The year is 1955. June 1st; 6:00pm to be exact. A remarkable, and highly publicized tragedy will throw the existence of motorsports into question.
<< At about 6:00 pm on June 1, 1955, the unthinkable occurred during the 39th running of the 24 Hours of LeMans road race. In the 34th lap, a Mercedes manned by Pierre Levegh, a wealthy, relatively inexperienced 'once a year racer', clipped the wheels of an Austin Healy driven by Lance Macklin. Levegh's car skidded into a protective barrier near the entrance to pit lane. The car ricocheted across the race course, catapulted over a six foot dirt wall, bounced over a picket fence and exploded in a clap of thunder as it landed where the crowd was thickest.
The car disintegrated. Flaming sections tumbled through the densely populated area. The rear end sailed skyward and landed in another group of spectators near an underpass. The front axle with parts of the chassis, scythed through the crowd. Screams of pain and terror arose as fragments of the car fell earthward. Smoke and flame spread over a wide area. It was easily the darkest hour in auto racing history.
"82 Perish In Fiery (LeMans) Crash," read the headline in National Speed Sport News. The death toll would eventually rise to well over 100. Negative ramifications shot through the veins of auto racing world wide. In some nations, all forms of vehicle racing were banned. The very well-being of auto racing in the United States was threatened. >>
Politicians were quick to take advantage of the emotions brewed in many people as the result of such a horrific accident.
<< Senator Richard Neuberger, a Democrat from Oregon, called for a ban of all auto racing in America in a speech before the United States Senate on July 12, 1955. In a plea to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Neuberger said, "Mr. President, I think the time has come to forbid automobile racing and similar carnage in the United States. I doubt if there is as much blood shed in Spanish bull rings as today is occurring on automobile race tracks in this country. Now even women racing drivers are getting killed in fiery and dreadful wrecks....
"We allow children to visit race tracks where men and women are constantly in the peril of being maimed or killed. If automobile racing is necessary to perfect motor vehicles as proponents of racing ridiculously claim, then I suppose we next will hear that we must run stallions off cliffs to improve horse flesh. I believe the time has come for the United States to be a civilized nation and to stop carnage on racetracks (which) are purposely staged for the profit and for the delight of thousands of screeching spectators."
Although utterly senseless, Neuberger's speech made headlines. Headlines which had the racing fraternity shivering. Less than a month later, on August 3, 1955, Andrew J. Sordoni, president of the American Automobile Association, which had sanctioned Indy car racing for 54 years, delivered a verbal bombshell that brought a stunned racing world to its knees: "Upon completion of the schedule of events already undertaken for the year 1955, the AAA will disassociate itself from all types of automobile racing in the United States." >>
What followed was a gutting of the motorsport industry. Half of the Formula One Grand Prix that season were cancelled. Mercedes would pull out of F1 racing for 32 years. And many countries would follow through with the banning of motorsports - including Switzerland, where the ban is still in effect. The Pope even called for a banning of the sport.
On the heels of this tragedy were further high profile incidents - James Dean would die in a stupid accident "racing" his Porsche. Two time Indy 500 winner Bill Vukovich would also perish. Even more spectators would die in an incident at the Dundrot TT.
And of course, the political spin doctors involved in the pursuit to ban motorsports would use these tragedies to prove their assertions.
But, as we all know, what ended up happening is that motorsport got better. It got safer, it got bigger, the cars involved got faster and more technologically advanced, and most importantly - it lost its reputation which was thrust upon it in 1955 thanks to a freak accident.
Specifically, Mercedes' departure would leave Porsche to pick up the slack - we all know how this story ends. In 1957, NASCAR would take its first steps towards the big time by leasing the Daytona International Speedway. F1 will make massive technological advances thanks to a ruling change banning exotic fuels. And of course, countless other progressive events occur that push motorsport ahead - and eventually result in safer, more fuel efficient, more comfortable cars for you and I.
Does this scenario seem strikingly similar to what is occuring today with gun control? Even myself, many times critical of the gun lobby has to take a step back and wonder what sort of detrimental effects an all-out banning of motorsports would have if many of the world's governments followed through with their threats.
<< At about 6:00 pm on June 1, 1955, the unthinkable occurred during the 39th running of the 24 Hours of LeMans road race. In the 34th lap, a Mercedes manned by Pierre Levegh, a wealthy, relatively inexperienced 'once a year racer', clipped the wheels of an Austin Healy driven by Lance Macklin. Levegh's car skidded into a protective barrier near the entrance to pit lane. The car ricocheted across the race course, catapulted over a six foot dirt wall, bounced over a picket fence and exploded in a clap of thunder as it landed where the crowd was thickest.
The car disintegrated. Flaming sections tumbled through the densely populated area. The rear end sailed skyward and landed in another group of spectators near an underpass. The front axle with parts of the chassis, scythed through the crowd. Screams of pain and terror arose as fragments of the car fell earthward. Smoke and flame spread over a wide area. It was easily the darkest hour in auto racing history.
"82 Perish In Fiery (LeMans) Crash," read the headline in National Speed Sport News. The death toll would eventually rise to well over 100. Negative ramifications shot through the veins of auto racing world wide. In some nations, all forms of vehicle racing were banned. The very well-being of auto racing in the United States was threatened. >>
Politicians were quick to take advantage of the emotions brewed in many people as the result of such a horrific accident.
<< Senator Richard Neuberger, a Democrat from Oregon, called for a ban of all auto racing in America in a speech before the United States Senate on July 12, 1955. In a plea to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Neuberger said, "Mr. President, I think the time has come to forbid automobile racing and similar carnage in the United States. I doubt if there is as much blood shed in Spanish bull rings as today is occurring on automobile race tracks in this country. Now even women racing drivers are getting killed in fiery and dreadful wrecks....
"We allow children to visit race tracks where men and women are constantly in the peril of being maimed or killed. If automobile racing is necessary to perfect motor vehicles as proponents of racing ridiculously claim, then I suppose we next will hear that we must run stallions off cliffs to improve horse flesh. I believe the time has come for the United States to be a civilized nation and to stop carnage on racetracks (which) are purposely staged for the profit and for the delight of thousands of screeching spectators."
Although utterly senseless, Neuberger's speech made headlines. Headlines which had the racing fraternity shivering. Less than a month later, on August 3, 1955, Andrew J. Sordoni, president of the American Automobile Association, which had sanctioned Indy car racing for 54 years, delivered a verbal bombshell that brought a stunned racing world to its knees: "Upon completion of the schedule of events already undertaken for the year 1955, the AAA will disassociate itself from all types of automobile racing in the United States." >>
What followed was a gutting of the motorsport industry. Half of the Formula One Grand Prix that season were cancelled. Mercedes would pull out of F1 racing for 32 years. And many countries would follow through with the banning of motorsports - including Switzerland, where the ban is still in effect. The Pope even called for a banning of the sport.
On the heels of this tragedy were further high profile incidents - James Dean would die in a stupid accident "racing" his Porsche. Two time Indy 500 winner Bill Vukovich would also perish. Even more spectators would die in an incident at the Dundrot TT.
And of course, the political spin doctors involved in the pursuit to ban motorsports would use these tragedies to prove their assertions.
But, as we all know, what ended up happening is that motorsport got better. It got safer, it got bigger, the cars involved got faster and more technologically advanced, and most importantly - it lost its reputation which was thrust upon it in 1955 thanks to a freak accident.
Specifically, Mercedes' departure would leave Porsche to pick up the slack - we all know how this story ends. In 1957, NASCAR would take its first steps towards the big time by leasing the Daytona International Speedway. F1 will make massive technological advances thanks to a ruling change banning exotic fuels. And of course, countless other progressive events occur that push motorsport ahead - and eventually result in safer, more fuel efficient, more comfortable cars for you and I.
Does this scenario seem strikingly similar to what is occuring today with gun control? Even myself, many times critical of the gun lobby has to take a step back and wonder what sort of detrimental effects an all-out banning of motorsports would have if many of the world's governments followed through with their threats.
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