1955 Le Mans disaster



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The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans began on 11 June 1955, with Pierre Levegh behind the wheel of the #20 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR run by Daimler-Benz. American John Fitch was Levegh's assigned partner in the car, and he would take over driving duties later. Competition between Mercedes, Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Maserati was close, with all the marques fighting for the top positions early on. The race was extremely fast, with lap records being repeatedly broken.

At the end of Lap 35, Levegh was following Mike Hawthorn's leading Jaguar D-type, just as they were entering the pit straight. Hawthorn had just passed Lance Macklin's slower Austin-Healey 100 when he belatedly noticed a pit signal to stop for fuel. Hawthorn slowed suddenly in an effort to stop rather than make another lap. Hawthorn's Jaguar, with the new disc brakes, slowed much faster than other cars using drum brakes, such as Levegh's Mercedes. The sudden, unexpected braking by Hawthorn caused Macklin in the Healey to hit his brakes, throwing up a small cloud of dust in front of Levegh, who trailed close behind. Macklin then swerved across the centre of the track, attempting to re-pass the slowing Jaguar, but also apparently out of control. Macklin had not noticed both Levegh and Juan Manuel Fangio, in another 300 SLR, approaching rapidly from behind. Fangio was in second place at the time, but directly behind, and attempting to lap Levegh.

Levegh, ahead of Fangio on the track, did not have time to react. Levegh's car made contact with the left rear of Macklin's car as he closed rapidly (at about 150 mph) upon the slowed car. When Levegh hit the Austin-Healey from behind, his car became airborne, soaring towards the left side of the track, where it landed atop the earthen embankment separating spectators from the track itself.

Levegh's 300 SLR struck the mound at such speed and angle that it was launched into a somersault, which caused some parts of the car, already damaged and loosened by the collision, to be flung from the vehicle at very great speeds. This included the bonnet and the front axle, both of which separated from the frame and flew through the crowd. The bonnet decapitated tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine.[3] With the front of the spaceframe chassis—and thus crucial engine mounts—destroyed, the car's heavy engine block also broke free and hurtled into the crowd. Spectators who had climbed onto trestle tables to get a better view of the track found themselves in the direct path of the lethal debris. Levegh was also thrown free of the tumbling car, but his skull was fatally crushed when he landed.

As the remains of the 300 SLR slowed its somersault, the rear-mounted fuel tank ruptured. The ensuing fuel fire raised the temperature of the remaining Elektron bodywork past its ignition temperature, which due to its high magnesium content was lower than for other metal alloys. The alloy burst into white-hot flames, sending searing embers onto the track and into the crowd. Rescue workers, totally unfamiliar with magnesium fires, poured water on the inferno – greatly intensifying the fire. As a result, the car burned for several hours. Official accounts put the death total at 84 (83 spectators plus Levegh), either by flying debris or from the fire, with a further 120 injured. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher.

Fangio, driving behind Levegh, narrowly escaped the heavily damaged Austin-Healey, which was now skidding to the right of the track, across his path. Macklin then hit the pit wall and bounced back to the left, crossing the track again. He struck the barrier near the location of the now burning 300 SLR, causing the death of another single spectator, although Macklin survived the incident without serious injury.


On 22 January 1959, only months into his retirement, Hawthorn died in a car accident on the A3 Guildford bypass while driving his highly tuned Jaguar 3.4-litre saloon (now known as the 3.4 Mk 1) to London. While the circumstances of the accident are well documented, the precise cause remains unknown.

The accident occurred on a notoriously dangerous section of the road, the scene of 15 serious accidents (two fatal) in the previous two years; the road was also wet at the time. Driving at speed (one witness estimated 80 m.p.h.), Hawthorn overtook a Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'gull-wing' sports car driven by an acquaintance, the motor racing team manager Robert Walker. On entering a right-hand bend shortly after passing the Mercedes, Hawthorn clipped a 'Keep Left' bollard dividing the two carriageways, causing him to lose control. The Jaguar glanced an oncoming Bedford truck before careering back across the eastbound carriageway sideways into a roadside tree, uprooting it. The impact occasioned Hawthorn fatal head injuries and propelled him onto the rear seat.

There was inevitably speculation that Hawthorn and Walker had been racing each other, fuelled by Walker's persistent refusal at the coroner's inquest to estimate the speed of his own car at the time.  Possible causes of the accident include driver error, a blackout, or mechanical failure, although examination of the wreck revealed no obvious fault. There is evidence that Hawthorn had recently suffered blackouts, perhaps because of kidney failure.By 1955, Hawthorn had already lost one kidney to infection, and had begun suffering problems with the other; he was expected at the time to live only three more years.



中文介绍下

赛车史上最严重的事故
1955 年6月11日，法国勒芒汽车24小时耐力赛开赛两个半小时后，位于领先位置的美洲豹车队车手Mike Hawthorn犯下了一个后果严重的错误：
他在超过英国Austin-Healey车队的选手Lance Macklin后，看到工作人员打出PIT STOP的信号，当时已快到PIT站，为了避免再跑一圈进PIT站，他突然刹车
（美洲豹的新碟刹性能相对其他车较好）。这一举动引起了身后一系列可怕的连锁反应：
英国Austin-Healey车队的选手Lance Macklin为了躲避 Mike Hawthorn紧急往左变道，但是却挡住了后面奔驰车队选手 Pierre Levegh的前进方向。
老将Pierre Levegh驾驶20号奔驰300 SLR根本来不及躲闪，直接以150mph速度碾过Austin车腾空而起，像炮弹一样飞向路旁的土坡，车被撞成了两截并起火爆炸，
伴随着巨大的冲击力，喷着火舌的前半截碎片从观众密集的看台上翻滚过去，
Pierre Levegh当场烧死，观众83人死亡，约120人重伤，其中很多人被碎片当场斩首或砍成两截。
事故后赛会立即组织有关人员将死伤者运走，把垃圾清理掉，并宣布比赛继续进行。（一说确切的伤亡数字从来没有被公布）几个小时后，奔驰车队得知重大伤亡情况后立即将自己所有的赛车撤出比赛，并邀请美洲豹车队一起退赛，遭到拒绝。
结果美洲豹车队在几乎没有对手的情况下，拿下了1955年勒芒24小时耐力赛冠军（随后勒芒三连冠1955-1957），
而奔驰由此退出整个赛车运动30年，80年代后期才重返赛场。
许多国家（如瑞士）长期禁止任何汽车比赛。

而美洲豹车队的Mike Hawthorn毫发无损，车上连一个划痕都没有留下，他毫无愧色地接受了此次比赛的冠军称号，并喷香槟庆祝，此举遭到法国媒体大力讽刺。

1958年，Mike Hawthorn在获得F1方程式大赛冠军后因身体问题退出赛车运动。
1959年1月22日，他死于一场交通事故：在湿滑的吉尔福德公路上，他驾驶美洲豹Mk 1高速超越一辆奔驰 300SL后，失控撞向路边树，头部严重受伤而死。

[ 本帖最后由 chenke 于 2013-5-20 13:50 编辑 ]

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最后一行真心恐怖片

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死神来了某集是参考的这个吗？

遭报应了啊

话说这种伤亡比赛居然没取消

引用:

原帖由 一瞬千万 于 2013-5-20 13:44 发表
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死神来了某集是参考的这个吗？

YES

整个剧情比死神来了还要死神来了
最后居然还还债！

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报应。

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这事在先锋记录里提过，记得整个火球似的冲向观众席，太tm无辜了啊

这么大伤亡居然还继续比赛？

这种真的没法躲,记得有一个飞机飞行表演,跑道上很多观众在观赏游玩,一位观众正在拍摄.突然一个飞机失去控制,笔直坠向观众...过后就是一地的人体零件...

“喷着火舌的前半截碎片从观众密集的看台上翻滚过去“   好可怕

引用:

原帖由 ppigadvance 于 2013-5-20 15:54 发表
这么大伤亡居然还继续比赛？

主办方解释的原因：如果当时停止比赛，大概有300K+的人需要疏散，会造成交通大面积拥堵，延缓紧急救护的进度。

这破车队真不要面啊

不知有无现场视频呢

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引用:

原帖由 @gjly2  于 2013-5-20 15:57 发表
这种真的没法躲,记得有一个飞机飞行表演,跑道上很多观众在观赏游玩,一位观众正在拍摄.突然一个飞机失去控制,笔直坠向观众...过后就是一地的人体零件...

02年乌克兰？

奔驰说一起退赛的时候，就应该体面的一起退了

你说最后拿冠军吧，居然还好意思开香槟庆祝

真TM报应啊