four-lap track records in 1978, with speeds of 203.620 and 202.156 miles per hour, respectively. A crew member, Armando Teran, was also killed during the 1973 race. In Turn 2, on his 3rd lap, something went wrong. You currently have javascript disabled. The race and Qualifying went on, but media outrage was swift. While rushing to the car, I noticed small splotches of a peculiar gray substance marking a trail on the asphalt leading up to the driver. When Smiley first shared the news in January, he did not specify his son's cause of death nor give his age. Originally posted by Jerome I was suprised when I saw the crash that killed Dale Earnhart. Smiley's wife, Barbara, was standing in the pit area, as usual, as her husband's qualifying run began. He had essentially been scalped by the debris fence. When I reached the car, I was shocked to see that Smiley's helmet was gone, along with the top of his skull. Several veteran drivershad warned him that he was in way over his head, driving all wrong for the Speedway. The 1955 Le Mans disaster killed 83 people and the driver instantly when he crashed at 200+ mph same as this but with a SHITLOAD more carnage SmoothOperatorrr 2 yr. ago "Most violent single car accident " From memory, Le Mans disaster was a multi car pileup with a car being launched into the crowd. Actor and comedian Rickey Smiley is mourning the death of his son Brandon Smiley.Smiley, who starred on \"The Rickey Smiley Show\"from 2012-2014, took to Instagram on Sunday to share he had some\"bad news\"to deliver to his followers.In a touching video Rickey said \"I hate to announce this, but I just want to give it to you before you hear it in the streets,\"Smiley said. I rode to the care center with the body. He had essentially been scalped by the debris fence. He also disputed the F1 non-championship 1979 Race of Champions in Brands Hatch, finishing 10th with a Tyrrell. Smiley started racing at just 19 years old and participated in a series of competitions, such as the Formula 5000, Formula Super Vee, and Formula Athletic before going professional. The ugliest racing accident ever filmed and photographed.But not what the legacy of Gordon Smiley should ever stand for.If you take the time to research Gordon Smiley ,you find a man who simply wanted to be the best driver in the best sport - Formula One- at the time.Gordon never got the breaks-in fact-while trying for Formula One he ran into some really evil people and had to come back to Indycar to try and restart his Formula One career try.I detail just what happened and the stupendous forces that tore his car apart and threw him against a fence going over one hundred and sixty miles per hour. Smiley first competed at the Indy 500 in 1980, and then again in 1981. Medical personnel quickly went to Gordon's aid, but he died on impact due to massive head injuries. Only a week after Gilles Villenueve's passing at Zolder, the world was worried. It showed both in his body language and in his voice.Having all of that, I never heard anyone say anything bad about Gordon, he was well liked in Road Racing circles. He began having nightmares, haunted by the vision of Lazier's race car. She kept her cheers for the man she met at a party in 1973, and married after a five-year courtship. I assume Smileys autospy would have checked for substances anyway? and our He was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2000. Open-Wheel racing was under fire. Brandon Smiley Death Video Scene, Rickey Smiley son Brandon Smiley DIES, Cause of death is shocking. Gordon's death would obviously be considered "unnatural" and although this was 1982 . DHLTV. But even as the Penske drivers smiled soon afterward, Mears said there had been problems. At the end of the third turn, at the northeast corner of the 2.5-mile oval, the rear of the car began to veer slightly to the right. His car hit the wall, flew into the air and burst into flames. Smiley raced in the Indianapolis 500 twice, in 1980 and 1981, and was killed while trying to qualify for a third in 1982. The car turned to the right, directly into the wall. Nothing was done. During the event, drivers would drive for four laps, and the average time will be calculated and serve as the qualifying time. He was shocked to find Smileys helmet had been sent off his head, taking the top of his skull with it. Brandon Jamaad Smiley, 32, was found . Near 1981 Crash Site. Please do enlighten me. ''We were just worried if I was going to make it.'' 5. Adding to the danger was Thompson's unwillingness to run the car with a full load of gasoline, owing to his search for speed. "[5], Olvey later said in his book that in the aftermath of the wreck, he and the IndyCar paramedic team declared Smiley to have died at the scene. Octavia was bitten by a tstete fly and presumed dead. one of them asked. Gordon Smiley was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2000 (via NARHOF). Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. No hidden fees. Accedi. It's all over. Piquet by spinning and Blundell by using what was left of his failed brakes and impacting at more of an angle than Smiley.With modern cars, the HANS device and the safer barrier I think there would be a very good chance for survival. Add it all up, and McDonald was driving un unguided missile around the speedway. The March 81c Chassis wrapped itself in the catchfencing, spinning wreckage wildly across the track. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 2. Community Forum Software by IP.Board, This is not recommended for shared computers. had warned him that he was in way over his head, driving all wrong for the Speedway. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. But with possible life threatening injuries. To my mind anyone stupid enough to try and drive on coke is asking for trouble. Guarda Gordon Smiley fatal accident at the 198 - dream81 su Dailymotion. Smiley, whose helmet came off, was entangled in one of the three pieces. In 1982, Racer Gordon Smiley was killed after reaching his stated goal of 200 mph straight into a wall. In 1979, he raced in the British Formula One Championship (sometimes called the "Aurora Formula One Championship") for the Surtees Team, and in 11 races he had eight top-10 finishes, including a win, which is the last by an American in an FIA sanctioned event, at Silverstone, England in 1979. She was afraid she'd fall apart in a crisis and be a burden to those around her. In July 2020, Smiley shared that his youngest daughter Aaryn was injured during an alleged road rage incident.We send our prayers to the smiley familyRest in power king Gordon was a VERY aggressive driver, fearless beyond reason IMO. According to Dr. Henry Bock of the Speedway medical staff, Smiley died of massive head injuries. I can see the crash with my minds eye after it's replay that night on ESPN (or somethin'). His race ended when the turbocharger blew on lap 47, causing him to finish 25th. The next year, the cars got faster. No. Some Problems, Though. In 1920 a scientist successfully conditioned a child to have a severe and permanent phobia of fluffy objects. In 1982, record speeds were being set during qualification for the 1982 Indianapolis 500. January 24, 1986 LINCOLN, Neb. Fletcher warned Smiley that he should seek experience from more experienced, older drivers. Cookie Notice On May 15, 1982, Gordon Smiley got ready for the qualifiers for the Indy 500. Fletcher gave Smiley a bit of advice and said that he should listen to veteran racers and not correct his car's position in case it lost traction. I rode to the care center with the body. During the two afternoons I spent interviewing her, I heard about how her great-grandmother, a Norwegian immigrant, met her husband while going door-to-door as a dressmaker in Saint Paul, Minnesota; how her grandfather nearly froze to death during a blizzard on an Idaho ranch . When Greg Moore was killed at Fontana in 1999, it was put into millions of living rooms across the world. I probably shouldn't ask, but what actually happened to Tony Renna? the car went straight into the wall at 230 mph. [1] He was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2000. 35 Years ago, Gordon Smiley witnessed a similar crash, but with different, and more horrific, results. Gordon Eugene Smiley ( April 20, 1949 - May 15, 1982) was an American race car driver from Omaha, Nebraska[1] who was killed in a single - car crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I think some of the current IRL drivers feel that way about Milka Duno too.One of the first people ABC-TV interviewed was Johnny Rutherford and he was visible shaken. It's cable reimagined No DVR space limits. During an attempt to qualify for the Indy 500, Gordon Smiley, a cocky young driver from Texas, was determined to break 200mph or die trying. You talk from experience that won't be found with many other posters here.henri. Most racing drivers are, at least those who are successful in this sport. If you do a google image search, there are a couple of very small images, but you can see the damage. 5. Gordon Smiley was racing even then, although it was sports car driving, not champ cars. Her gravesite was quickly uncovered. Gordon Smiley fatal Indy 500 Crash @ Indianapolis 1982 andromeda78f 349 subscribers Subscribe 2.6K Save 354K views 14 years ago Notice Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines). Before the attempt, drivers must warm up their cars. So just pray for our family.\"A number of Smileys famous friends flooded the comments section of his video with words of support.\"Im so sorry Rickey,\"actress Niecy Nash wrote.\"My heart goes out to you and your family brother,\"comedian Jay Pharoah commented. He had no chance of survival. Dead frozen bodies act as waypoints up Mt. Breaking News Trending. There was a straw that broke the camels back, however, but it came 17 years after Smiley. ''The only thing that bothers me, just a little bit, is the ground effects,'' he said. 'I'm kind of ready to go home. The most violent single car accident in motor racing history. Originally posted by Jim Thurman Missing the point David. ''If you hit just wrong, I don't care if it's a Sherman tank. Even more so than a typical Indy Car of the time. MOTORSPORT NETWORK 2023. Her nails were found bloodied, and her face contorted in anguish. In 1920 a scientist successfully conditioned a child to have a severe and permanent phobia of fluffy objectsJohn B. Watson was fired not long after his unethical experiment, and the anonymous subject, "Little Albert" was never deconditioned.6. Into the 1950's, it was common practice to sever pieces of patients 's brains to "cure" mental illness. Lone Star JR thought so. Eventually, Gordon Smiley made his way to compete at the Indianapolis 500, one of the most prestigious car races that draws hundreds of thousands of people in Indiana (via Britannica). Guarda a tutto schermo. On the NBC morning news program, the comedian said though the toxicology report. Home, where she'll make the hard decisions about whether to sell her house, where to find a job, what to do with a life that no longer includes Gordon Smiley. And it is entirely likely that this attitude contributed to the mistake that led to his death. The first time humanity met H1N1, we were far less prepared. The material on the race track was most of his brain. Smiley told the owner of the car he was driving, Bob Fletcher, that he was going to try and go for 200 miles per hour "or die trying," per Car Throttle. Instead, she stayed calm and remembered every number but that of her next-door neighbor in Grapevine, Texas. \"Ilove you (and) Im praying for you!\"Im so sorry friend,\" TV personality and singer Tamar Braxton commented.\"Condolences brother,\"singer CeeLo Green wrote.This isnt the first time Smiley has opened up about hard times in his family life. Is the true account (of it's different) too morbid? Cookie Notice Not long after other drivers had created records with each lap in the first hour of qualifying, Smiley, who was 33 years old, died instantly when his March racer, powered by a Cosworth engine, lost control during a second warm-up lap as it came out of a turn at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was on the limit of grip through Turns 1 and 2. Gordon Smiley's fatal accident Shutterstock On May 15, 1982, Gordon Smiley got ready for the qualifiers for the Indy 500. Officials initially started treating it as oil, but it was soon discovered that it was Smileys brain matter, which had been scattered across the track. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. SCCA and road racing career [ edit] Driving his first race at age 19, Smiley was an accomplished road racer. Mears won the pole position, with Cogan currently holding the second position and Foyt, competing here for the 25th year, on the outside of the first row. 6. But as designs have been more successful, a new danger has apparently developed when the areodynamic improvements fail. Several veteran drivers had warned him that he was in way over his head, driving all wrong for the Speedway. I waited for several seconds. It targeted the healthy. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. On the way in I performed a cursory examination and realized that nearly every bone in his body was shattered. In 1961, a B52 crashed near Goldsboro, NC. He had competed in the last two 500's here, finishing 25th in 1980 and 22d last year after he crashed in turn 4. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. When they do, it's like an unguided missile. Federico Borrell Garca, a Republican Iberian Federation of Libertarian Youth soldier, taken by legendary war photographer Robert Capa at the moment of his death in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. Jim Clark thought so. I had never seen such trauma. And even further down that vein was Thompson's decision to hack away part of the cowlings of the car to make room for new tire specs handed down by the Indy brass. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 1. Before the attempt, drivers must warm up their cars. Fast Early Times. It is infact the opposite. Dr. Steve Olvey is a very well respected, etc., etc. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. An accident had not killed a driver here since 1973, when Art Pollard died on the first day of qualifications and Swede Savage died of injuries sustained in an accident during the race. Jim Clark thought so. Smiley's team-mate Desir Wilson was in the pit garage when the remains of his car were brought back. But on the other hand, I have seen some incredibly hard hits in modern Indy cars where the driver walks away without a scratch, let alone with life-threatening injuries. Pray for my son's mother and my sons siblings, everybody that was raised with Brandon.\"While he didnt provide any details on Brandons death, the \"Dish Nation\"alum alluded to past family tragedy as he spoke about his own grief.\"Now I see what my granddaddy went through and why he felt the way he felt,\"Smiley said. On the second warm up lap his car began to oversteer while rounding the third turn, causing the car to slightly slide. The. Ffs only 1 person died. Smiley corrected, and the car spun back to the right. [6], Gordon Smiley fatal Crash @ Indy 500 1982, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of fatalities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, "Driver Gordon Smiley 1981 USAC Gold Crown Series Results", "Historical Motorsports Stories: Drivers' Reactions to Gordon Smiley Crash", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gordon_Smiley&oldid=1149506428, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 17:26. She's been with racing people most of the time since Gordon Smiley died 15 days ago when his car hit the wall in turn three and disintegrated during the first day of time trials, as he tried to get up to 200 mph. Originally posted by David M. Kane Perhaps someone more knowledgeable on ground effects can explain why once that car turn to towards the wall there was little physically he could to change its direction again because of the tremendous downforce. Smiley was a road racer and was used to counter-steering his car to avoid a crash if the rear wheels broke traction. '', Bob Fletcher, the owner of the car Smiley drove, said: ''The ground-effects cars, when they start to jump out, they lose the ground effects. So did Andretti. Motor vehicle accidents Auto accident driving accidents fatal car . This brought back many memories for Fletcher, who owned the car that Art Pollard died in during the 1973 race. '', ''I don't want to talk about it,'' Ongais said of Smiley's crash. INDIANAPOLIS -- The death of race driver Gordon Smiley Saturday brought back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the graphic realization of the hazards of the sport. Originally posted by Cirrus I think that it's likely that, even if it were possible to make a survival cell that could withstand that sort of impact, the internal organs of the human body probably couldn't.I seem to recall Buford saying in an earlier thread, that Gordon Smiley's body was lying on the track, looking completely unharmed after the accident. Originally posted by ghinzani Re your last question old_school theres also the factor, oft repudiated, that Smiley was indulging in what the Whittingtons were so famous for. ''I think the cars are safe, until you hit wrong,'' A.J. Archived post. He had several fractures to his pelvis and a fractured right hip. There was a spectator death in 1987 from an errant tire though. Originally posted by Cirrus I seem to recall Buford saying in an earlier thread, that Gordon Smiley's body was lying on the track, looking completely unharmed after the accident. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. His speed on the third lap, 207.612 m.p.h., and his four-lap average, 207.004, was almost 3 miles per hour faster than the record Cogan had just set. ''It was very similar, they tell me, to the accident Ongais had,'' Fletcher said. On May 15, 1982, Gordon Smiley got ready for the qualifiers for the Indy 500. John B. Watson was fired not long after his unethical experiment, and the anonymous subject, "Little Albert" was never deconditioned. Then Rick Mears, Cogan's teammate with Penske Racing, surpassed Cogan's one-lap record by more than 2.2 miles per hour on his first lap. Barbara Smiley knew the risks she faced, and she gave them sober thought. Gordon Eugene Smiley was born in 1946 in Omaha, Nebraska. Medical Director Steve Olvey described the brutal and disturbing scene. May 14, 1982 - Gordon Smiley Talks with Dick Rea the Day Before His Fatal Crash TheClassicSports 5K views 1 year ago Gordon Smiley Interviews Before 1982 Indy 500 Tim Richmond Archive 8.1K. 16 anni fa. He made a mistake too many, had an accident and paid the price and we should pay him respect! She was waiting there for the traditional picture, taken after the run, with the driver and crew all around the car. On Sunday, Fernando Alonso will be running in the Indianapolis 500. Not a good thing for a rookie to be doing.Was Mickey Thompson to blame for the deaths of McDonald and Sachs?