Aston crash at Goodwood
Discussion
Hi,
I was i the crowd, I had taken my wife and two sons with me to the festival on the friday, My oldest son Max(4 In August) Monty (10 weeks).As the Aston crashed It showered bits in all directions, We were sitting in Molecomb 1 Grandstand, I had my youngest in my arms as a large piece flew past me and landed some 10 seats away, another piece narrowly missed my wife and hit the man behind her splitting open his face. We were in seats 3 rows from the front the man was 2 rows behind my wife. there was alot of blood,I have been told since the piece broke his cheeckbone, And they were not sure if he has any lasting damage to his left eye, I sincerly hope not.
As for us, I doubt I will ever take my eyes off the track with my sons with me.
We feel very lucky to have escaped the incident.(most of the crowd told us "your sons are Blessed"
I spent all 3 days at the festival and think its fantastic, this will not stop me from going again!
Again I do hope the man in the crowd does make a full recovery.
I was i the crowd, I had taken my wife and two sons with me to the festival on the friday, My oldest son Max(4 In August) Monty (10 weeks).As the Aston crashed It showered bits in all directions, We were sitting in Molecomb 1 Grandstand, I had my youngest in my arms as a large piece flew past me and landed some 10 seats away, another piece narrowly missed my wife and hit the man behind her splitting open his face. We were in seats 3 rows from the front the man was 2 rows behind my wife. there was alot of blood,I have been told since the piece broke his cheeckbone, And they were not sure if he has any lasting damage to his left eye, I sincerly hope not.
As for us, I doubt I will ever take my eyes off the track with my sons with me.
We feel very lucky to have escaped the incident.(most of the crowd told us "your sons are Blessed"
I spent all 3 days at the festival and think its fantastic, this will not stop me from going again!
Again I do hope the man in the crowd does make a full recovery.
Molecomb is the one that catches them out - even the approach to the corner (as in this case) can prove tricky.
I have my own Video 8 footage of Mike Wilds totalling Nick Masons Gille Villenueve 1978 Ferrari 312T3 at the 1994 event in almost the identical situation and location. In those days, the hay bales were puny or non-existent . However, the car smacked a low set of curb stones which took the whole front end of the car off and badly broke Wilds' legs.
Both car and driver were subsequently fully restored.
Some day I'll learn to post a video on Youtube.
I have my own Video 8 footage of Mike Wilds totalling Nick Masons Gille Villenueve 1978 Ferrari 312T3 at the 1994 event in almost the identical situation and location. In those days, the hay bales were puny or non-existent . However, the car smacked a low set of curb stones which took the whole front end of the car off and badly broke Wilds' legs.
Both car and driver were subsequently fully restored.
Some day I'll learn to post a video on Youtube.
cashflo said:
Hi,
I was i the crowd, I had taken my wife and two sons with me to the festival on the friday, My oldest son Max(4 In August) Monty (10 weeks).As the Aston crashed It showered bits in all directions, We were sitting in Molecomb 1 Grandstand, I had my youngest in my arms as a large piece flew past me and landed some 10 seats away, another piece narrowly missed my wife and hit the man behind her splitting open his face. We were in seats 3 rows from the front the man was 2 rows behind my wife. there was alot of blood,I have been told since the piece broke his cheeckbone, And they were not sure if he has any lasting damage to his left eye, I sincerly hope not.
As for us, I doubt I will ever take my eyes off the track with my sons with me.
We feel very lucky to have escaped the incident.(most of the crowd told us "your sons are Blessed"
I spent all 3 days at the festival and think its fantastic, this will not stop me from going again!
Again I do hope the man in the crowd does make a full recovery.
Hi Cashflo,I was i the crowd, I had taken my wife and two sons with me to the festival on the friday, My oldest son Max(4 In August) Monty (10 weeks).As the Aston crashed It showered bits in all directions, We were sitting in Molecomb 1 Grandstand, I had my youngest in my arms as a large piece flew past me and landed some 10 seats away, another piece narrowly missed my wife and hit the man behind her splitting open his face. We were in seats 3 rows from the front the man was 2 rows behind my wife. there was alot of blood,I have been told since the piece broke his cheeckbone, And they were not sure if he has any lasting damage to his left eye, I sincerly hope not.
As for us, I doubt I will ever take my eyes off the track with my sons with me.
We feel very lucky to have escaped the incident.(most of the crowd told us "your sons are Blessed"
I spent all 3 days at the festival and think its fantastic, this will not stop me from going again!
Again I do hope the man in the crowd does make a full recovery.
I take it then that this is you and the family. You were indeed very lucky! (did you buy a lottery ticket over the weekend?).
I'll echo your sentiments to the unlucky chap who was hit - hopefully a speedy recovery and no lasting damage.
Edited by deevee on Wednesday 27th June 09:32
Rumour in the Supercar Paddock was that the guy was going to loose his eye. Don't know any fact behind it, but that's what was being said.
No need for the crash, as no need to be driving that fast in those conditions. There is no time taken, no prize at the end of it, in fact, there was nothing to gain at all by driving so dangerously.
As proved, there is everything to loose by going too fast, but nothing to gain.
It upset me seeing the incident as there was no need to be driving like such an idiot !!
Doesn't take a genius to see the track conditions were not up to a fast run, you can clearly see how many members of the public are lining the track, how close they are and the fact there is only a few hay bales between you and them. A bit of common sense should have helped !!
I hope the driver got a proper roasting and won't be invited back as he has tarnished a perfectly good weekend. Lord March goes to all the effort, and then someone like the Aston driver boils the whole event down to everybody talking about his crash
Edited to say : There was even a line on Molecomb in the drivers hand out they got when signing on making reference to being careful !!
No need for the crash, as no need to be driving that fast in those conditions. There is no time taken, no prize at the end of it, in fact, there was nothing to gain at all by driving so dangerously.
As proved, there is everything to loose by going too fast, but nothing to gain.
It upset me seeing the incident as there was no need to be driving like such an idiot !!
Doesn't take a genius to see the track conditions were not up to a fast run, you can clearly see how many members of the public are lining the track, how close they are and the fact there is only a few hay bales between you and them. A bit of common sense should have helped !!
I hope the driver got a proper roasting and won't be invited back as he has tarnished a perfectly good weekend. Lord March goes to all the effort, and then someone like the Aston driver boils the whole event down to everybody talking about his crash
Edited to say : There was even a line on Molecomb in the drivers hand out they got when signing on making reference to being careful !!
Edited by :J: on Wednesday 27th June 12:01
I have to say that, while the Aston driver MAY have been driving a bit quicker than his abilities could deal with, there have been comments on other threads bemoaning the SLOW speed that some cars were going up the hill. So it seems like, as always, the PH community will find something to moan about, and want both their cake and to eat it.
I feel for the chap who got injured...BUT: Motorsport IS dangerous, and the quid-pro-quo for being able to get as close to the action as you can at Goodwood is a little bit of risk. Out of 150,000 punters across 3 days, how many were injured? Just that one chap? A couple?
And before everyone jumps down my throat, it's comments about how dangerous it was that will get the H&S 'Nanny State' clamping down on this (and similar) events, insisting fences are put up or people are kept __yards away from the track, and generally ruining the experience for everyone.
I was at Silverstone a couple of months back for the GTs and was appalled at the amount of fencing that was there - it really did put a barrier between you and the event, and the best spot I found for spectating and photography was the (forbidden) banking actually AT bridge...i.e. the grassy ramp up just on the side of the track.
I for one would rather a small amount of risk than an overly-sanitised ghost of the current event. Safety precautions MUST exist, but there needs to be a balance between safety and spectacle...if there's not, then the point of the spectacle disappears almost altogether.
I feel for the chap who got injured...BUT: Motorsport IS dangerous, and the quid-pro-quo for being able to get as close to the action as you can at Goodwood is a little bit of risk. Out of 150,000 punters across 3 days, how many were injured? Just that one chap? A couple?
And before everyone jumps down my throat, it's comments about how dangerous it was that will get the H&S 'Nanny State' clamping down on this (and similar) events, insisting fences are put up or people are kept __yards away from the track, and generally ruining the experience for everyone.
I was at Silverstone a couple of months back for the GTs and was appalled at the amount of fencing that was there - it really did put a barrier between you and the event, and the best spot I found for spectating and photography was the (forbidden) banking actually AT bridge...i.e. the grassy ramp up just on the side of the track.
I for one would rather a small amount of risk than an overly-sanitised ghost of the current event. Safety precautions MUST exist, but there needs to be a balance between safety and spectacle...if there's not, then the point of the spectacle disappears almost altogether.
Motorsport is dangerous, we all know that, however, I don't know about anybody else, but I don't class the Festival as 'Motorsport'. It is not a competition (Supercars) and there is no need to drive as such, it is meant to be an event where people can appreciate cars they rarely, if at all, get to see.
I saw the comments of 'boring' about the supercar run, I couldn't even be bothered to respond. A silly comment showing a clear non understanding of the track conditions and how slippy/dangerous they were.
Boring = safe/don't risk crashing.
Not Boring = crash into hay bales, spin round and make some guy get debris straight in the face.
Just to clarify, I wasn't stating the event itself was dangerous, as drivers with half an ounce of common sense proved, just merely the guy that crashed was dangerous. He just gave no respect to the enviroment around him or to the type of event he was taking part in.
I saw the comments of 'boring' about the supercar run, I couldn't even be bothered to respond. A silly comment showing a clear non understanding of the track conditions and how slippy/dangerous they were.
Boring = safe/don't risk crashing.
Not Boring = crash into hay bales, spin round and make some guy get debris straight in the face.
Just to clarify, I wasn't stating the event itself was dangerous, as drivers with half an ounce of common sense proved, just merely the guy that crashed was dangerous. He just gave no respect to the enviroment around him or to the type of event he was taking part in.
Edited by :J: on Wednesday 27th June 12:44
I'm sorry, I have to respond to :J:.
Of course the Festival of Speed is a Motorsports event. Most of the cars are timed up the hill which makes it a competition. Not all the drivers choose to go for a time - some prefer to entertain the crowd with burnouts etc. No motorsport is ever going to be 100% safe, even if you put up big fences as proved by the Porsche that managed to clear the catch fencing at Thruxton a few weeks ago.
As has been said, part of the appeal of events like the Festival of Speed are that the crowd can get close and get a good view of the action. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a couple of hay bales isn't going to stop anything serious. If that bothers you, then don't go near the track. There are plenty of other attractions at the Festival that still make it a good day out. I spent the whole of Saturday looking round the paddocks and static displays (I 'did' the track action on Friday) and it was still well worth going.
Obviously I'm very sorry that anyone was hurt but just because this driver made a small mistake and paid for it in a big way doesn't make him an idiot or irresponsible. Anyone can mis-judge the conditions slightly - expecially when they're as changeable as they were. I was at the top of the hill and it wasn't raining there.
If you want to see cars in a safe environment, go to a museum or motor show where they don't move. Just be careful when you're opening the doors.
Of course the Festival of Speed is a Motorsports event. Most of the cars are timed up the hill which makes it a competition. Not all the drivers choose to go for a time - some prefer to entertain the crowd with burnouts etc. No motorsport is ever going to be 100% safe, even if you put up big fences as proved by the Porsche that managed to clear the catch fencing at Thruxton a few weeks ago.
As has been said, part of the appeal of events like the Festival of Speed are that the crowd can get close and get a good view of the action. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a couple of hay bales isn't going to stop anything serious. If that bothers you, then don't go near the track. There are plenty of other attractions at the Festival that still make it a good day out. I spent the whole of Saturday looking round the paddocks and static displays (I 'did' the track action on Friday) and it was still well worth going.
Obviously I'm very sorry that anyone was hurt but just because this driver made a small mistake and paid for it in a big way doesn't make him an idiot or irresponsible. Anyone can mis-judge the conditions slightly - expecially when they're as changeable as they were. I was at the top of the hill and it wasn't raining there.
If you want to see cars in a safe environment, go to a museum or motor show where they don't move. Just be careful when you're opening the doors.
I was spectating in front of the grandstand and i must say I was pleased to see the couple shown in the pictures, with the children, stayed perfectly calm, and kept the childeren calm whilst the man was administered to. I hope this helps the children accept that accidents happen and that staying calm helps to cope with such situations. Panicing does not help deal with these incidents.
I also understand that the injured spectator took the offending piece of car to hospital with him and was keeping it as a keep sake. A true enthusiast.
I also understand that the injured spectator took the offending piece of car to hospital with him and was keeping it as a keep sake. A true enthusiast.
A quick aside to this - up on the rally stage on Saturday morning we were spectating at a hairpin (just at the apex). A little further around the spectators were being pelted by dust, gravel and small rocks anytime a 4wd car went round there sideways.
Did the spectators move? Not very often...which seemed to indicate that people were more interested in getting close to the cars than being protected from small rocks/dirt...
Were some of the rocks sizeable? Sort-of. Those big enough to really hurt didn't reach head height, those small enough to reach that height wouldn't have done any real damage unless they hit someone's face.
Would 90% of the people going to the rally stage want the cars twice as far away to stop this? I sincerely doubt it.
Oh...fair play to the chap for keeping the memento!
Did the spectators move? Not very often...which seemed to indicate that people were more interested in getting close to the cars than being protected from small rocks/dirt...
Were some of the rocks sizeable? Sort-of. Those big enough to really hurt didn't reach head height, those small enough to reach that height wouldn't have done any real damage unless they hit someone's face.
Would 90% of the people going to the rally stage want the cars twice as far away to stop this? I sincerely doubt it.
Oh...fair play to the chap for keeping the memento!
melita said:
I'm sorry, I have to respond to :J:.
Of course the Festival of Speed is a Motorsports event. Most of the cars are timed up the hill which makes it a competition. Not all the drivers choose to go for a time - some prefer to entertain the crowd with burnouts etc. No motorsport is ever going to be 100% safe, even if you put up big fences as proved by the Porsche that managed to clear the catch fencing at Thruxton a few weeks ago.
As has been said, part of the appeal of events like the Festival of Speed are that the crowd can get close and get a good view of the action. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a couple of hay bales isn't going to stop anything serious. If that bothers you, then don't go near the track. There are plenty of other attractions at the Festival that still make it a good day out. I spent the whole of Saturday looking round the paddocks and static displays (I 'did' the track action on Friday) and it was still well worth going.
Obviously I'm very sorry that anyone was hurt but just because this driver made a small mistake and paid for it in a big way doesn't make him an idiot or irresponsible. Anyone can mis-judge the conditions slightly - expecially when they're as changeable as they were. I was at the top of the hill and it wasn't raining there.
If you want to see cars in a safe environment, go to a museum or motor show where they don't move. Just be careful when you're opening the doors.
You are missing the point, I am not in the safety brigade, I do not want fences, etc..Of course the Festival of Speed is a Motorsports event. Most of the cars are timed up the hill which makes it a competition. Not all the drivers choose to go for a time - some prefer to entertain the crowd with burnouts etc. No motorsport is ever going to be 100% safe, even if you put up big fences as proved by the Porsche that managed to clear the catch fencing at Thruxton a few weeks ago.
As has been said, part of the appeal of events like the Festival of Speed are that the crowd can get close and get a good view of the action. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a couple of hay bales isn't going to stop anything serious. If that bothers you, then don't go near the track. There are plenty of other attractions at the Festival that still make it a good day out. I spent the whole of Saturday looking round the paddocks and static displays (I 'did' the track action on Friday) and it was still well worth going.
Obviously I'm very sorry that anyone was hurt but just because this driver made a small mistake and paid for it in a big way doesn't make him an idiot or irresponsible. Anyone can mis-judge the conditions slightly - expecially when they're as changeable as they were. I was at the top of the hill and it wasn't raining there.
If you want to see cars in a safe environment, go to a museum or motor show where they don't move. Just be careful when you're opening the doors.
In fact, just the opposite, the crash annoyed me as it will get the safety brigade involved, in fact, I don't think I mentioned the event needs to be safer in any of my comments, so I am unsure as to why you think that is where I am coming from ?? In fact, I even clarified that I wasn't saying the event itself was dangerous, so I am even more confused as to why you think I am ?
I also didn't say it wasn't motorsport, merely I don't see it as motorsport as such.
I just think the driver should have allowed for the conditions a bit more. I went up the hill as a passenger on Friday and experienced the conditions first hand. I guess that is why I feel the driver of the Aston should have been treading more carefully.
By Saturday afternoon, most drivers will have had a good 3 runs up the hill, so the conditions should have been well known, I saw it as an avoidable incident.
If we all agreed on things in life, then wouldn't it be boring
I watched Alan McJockpants go up the hill in a Toyota F1 a couple of years back, that was not timed (allegedly) but he was flat out. That is the sort of thing you go to see, timed or not that's why people go. So the guy had a crash, someone got injured, that kind of thing happens I am afraid. If McNish had a moment it would have been front page news and probably the end of the event...he was doing about 400mph (at least it looked that way from just the other side of a bail!).
:J: said:
By Saturday afternoon, most drivers will have had a good 3 runs up the hill, so the conditions should have been well known, I saw it as an avoidable incident.
I drove up the hill on Friday and was in the suport vehicles Saturday and Sunday. For my Friday and Saturday morning runs, the track was dry, the first wet running i saw was Saturday afternoon.We dont know what caused the acident, it may have been driver error, it may have been aquaplaning, it may have been a mechanical failure. It is unfair to criticise anyone without all the facts to hand.
Best wishes to the injured person for a speedy recovery.
I don't consider Goodwood as motorsport either, most of the runs are demonstration runs. The hill is not condusive to proper full on runs.
I know there have been accidents and I know peope have unfortunately been injured, but its still not motorsport.
Peeps who think it is motorsport need to take themselves to the entry of the esses at Shelsley. There's a big event in August, when the hill record will probably be lowered again thanks to the new surface. I guarantee those cars will go up faster than a Toyota F1 car would, due to the specialist nature of this type of motorsport and the cars competing.
IMO.
I know there have been accidents and I know peope have unfortunately been injured, but its still not motorsport.
Peeps who think it is motorsport need to take themselves to the entry of the esses at Shelsley. There's a big event in August, when the hill record will probably be lowered again thanks to the new surface. I guarantee those cars will go up faster than a Toyota F1 car would, due to the specialist nature of this type of motorsport and the cars competing.
IMO.
Right, having just seen the film clip of the Aston, I stand by my statement that that is not motorsport.
This is motorsport: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gula1SZ9HYs
(to pinch that clip yet again)
I don't know what the Aston driver thought he was participating in, but it wasn't motorsport. It wasn't even a motorsport venue, IMO.
This is motorsport: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gula1SZ9HYs
(to pinch that clip yet again)
I don't know what the Aston driver thought he was participating in, but it wasn't motorsport. It wasn't even a motorsport venue, IMO.
I hate to break this to you, but it is a motorsport event, with an MSA permit and all the usual features of a speed event such as MSA Clerk of the Course, Scrutineers, timing staff etc. On the rear of all the tickets for entry there is a Motorpsort disclaimer, as you will find at any sanctioned event, along with the required signage at the spectator points informing you the event is a Motorsport event.
Some of the runners are timed in acordance with MSA procedures for a speed event, some are demonstratation runs which are untimed.
Some of the runners are timed in acordance with MSA procedures for a speed event, some are demonstratation runs which are untimed.
johnfelstead said:
I hate to break this to you, but it is a motorsport event, with an MSA permit and all the usual features of a speed event such as MSA Clerk of the Course, Scrutineers, timing staff etc. On the rear of all the tickets for entry there is a Motorpsort disclaimer, as you will find at any sanctioned event, along with the required signage at the spectator points informing you the event is a Motorsport event.
Some of the runners are timed in acordance with MSA procedures for a speed event, some are demonstratation runs which are untimed.
Yeah, I realise that - I have been to the event, and followed the aftermath of the driver who had a heart attack and seriously injured those marshals, etc - but to me its not motorsport. If anyone actually has had a serious go at the hill then fair enough, and thats one thing. But I reckon the vast majority of runs are demo runs.Some of the runners are timed in acordance with MSA procedures for a speed event, some are demonstratation runs which are untimed.
I've never thought for one moment that it was a competition that anyone took seriously, I've never been aware of prizes or points or ftd's or whatever, I've never been aware that anyone has taken any serious risks to life or machinery. But I could be wrong.
To me it has always been a show and an opportunity to get close to some great cars and drivers.
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