A Marshal was killed in the incident

[massifheed]

Volvo drivers eh?
I am a biker, and have suffered at the hands of Volvo drivers on more than one occasion, but thats another matter.

[R]

This one's for AMoffat: :confused:

On a more serious note, for me as well, the enjoyment of watching motorsport increases with the level of safety. If I know that the safety standards on a certain track or in a certain series are as high as one should expect, then I can watch the race with enjoyment, in stead of fear that something might happen.

The chance of something going wrong will always be there though, no matter how far we get in terms of safety improvement. That was the point I made earlier, completely risk-free racing is impossible.

The Australian question I'll leave to the Australians.

[Valve Bounce]

I suppose this is not the most appropriate place to post this, but I find compelled to answer this question about Australian motor sport. The only real money for motor sport in Oz is in the Super V8 saloon races - that's where the big names are and where both Holden (GM) and Ford suport is abundant. The public loves to see this type of close racing with the growl of the V8's. There is little support that I know of for single seater races - I don't see this on TV at all here, although I am sure someone will tell me where or when such races are shown. The sad part of all this is that there is no F3 racing here, so nobody can get to the top of F3 and then get a trip to race in Macau or Monaco. This then makes it very difficult for our talented drivers to move into single seater racing overseas as a stepping stone into F1 eventually.
There is also the problem that F3 racing will never be as exciting or visually attractive to the Australian public as Super V8's, with its ultimate climax each year at Mt Panorama. So, yes, motor racing is well and thriving in Oz, but unfortunately this is self destructive when we are talking about developing talent for F1. On the credit side we do get one CART race and on F1 race each year here.

[Vandas]

Valave, we do have a national Formula 3 category and as of last year they are running with International Specifications. I love the F3s they look and sound so much better than the shabby Formula Holdens. The winner of the category each season, gets a testing session with a large European F3 team. We also have Improved Production cars, which I race in, Sports Sedans, National and State, we have formula Holden, FOrmula Ford, Formula Vee, Go-Karts and every other category under the sun. But what I am worrried about is that this sport will move ahead of itself too quickly and fall in a heap. We need more airtime to invite more sponsors to lift the standards of Australian motorsport. In a country with as many so-called revheads as the United States you would think the sport would have a higher profile.

[Roy2]

There is no doubt that the danger involved in mountain climbing, or in driving a race car, wonderfully sharpens one's zest for life.
For the participants, the element of danger one of the essential reasons why they do what they do. Now the question is, what part does the element of danger play in the motivation of the spectator?

I can tell you that for me as a spectator, the potential of danger to myself and my friends, other spectators, course workers, and pit crew members has zero attraction. It is not part of the equation.
I saw, when I was 14 or 15 years old, a newsreel of the 1955 LeMans disaster. The camera played over the scene for about 5 seconds or less, just time enough for me to see a head lying on the ground, surrounded by a nightmare of devastation.
If, after seeing something like this, the potential for danger to bystanders is still part of the attraction for you, then you are one sick puppy. If you have any intelligence and human feeling at all, just knowing that something remotely like this could happen should be enough for you.

When I try to think of why I like to watch racing, when I know that the drivers are at risk, I find it very difficult to answer. I know that, say, if I saw a human fly scaling a skyscraper, I would stop and watch him, and I could hardly stop myself from doing so. I don't go to church but I would pray for him not to fall. If he fell I and virtually every other spectator would react with horror. If he made it I would applaud as the cops hauled him off, and I wouldn't be applauding the cops.

In the case of motor racing, I think that I like to watch experts doing something that I'd like to do, and see them do it supremely well. I have an idea, as do most of us, of what it must take to drive fast enough to win. I know that the element of danger is there for the driver, and that it takes bravery and brains to push hard enough to win and smart enough to finish. The danger is there for the drivers, but I want to see them overcome it, and get to spray the champagne, or live to race another day.

I'd like to believe that we watch motor racing they way millions of others watch golf, tennis, or any other high-skill sport, and that we watch it despite the danger to the drivers, and not because of it.

[Valve Bounce]

First of all, I must say that I have read Roy's post with great attentin, and he reflects my feelings completely. I too liked to drive very fast, and in my younger days, I did some crazy things which I would not do now. I used to drive a Holden Ute between Talbingo and Khankoban along a transmission line access road, which was the quickest way to get home. I would put the car into second gear, and use the accelerator and steering to get the car around the corners going uphill, and got brake fade in the discs at the top of the hill. I nearly went to see my maker when I crested the narrow dirt road and found a cow in the middle of the track. I braked, she ran, and I survived. Up till then I knew I was never going to get hurt in a car crash, that was how stupid I was. Nobody ever found out that I did the trip between Talbingo and Khancoban in 1hour and 23 mins. That was a helluva long time ago. I now drive safely in my Volvo.
As for F3, as you can see I am totally ignorant of single seater racing in Oz, and so are most people who watch TV - all we see are the Super V8 saloons. Vandas, I sincerely hope that the winner of the F3 series gets a trip to macau and/or Monaco to race there in teh F3 race. I am sorry there is so little exposure of F3 because corporate Australia is not going to support something that they don't even know exists.

[Vandas]

Roy, loved your post. I agree we all have that fascination to see someone do something extremely dangerous being pulled off. Your human fly example was brilliant. And again it was so true.

I must admit I love watching those extreme shows and sit on the edge of my seat when watching a man or woman risk all in their quest for greatness.

Valve, the problem here is that F3 doesn't have the backing over a major motor company like Formula Holden and Formula Ford do. So it is always going to struggle to get a single seater category up and running here.

I am suprised at how little Sports Sedans, and Improved Production cars receive television coverage. they are the classes with the cars that the majority of Australian's drive. GTP is the new generation (I think it is a fantastic category and it receives pretty good coverage. But it is a shame that it hasn't taken off yet. Maybe if we mrket it right and don't let the exploiters in (too late I hear some of you shout) it may get a chance.

Tell me what you think.

[Valve Bounce]

I just watched the tape of the CART race from last weekend in Monteray in Mexico. I was appalled to see that when one of the cars spun out quite close to the track, the marshals were pushing the car along while the cars raced by. There was no safety car or truck with flashing lights to warn drivers of the marshals on the side of the road. These marshals were performing their duty with little realisation of the danger they were in. Do we have to wait for another accident affecting marshals before race organisers come up with procedures that do not unecessarily put the marshals into serious danger in the performance of their tasks?