500cc GP - Buenos Aires, 1987

[jhansen]

Superbikeplanet has some youtube footage of the Argentine GP from 1987. Tell me they didn't race too many years at this place! People just randomly crossing the track during the GP. It's not rallying! The start is even better, with the lights going out while the steward is still standing there holding the red flag. The marshalls are quite silly as well. Some cool racing footage though.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/May/090520a.htm

[Graz]

I can't access the link but I remember this. They started the race while the guy with the red flag was still on the line. Remember Gardener just sitting there shaking his head. Before the race, Mamola was incensed at the state of the track but could not get support for the race to be abandoned. He protested by taking a whiz in the straw bales in full public view just before the start. I think this is what got him fired from Team Roberts?

It's a very unusual track in that it has chicanes made out of people and the configuration was different each time round...pure madness, like something from 60 years ago.

[jhansen]

Yep, that about sums it up!

[chunder]

South America is notorious for this
In Mexico for the final round of WSB in 1993 the title as between Russell and Foggy and they had to abandon the meeting, there were dogs running across the track, then a pickup truck over the braking for S/F f straight when the bikes were braking from 180mph
But the nail in the coffin was when a footoe match was going on, the ball got kicked on to the track! I think Russell actually popped it or nicked it!!

Remember also the trackw as invaded in Jerez in 96 or 95 when Alex and Micj were battling

[djb]

thanks J for the link to this utter madness....you just shake your head that these incidents were actually happening and not made up.

it is quite amazing that the organizers were able to so so badly prepare for an event at this level of competition, it really does make you wonder how it came to pass.

[racer69]

The actual race was interesting enough as well in that Gardner was said to have backed off late in the race to allow Mamola to get ahead, thus allowing Randy to get enough points to clinch second in the title ahead of Lawson.... supposedly as a payback to Lawson not taking to the podium in Brazil after the race that Gardner wrapped up the Championship.

Crazy stuff as said, i've got the SBS live coverage of this race somewhere, looks even worse from their angles as opposed to the VideoVision stuff posted.