whats more gross the pics where u see gordons head scalped at 3:00 or to pryces body parts on his car with the marshall ripped in half held together with tendons
@weallfollowmanutd. Nice to hear back, points noted. There is another video of this on youtube, with mournful (& fitting) music, so sad. I've read lots of stuff on the net, and would be interested to read Dr Steve Olvey's and Prof Sid Watkins' books sometime. At the end of the day, moto-pilots know the risks, but these tragedies are still hard to see. Hope it was over quickly - RIP
I was a freshman at Purdue and at the track that day on the 4th turn. The wreck was just out of my view but I heard the impact and could see the fireball. It had an emotional impact on me at the time. In this case no amount of technology could have saved him. Even if he had not been scalped by the fence his internal organs were turned to jelly from the tremendous deceleration. He had a reputation of “standing on the accelerator” and I guess it finally caught up with him. RIP Gordon Smiley.
To this day, ive not seen a crash so traumatic. Not even Weldons, even though similar, thanks to the catch fence. Was and still am an Indy resident, and grandma lived on Georgetown Rd, right behind the stands. Now she was hard of hearing even then, and she heard his car smack when in her yard. She knew it was bad. I wanted to go to qual's that day, but dad made me go to school. I even still remember smartass kids joking that his head flew in the stands.On the good side im trans. back to 80s teen
I dont know why people are writing on here about Smiley at 2.22 regarding how many bones and body parts were missing. Look at 3.00 and pause it. The doctor is touching Smileys right leg and yes, the top part is Smiley's head flattened down with a 'shark attack' like left shoulder wound. Also, one arm has a hand missing. I still dont understand why no one on here has understood the image! I can guarrantee when you guys realise you will be as shocked as I was!
@weallfollowmanutd His head wasn't flattened. It looks that way because the top of his head was sheered off by the fence along with most of his brain.
@weallfollowmanutd What a tragiedy. I'd be interested to know how you worked out all these injuries from the photo @3.00, cos I see Gordon's legs and that's all. That 'flattened down' part you describe as his head doesn't tally with rear pic we see of him slouched in what remains of the chassis, ie from the rear you can see his dark hair. That 'flattened down' part no hair at the back and can't be his fireclava for the reason I mentioned above. RIP GS
@MsMagnifyingglass its actually exactly how Dr Steve Olvey described the aftermath and you can see the Mr Olvey in the final photo as well. This was not a marshall. Its clear to see Smiley's Torso, or what is left of it.
Helmet or no helmet, there is no way Smiley was going to survive this crash.The Medical Examiner concluded that most of the bones in his body had been broken and that he sustained a massive wound in his abdomen. In other words, his head was the least of his problems.
The only saving grace was that he probably never knew what hit him.
@95bochamp you can tell just by that picture? Honestly I see a body but I can't really make out anything. I'm not used to seeing things in black and white.
@wallsofink Does it really matter? If you are so interested in injuries sustained in vehicle accidents, perhaps become a paramedic or police officer. Discussing such things here is morbid and disrespectful.
From :57 thru 1:06 you can clearly see his body still attached to the piece of the car with the front wheels as it is tossing and flipping around. He finally comes to rest beneath the car.
@BlueBlazer89 Hey BlueBlazer... if one is to infer from your vaguely faggy screen name that you were born in 1989, then I have to wonder just what the fuck you're taking so personally here? Why don't you go dial up some teletubbies or whatever retarded shit your mouth breathing generation has been brought up with and let the adults discuss this in peace? You clearly can't remember this happening because your daddy couldn't have made parole til 1987 at the earliest. Go away. Moron.
@iRacerMSL yeah, you can see hes got no helmet there, it was ripped off and he was scalped by the fence, he could hav survived that crash today, if his helmet had stayed on, but its sad, a good racer taken before his time, R.I.P. Gordon Smiley
@HarleyRene17 What is better than dying doing what you love is living through what you love and passing away on your deathbed comfortable and surrounded by loved ones...That is ideal...
@lemsiptothemax I disagree...Indy is a death trap and they should widen it...Its ridicuoulous and I LOVE INDY RACING...but always thought it was too near down the straightways..
Lets see he raced formula 1 cars in the Aurora series in England, and had already raced several years in the usac series including the Indianapolis 500 and actually led for awhile one year. So I would say he was qualified to drive these cars just as much as anyone who has ever driven at Indy.
With all due respect, was this guy even qualified to drive these type of cars? Looked like a Ricky Knotts situation. He was the guy killed at Daytona and had never driven at track bigger than 1/2 mile.
@SJsharksdude He was actually an accomplished racer and had one a few championships in a few open-wheel divisions. He was just getting into Indy Racing League. He had also drove in Formula One for some time.
Gordon Smiley knew what he was doing and was a skilled driver. He just made a mistake that cost him his life. It could have been anyone.
@pajasa62 Sam Posey never made a blip on my radar. I'm blind, so my radar is limited, but McKay and Stewart did make an impression. In fact, another blind friend and I could each, at one point in our lives, do fair impressions of Stewart himself.
On that day, Jacky Stewart said, as only he could, "Surely man was never meant to survive a crash at this speed." I haven't found his commentary of this event on youtube, but he said all that was needed in that one sentence, in that burring voice of his that is so much missed now. Sadly, today's radio announcer Mike King is a joke, and Brent Musberger on TV is worse.
@musicmandon1 just click on the right on the video called "gordon smiley newcast". There in the end of the video you can hear Jackie Stewart talking about this crash and the phrase you're looking for ;)
i read a report form the doctor who showed up to the wreck in a ambulance he gay there was this weird grey substance on the track, as it turned out it was gordon's brains. the top of his head was gone and he had shattered nearly every bone in his body. in the report also it says he had a gaping wounud on his side that was compairable to a shark bite. brutal crash r.i.p gordon
SAFER barrier would NOT have saved Gordon. I live not far from his family, who is still in Grapevine even to this day. His wife is unmarried and still remembers this vividly to this day. I have interviewed her several times over the past 20 years and she had NOT gotten over it or watched ONE single IndyCar race since this day. She still lives in the same house.
in all my life of being around races thats the worst crash I have ever seen. Those indy cars back then were death traps, they would hit the wall and disenagrate.
I don't know which is worse, this or Russell Phillips crash. As far as what you can see on film. Phillips suffered a lot more, but thankfully the camera didn't pick that up as badly as this. It's sad that you can see Smiley through out the entire crash. Much respect for these men for being brave to do what they loved even knowing this is a risk that goes with it. Where they all are, I hope they are racing and happy.
@Kayiko I was at Charlotte that day of the Phillips crash. My cousin was in that very race. Russell didn't feel a thing, trust me. He was literally torn in half at 160mph. They simply covered the car with a tarp and took it to a closed off ez-up and got what was left of him out of the car. They didn't restart the race and closed of that particular section of grandstands and rinsed it off using a fire truck, it was THAT bad.
@SilentTestify I can only speak for myself. If I vote on a video I am not voting to say I liked to watch G Smiley die. I just look at the quality of the video, any music added and the commentary the uploader provides. I definetly do not find the death of another human or even an animal entertaining nor do I find them funny.
What I appreciate is that the OP of this vid didn't add some stupid music to the photos during the 2nd half of this. Silence is most appropriate for something like this.
i remember this - i saw it on TV when I was 10 - i realized this must be the greatest sport of them all - why else would sane men risk this outcome - i knew there must be something about it that nothing else can give you!
Honestly - what is the point of supespeedway racing? Road courses are considerably safer, more interesting and far more skill diverse (braking, acclerating, lines etc) - oval is basically just steering and horrendously dangerous - its just too fast - there is simply no need to be doing 390 kph - 290 is plenty enough!
I Hate this Fucking Year 1. Gordon Smiley 2. Gilles Villeneuve 3. Riccardo Paletti 4.(Dead in 1987)Didier Pironì. wtf?!?! Unlucky Year of Racing Sport?
Pause at 0:54 and you can see Gordon's body flying back first into the fencing.. After that moment it's quite easy to keep the eyes on him as he's going down the track.. Truly horrifying.
The impact was so severe it blew the feces out of him and into his suit. Liquified. Imagine that sort of impact. It also popped his eyes out and broke him in half at teh waist.
I was there that day in the infield close to the start/finish line. I didn't see the accident, but I do remember seeing the smoke rising up from between turns 3 and 4. I'll never forget the announcer telling everyone that he had passed away. It's amazing how quiet a large crowd can get in a matter of seconds. We left the track after the announcement... just didn't feel like watching anymore.
He wasnt very smiley after that.Another selfish death,no sympathy for him only for his poor loved ones he left behind who had the misfortune of loving one so selfish....!!!!
@SKYLANDBAK Life without risk isn't life at all. He was doing what he loved. You obviously don't have anything in your life you enjoy so much you would die doing it. That's sad.
I remember the news release of this event. It was replayed over and over again on the news. I was in the eighth grade. Jackie Stewart's dramatic voice as he described the incident on ABC. After this, the next most tragic accidents I have seen were Jeff Kroshnoff's, Greg Moore's and Alex Zanardi's.
On the way in I performed a cursory examination and realized that nearly every bone in his body was shattered. He had a gaping wound in his side that looked as if he had been attacked by a large shark. I had never seen such trauma."
While rushing to the car, I noticed small splotches of a peculiar gray substance marking a trail on the asphalt leading up to the driver. When I reached the car, I was shocked to see that Smiley's helmet was gone, along with the top of his skull. He had essentially been scalped by the debris fence. The material on the race track was most of his brain. His helmet, due to massive centrifugal force, was literally pulled from his head on impact...I rode to the care center with the body. (continued)
@Rogentx Who are you? I was there that day, and am now a trama surgeon myself. When talking with two of the first doctors on the scene, your discription is incredibly accurate. But you are talking in the first person and I don't think you are who I spoke with.
@sdmagn Being I was only four years old when this happened, it is needless to say I wasn't there. I looked up on the Wilkepida about the accident and I just copied on what it had said on first hand account on someone whom was there. I just failed to mention whom it was by, my mistake.
@Rogentx Thanks for the reply. I appreciate your ohonesty. It just sort of , if I can say it this way "freaked me out again". I still remember it vividly.
@sdmagn No problem at all. And if you happen to be present at something like this regardless of if you didn't see the carnage that happens when metal and meat collide at high speed, being there and knowing what had happend is most likely something that a person wouldn't forget too easily.
this best describes of the damage Mr. Smiley's body suffered. I read all the comments and lot of people are curious on what his body looked like after the wreck. No pictures but just written statment from one of the track marshals. I'll probably have to put it in two comment boxes due to limited space.
I'm not making fun of anyone's death at all, I noticed in couple of the black/white still pictures of him (1:44 and 2.23) he was dead before what was left of the car came to a stop.
This was such a bad crash. After a few more people died they finally started looking to slow the cars down but a tank would not have survived this one and expecially when you see the his helmet came off at the time of the impact. He had not chance and never knew what happened.
My respects to those who dare to go beyond, like Gordon Smiley and Ayrton Senna. They have payed with their lives, but made it. At least they have really lived.
Don't rest in peace. I hope you are still running, wherever you are. Congrats!
@AutoRockinRacing94 The doctor attending was Dr. Steve Olvey. He wrote a book and in it he talked about the Smiley crash. He said that SMiley 'broke every bone in his body.'
I don't think he had traumatic amuptation of any sort but he lost his helmet and his head hit the track several times so just from that, it was deadly. Hope this helps.
@AutoRockinRacing94 His legs were amputated in the wreck? Or were they amputated to extricate him from the wreckage? Either way, it is tragic. I had read somwhere that he was primarily a road racer and didn't realize you cannot counter-steer past a certain degree on an oval.
@DucatiPaso750 Dr. Steve Olvey talks about it in his book, Rapid Response... He said every bone in his body was broken, and he was scalped (lost part of his head). The best still photo is at 1:43
@DucatiPaso750 Many racers on that day, including AJ Foyt, warned Gordon,who came from road racing, that,on a high speed oval, you could not steer into a corner when the rear wheels broke loose to correct the car but you should let the rear end come around so you impact the wall with the rear of the car.He thought he could do it anyway and we see the result !He put the car into the wall at almost 90 degrees and did not have a chance!
when a track marshall rushed to the scene he saw grayish stuff on the track. when he got there, smileys helmet had been torn off as had most of his skull. the grayish stuff was his brain. when he was examining his body later he noticed that every bone in his body was shattered. He was more of a road racer, when the back of a normal car he was driving stepped out he would correct it but the front gripped this time and he smashed into the wall. Killed instantly. What a way to go. Rip Smiley @----
From 1970-74 I flipped three vehicles ('64 Pontiac Tempest; 65 Ford Mustang; 63 Chevy II): all on highways, wee hrs. of a.m.; 2 while falling asleep at the wheel, 1 speeding. None of these accidents >86 mph; broken back, int. injuries, multiple contusions. Can barely imagine brutal degree of violence + horrific injuries GS's impact was Vs. solid retainer @ that speed: dead stop, 190 to 0 in very small fraction of a sec. Helmet pulled off! Is that flying @ 1:33? Rnd object @ 3 o'clock. Thx J.
My Aunt was an ER nurse at Methodist then and said Smiley's body was basically liquid upon arrival. That was 1982. She's retired. I understand Tony Renna's crash in 2003 actually involved mutilation and disembowlment.
At 1:43, is that his head and face (left profile) in the middle of that carnage (1:00 position from the #35)?? I may be wrong, but it certainly could be...I believe Dr. Olvey said the impact caused Gordon's eyes to dislodge from his skull. His book would make an interesting read.
@triplehhhmytimewwf His upper torso was under the back part of the seat in a foetal position, that's his legs visible. The top of his skull and part of one of his hands was gone.
I was at the track that day with my father. We were in the paddock when they announced the accident. Shortly thereafter, the pieces of the car came back on hooks. I snapped a few pictures... Later, we had heard that he died instantly.
It's possible that Smiley's road racing career may have led to his demise. In Aurora F1, etc., dialing in oversteer and using throttle & opposite lock is the fastest way through a turn. Most turns on road courses are also taken slower than at ovals. But at Indy I think the set up is different. The cornering speeds are greater and car setup can prove a real bear to get right. Smiley was in oval racing 2 years and had 10 years of road racing habits and reactions to overcome. Look at Nelson Piquet.
Let's keep things in perspective. As a driver, you'd rather not die. But if you have to die, this is just about the best you can hope for. I'd rather be blown into a million little pieces and gone in an instant that pulled out of a burning wreckage and spend months in a hospital, waiting to die. Either way, I'd prefer if a bunch of immature cunts didn't mock my death on a daily basis, but what can you do.
he died just a week after gilles villeneuve. they took part in the "race of champions", brands hatch, on 15th april 1979. it was a F1 non-championship race, gilles won on ferrari 312T3, gordon finished 10th driving a tyrrell. it would be nice to see photos of them together, out of the cars at the box and on track. I find any on the web...
Probably the worst open-wheel crash in history. Smiley was a cocky beginner and did not understand Indy car technique. When his back end slipped out, he turned into it like a short-track racer - the front wheels grabbed and sent him straight into the wall at 200 mph. The onsite doctor stated that a trail of brains led to the body. He'd been partially decapitated by the retaining fence. Every bone in his body was crushed. There's a reason Indy winners are typically 35+ years old.
not the camera angle i want to see it at tho the one on to of the building i think it is. that one ws absolutely horrible. poor 19 year old marshall but im still uncertian as to if the other driver tom's car hit died as well. i know they both went into the wall
It is not the impact that kills you, it is the sudden stop and the G-forces pressing on your internal organs, your brain liquifying in your skull, and your neck vertebrae snapping like a twig.
Um... no. Basically, the force ripped him out of the car, and ripped his helmet off. Then, he slid a few hundred feet down the road, grinding off the top of his head. Parts of his skull and brain were all over the asphalt.
Whatever! Last winter I slid off the road too, in my Toyota Prius. And even though there was no damage to the car I thought it was pretty bad, and I walked away. Some guy had to pull me out, which was nice.(I guess) So I suppose that makes me a better driver then this guy. Seeing that we both got into horrible wrecks, but I was able to handle my car.
Cliner98 - These cars back then regained traction is a different way to modern single seater racing cars, due to the ground effect skirts on the cars. F1 cars had exactly the same issue also. They werent progressive at all when the rear end snapped loose, so regardless of how much lock you put in at high speed to correct a slide, the car wouldnt always react in the same way.
Even if a crash like that happened today, the SAFER barrier wouldn't save this guy's life...Head on at 200mph. There are just some crashes that technology can never be prepared for....this was one of those.
glkarpicky - even if the left front wing was collapsing, 80% of the cars downforce was from the underneath of the car, due to the tremendous downforce the car had due to ground effect. The driver was told many times by fellow racers to stop making big corrections at high speeds. He didnt listen sadly. Another thing I heard from others on here, is the fact that drivers correct the car on ovals today, but comparing 1982 with 2009 is quite unbelieveable.
It's just just that you don't wanna be correcting a lock like that in a racing car on the corner of an oval circuit at almost 200mph...the poor poor bloke was unlucky but he took one f**k of a risk. And he had been warned not to do it.
If I were ever a racer, I would be in nascar
ACDCFANPUNKROCKER 6 days ago
whats more gross the pics where u see gordons head scalped at 3:00 or to pryces body parts on his car with the marshall ripped in half held together with tendons
Glibzer 1 week ago
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É ele que aparece aos 2:22min. na foto do carro no momento da batida?... parece ser a cabeça e o braço do piloto!.. alguém me responda, obrigado!
TonhoAmom 3 weeks ago
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TonhoAmom 3 weeks ago
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TonhoAmom 3 weeks ago
@weallfollowmanutd. Nice to hear back, points noted. There is another video of this on youtube, with mournful (& fitting) music, so sad. I've read lots of stuff on the net, and would be interested to read Dr Steve Olvey's and Prof Sid Watkins' books sometime. At the end of the day, moto-pilots know the risks, but these tragedies are still hard to see. Hope it was over quickly - RIP
MsMagnifyingglass 1 month ago
I was a freshman at Purdue and at the track that day on the 4th turn. The wreck was just out of my view but I heard the impact and could see the fireball. It had an emotional impact on me at the time. In this case no amount of technology could have saved him. Even if he had not been scalped by the fence his internal organs were turned to jelly from the tremendous deceleration. He had a reputation of “standing on the accelerator” and I guess it finally caught up with him. RIP Gordon Smiley.
ric7623 2 months ago
Surprised anyone still had the stomach to go out again after that... .
Ferrari312pb 3 months ago
To this day, ive not seen a crash so traumatic. Not even Weldons, even though similar, thanks to the catch fence. Was and still am an Indy resident, and grandma lived on Georgetown Rd, right behind the stands. Now she was hard of hearing even then, and she heard his car smack when in her yard. She knew it was bad. I wanted to go to qual's that day, but dad made me go to school. I even still remember smartass kids joking that his head flew in the stands.On the good side im trans. back to 80s teen
musclecarluvr1 3 months ago
1:36 that round blob on the right hand side of the photo is actually smiley's helmet
9999faill 4 months ago
I dont know why people are writing on here about Smiley at 2.22 regarding how many bones and body parts were missing. Look at 3.00 and pause it. The doctor is touching Smileys right leg and yes, the top part is Smiley's head flattened down with a 'shark attack' like left shoulder wound. Also, one arm has a hand missing. I still dont understand why no one on here has understood the image! I can guarrantee when you guys realise you will be as shocked as I was!
weallfollowmanutd 4 months ago
@weallfollowmanutd His head wasn't flattened. It looks that way because the top of his head was sheered off by the fence along with most of his brain.
GetOverHere83 3 months ago
@weallfollowmanutd What a tragiedy. I'd be interested to know how you worked out all these injuries from the photo @3.00, cos I see Gordon's legs and that's all. That 'flattened down' part you describe as his head doesn't tally with rear pic we see of him slouched in what remains of the chassis, ie from the rear you can see his dark hair. That 'flattened down' part no hair at the back and can't be his fireclava for the reason I mentioned above. RIP GS
MsMagnifyingglass 3 months ago
@MsMagnifyingglass its actually exactly how Dr Steve Olvey described the aftermath and you can see the Mr Olvey in the final photo as well. This was not a marshall. Its clear to see Smiley's Torso, or what is left of it.
weallfollowmanutd 1 month ago
Helmet or no helmet, there is no way Smiley was going to survive this crash.The Medical Examiner concluded that most of the bones in his body had been broken and that he sustained a massive wound in his abdomen. In other words, his head was the least of his problems.
The only saving grace was that he probably never knew what hit him.
95bochamp 4 months ago
@95bochamp you can tell just by that picture? Honestly I see a body but I can't really make out anything. I'm not used to seeing things in black and white.
wallsofink 3 months ago
@wallsofink Does it really matter? If you are so interested in injuries sustained in vehicle accidents, perhaps become a paramedic or police officer. Discussing such things here is morbid and disrespectful.
The guy died, end of.
lazaglider 3 months ago
@lazaglider Uh, what. I wasn't interested in injuries. I was responding to someone who was, though.
You have no idea what you are talking about...please re-read my messages.....
Please be informed before you make a comment.
wallsofink 3 months ago
@wallsofink If I am so wide of the mark, why were you compelled to reply?
Smoke and fire, and all that ;)
lazaglider 3 months ago
probely worlds worst crash !!!!!!!! R.I.P
jammiedodgerweaving 6 months ago
From :57 thru 1:06 you can clearly see his body still attached to the piece of the car with the front wheels as it is tossing and flipping around. He finally comes to rest beneath the car.
wtfdoihavetodohere 6 months ago
It was his time to go home. No one knows the appointed time for their demise. Just be ready for eternity when it happens.
Jesus Saves
John 3:16
John 14:6
LT1HILLINGHOE 7 months ago
@LT1HILLINGHOE stfu with that god shit virgin, dont disrespect gordon like that
BlueBlazer89 5 months ago
@BlueBlazer89 You tell 'em, extra chromosome boy!!
LT1HILLINGHOE 5 months ago
@BlueBlazer89 Hey BlueBlazer... if one is to infer from your vaguely faggy screen name that you were born in 1989, then I have to wonder just what the fuck you're taking so personally here? Why don't you go dial up some teletubbies or whatever retarded shit your mouth breathing generation has been brought up with and let the adults discuss this in peace? You clearly can't remember this happening because your daddy couldn't have made parole til 1987 at the earliest. Go away. Moron.
jwhiteout 4 months ago
@jwhiteout huh?
BlueBlazer89 4 months ago
@BlueBlazer89 Exactly.
jwhiteout 4 months ago
@jwhiteout lol ok kid
BlueBlazer89 4 months ago
@BlueBlazer89 "lol?" Unplug your keyboard.
jwhiteout 4 months ago
@jwhiteout lol=laugh out loud, your welcome
BlueBlazer89 4 months ago
more like gordon frowney
gaLLy819 7 months ago
woah, never seen the 2:22 picture before. I had thought his entire body was ripped to shreds but doesn't look like it at 2:22.
iRacerMSL 7 months ago
@iRacerMSL yeah, you can see hes got no helmet there, it was ripped off and he was scalped by the fence, he could hav survived that crash today, if his helmet had stayed on, but its sad, a good racer taken before his time, R.I.P. Gordon Smiley
randumbvids11 7 months ago
1:32 the last part on the right is smileys helmet at 2:22 you can see smiley in the car without the helmet
DriverX526 7 months ago
one of the worst crashes in the history of indycar rip gordon smiley
westonator6 7 months ago
one of the worst crashes in the history of indycar
westonator6 7 months ago
@HarleyRene17 What is better than dying doing what you love is living through what you love and passing away on your deathbed comfortable and surrounded by loved ones...That is ideal...
jseph1234567890 8 months ago
@lemsiptothemax I disagree...Indy is a death trap and they should widen it...Its ridicuoulous and I LOVE INDY RACING...but always thought it was too near down the straightways..
jseph1234567890 8 months ago
That photo sequence is one of the scariest things I've ever seen...makes me shiver a bit :S
geargei80 8 months ago
2:22 thats clearly his body facing the other way, you can see his head and his arm up.
ItsKristinSparklez 8 months ago
Lets see he raced formula 1 cars in the Aurora series in England, and had already raced several years in the usac series including the Indianapolis 500 and actually led for awhile one year. So I would say he was qualified to drive these cars just as much as anyone who has ever driven at Indy.
wermach123 9 months ago
With all due respect, was this guy even qualified to drive these type of cars? Looked like a Ricky Knotts situation. He was the guy killed at Daytona and had never driven at track bigger than 1/2 mile.
SJsharksdude 9 months ago
@SJsharksdude He was actually an accomplished racer and had one a few championships in a few open-wheel divisions. He was just getting into Indy Racing League. He had also drove in Formula One for some time.
Gordon Smiley knew what he was doing and was a skilled driver. He just made a mistake that cost him his life. It could have been anyone.
wallsofink 3 months ago
one=won*
Don't know what I mispelled that, heh.
wallsofink 3 months ago
And in the slow-mo at around 1:02 you can see his body rolling around with what appear to be the front wheels.
arrowhead753 9 months ago
And part of his head too....
arrowhead753 9 months ago
lady gaga would have been upset watching this
MrBillLumberg 9 months ago
@pajasa62 Sam Posey never made a blip on my radar. I'm blind, so my radar is limited, but McKay and Stewart did make an impression. In fact, another blind friend and I could each, at one point in our lives, do fair impressions of Stewart himself.
musicmandon1 9 months ago
On that day, Jacky Stewart said, as only he could, "Surely man was never meant to survive a crash at this speed." I haven't found his commentary of this event on youtube, but he said all that was needed in that one sentence, in that burring voice of his that is so much missed now. Sadly, today's radio announcer Mike King is a joke, and Brent Musberger on TV is worse.
musicmandon1 10 months ago
@musicmandon1 What did you think about Sam Posey? He sometimes had a nervousness in his voice that I liked and he was always refeshing.
The best thing about going to the race nowadays is that I don't have to put up with the TV coverage until I watch it later.
pajasa62 9 months ago
@musicmandon1 just click on the right on the video called "gordon smiley newcast". There in the end of the video you can hear Jackie Stewart talking about this crash and the phrase you're looking for ;)
ADRtobi 9 months ago
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perkiomenville 10 months ago
i read a report form the doctor who showed up to the wreck in a ambulance he gay there was this weird grey substance on the track, as it turned out it was gordon's brains. the top of his head was gone and he had shattered nearly every bone in his body. in the report also it says he had a gaping wounud on his side that was compairable to a shark bite. brutal crash r.i.p gordon
endurocatfish 10 months ago
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that poor cock sucking fuckin fagot mother fucker...
guess you could say he wasn't smiling after that one!
thanks for the chuckle!
kmz365 11 months ago
Did they even found him after the accident? When you see what was left of the car, imagine what it does to a human body...
Erik2Ammo 11 months ago
SAFER barrier would NOT have saved Gordon. I live not far from his family, who is still in Grapevine even to this day. His wife is unmarried and still remembers this vividly to this day. I have interviewed her several times over the past 20 years and she had NOT gotten over it or watched ONE single IndyCar race since this day. She still lives in the same house.
IndyCarTim 1 year ago
in all my life of being around races thats the worst crash I have ever seen. Those indy cars back then were death traps, they would hit the wall and disenagrate.
topmech71 1 year ago
Those fucking Indy cars are tin cans...... Very sad video.
jfrockon 1 year ago
You can see him on the ground after the crash
showme2138 1 year ago
I don't know which is worse, this or Russell Phillips crash. As far as what you can see on film. Phillips suffered a lot more, but thankfully the camera didn't pick that up as badly as this. It's sad that you can see Smiley through out the entire crash. Much respect for these men for being brave to do what they loved even knowing this is a risk that goes with it. Where they all are, I hope they are racing and happy.
Kayiko 1 year ago
@Kayiko I was at Charlotte that day of the Phillips crash. My cousin was in that very race. Russell didn't feel a thing, trust me. He was literally torn in half at 160mph. They simply covered the car with a tarp and took it to a closed off ez-up and got what was left of him out of the car. They didn't restart the race and closed of that particular section of grandstands and rinsed it off using a fire truck, it was THAT bad.
ProfessorIgor 11 months ago
it's al michaels voice. didn't realize it til the end. ahahah
TheGridironfilms 1 year ago
The lousy sound effects in the beginning made me cringe.
ultrasom 1 year ago
how the hell can people vote to say they like this...
SilentTestify 1 year ago
@SilentTestify They are probably liking this to wish him to RIP
nitro12125 1 year ago
@SilentTestify I can only speak for myself. If I vote on a video I am not voting to say I liked to watch G Smiley die. I just look at the quality of the video, any music added and the commentary the uploader provides. I definetly do not find the death of another human or even an animal entertaining nor do I find them funny.
SteveWard3928 1 year ago 2
What I appreciate is that the OP of this vid didn't add some stupid music to the photos during the 2nd half of this. Silence is most appropriate for something like this.
indyracingnut 1 year ago
i remember this - i saw it on TV when I was 10 - i realized this must be the greatest sport of them all - why else would sane men risk this outcome - i knew there must be something about it that nothing else can give you!
mallamoozoo 1 year ago 2
Honestly - what is the point of supespeedway racing? Road courses are considerably safer, more interesting and far more skill diverse (braking, acclerating, lines etc) - oval is basically just steering and horrendously dangerous - its just too fast - there is simply no need to be doing 390 kph - 290 is plenty enough!
BiggerThinking1 1 year ago
1:56 you see the back of the seat...an arm on either side, and his head is infront of the left front tire.
Jelsick 1 year ago
I Hate this Fucking Year 1. Gordon Smiley 2. Gilles Villeneuve 3. Riccardo Paletti 4.(Dead in 1987)Didier Pironì. wtf?!?! Unlucky Year of Racing Sport?
RedhotIta1 1 year ago
Does anyone else find the picture at 2:24 really disturbing?
You can see his arm, head, even his hair :(
RIP Gordon Smiley!
(this is coming from a NASCAR fan btw)
pwnzor3000 1 year ago
@pwnzor3000 no but at 2:59 does when the guy run up to hes body i would have been scared to see a half head dude...
m0dmywarfare2 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@fearbeforefearbefore we mock your life on a daily basis.
rbrbran277 1 year ago
Pause at 0:54 and you can see Gordon's body flying back first into the fencing.. After that moment it's quite easy to keep the eyes on him as he's going down the track.. Truly horrifying.
YouthEnergy 1 year ago
The impact was so severe it blew the feces out of him and into his suit. Liquified. Imagine that sort of impact. It also popped his eyes out and broke him in half at teh waist.
3338MAN 1 year ago
Tragikus, és sokkoló! A legnagyobb baleset amit valaha láttam! Legalább gyorsan történt, nem érzett semmit az egészből! Nyugodj békében Gordon!!!
mlfreegreg 1 year ago
I was there that day in the infield close to the start/finish line. I didn't see the accident, but I do remember seeing the smoke rising up from between turns 3 and 4. I'll never forget the announcer telling everyone that he had passed away. It's amazing how quiet a large crowd can get in a matter of seconds. We left the track after the announcement... just didn't feel like watching anymore.
motard117 1 year ago
Most likely the most violent crash I've ever seen. Seecond is probably Greg Moore's
gamrguy101 1 year ago
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He wasnt very smiley after that.Another selfish death,no sympathy for him only for his poor loved ones he left behind who had the misfortune of loving one so selfish....!!!!
SKYLANDBAK 1 year ago
@SKYLANDBAK Life without risk isn't life at all. He was doing what he loved. You obviously don't have anything in your life you enjoy so much you would die doing it. That's sad.
a2birdcage 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
@a2birdcage I wanna go underneath 2 20yr old nymphomaniacs with big boobies smoking a joint in a tub of beer.I think thats pretty reasonable.
mmmkaythen 1 year ago
I remember the news release of this event. It was replayed over and over again on the news. I was in the eighth grade. Jackie Stewart's dramatic voice as he described the incident on ABC. After this, the next most tragic accidents I have seen were Jeff Kroshnoff's, Greg Moore's and Alex Zanardi's.
DucatiPaso750 1 year ago
@DucatiPaso750 Zanardi is still ALIVE!!! - losing legs is hardly a tragedy next to crashes like this!
BiggerThinking1 1 year ago
My own opinion, the top 5 most gruesome accidents in terms of footage/statments of description.
5. Tom Price
4. Marshal that was ripped in half by Tom's Price car
3. Russel Philips
2. Gordon Smiley
1. Roger Williamson (he was trapped and burned alive)
Rogentx 1 year ago
Comment removed
Rogentx 1 year ago
On the way in I performed a cursory examination and realized that nearly every bone in his body was shattered. He had a gaping wound in his side that looked as if he had been attacked by a large shark. I had never seen such trauma."
Rogentx 1 year ago
While rushing to the car, I noticed small splotches of a peculiar gray substance marking a trail on the asphalt leading up to the driver. When I reached the car, I was shocked to see that Smiley's helmet was gone, along with the top of his skull. He had essentially been scalped by the debris fence. The material on the race track was most of his brain. His helmet, due to massive centrifugal force, was literally pulled from his head on impact...I rode to the care center with the body. (continued)
Rogentx 1 year ago
@Rogentx Who are you? I was there that day, and am now a trama surgeon myself. When talking with two of the first doctors on the scene, your discription is incredibly accurate. But you are talking in the first person and I don't think you are who I spoke with.
sdmagn 1 year ago
@sdmagn Being I was only four years old when this happened, it is needless to say I wasn't there. I looked up on the Wilkepida about the accident and I just copied on what it had said on first hand account on someone whom was there. I just failed to mention whom it was by, my mistake.
Rogentx 1 year ago
@Rogentx Thanks for the reply. I appreciate your ohonesty. It just sort of , if I can say it this way "freaked me out again". I still remember it vividly.
sdmagn 1 year ago
@sdmagn No problem at all. And if you happen to be present at something like this regardless of if you didn't see the carnage that happens when metal and meat collide at high speed, being there and knowing what had happend is most likely something that a person wouldn't forget too easily.
Rogentx 1 year ago
this best describes of the damage Mr. Smiley's body suffered. I read all the comments and lot of people are curious on what his body looked like after the wreck. No pictures but just written statment from one of the track marshals. I'll probably have to put it in two comment boxes due to limited space.
Rogentx 1 year ago
I hope that this was too quick for any sort of pain.
girlcandream 1 year ago
I'm not making fun of anyone's death at all, I noticed in couple of the black/white still pictures of him (1:44 and 2.23) he was dead before what was left of the car came to a stop.
R.I.P
Rogentx 1 year ago
OMG!!!!! at 0:59 you can see him hanging from the car! May he rest in peace....
liam264 1 year ago
@liam264 look at 2:23
DBDMotorsports 1 year ago
This was such a bad crash. After a few more people died they finally started looking to slow the cars down but a tank would not have survived this one and expecially when you see the his helmet came off at the time of the impact. He had not chance and never knew what happened.
rpm324 1 year ago
My respects to those who dare to go beyond, like Gordon Smiley and Ayrton Senna. They have payed with their lives, but made it. At least they have really lived.
Don't rest in peace. I hope you are still running, wherever you are. Congrats!
brunocortese 1 year ago
cette video est terrible,elle fait froid dans le dos!pauvre gordon!!
ticote16 1 year ago
i can also hear a woman yelling "omg" at 0:48.
bjblyrical 1 year ago
at 1:44 i can see the scarecrows face from wizard of oz above the "35"
bjblyrical 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
and to this a moment of silence
Primorcon 1 year ago
sad
Camaull 1 year ago
Even if he survived, he would have never walked again because his legs had to be ripped apart from him.
AutoRockinRacing94 1 year ago
@AutoRockinRacing94 The doctor attending was Dr. Steve Olvey. He wrote a book and in it he talked about the Smiley crash. He said that SMiley 'broke every bone in his body.'
I don't think he had traumatic amuptation of any sort but he lost his helmet and his head hit the track several times so just from that, it was deadly. Hope this helps.
devildog881966 1 year ago
@AutoRockinRacing94 His legs were amputated in the wreck? Or were they amputated to extricate him from the wreckage? Either way, it is tragic. I had read somwhere that he was primarily a road racer and didn't realize you cannot counter-steer past a certain degree on an oval.
DucatiPaso750 1 year ago
@DucatiPaso750 Dr. Steve Olvey talks about it in his book, Rapid Response... He said every bone in his body was broken, and he was scalped (lost part of his head). The best still photo is at 1:43
jkbnumber1 1 year ago
@DucatiPaso750 Many racers on that day, including AJ Foyt, warned Gordon,who came from road racing, that,on a high speed oval, you could not steer into a corner when the rear wheels broke loose to correct the car but you should let the rear end come around so you impact the wall with the rear of the car.He thought he could do it anyway and we see the result !He put the car into the wall at almost 90 degrees and did not have a chance!
dbrinkm1 1 year ago
the hardest crash. R.I.P.
sortabli 1 year ago
That's a grim sight.
Lex5576 1 year ago
y is he still sitting in his car at 2:52?
bjblyrical 1 year ago
@bjblyrical what car?
and to that a moment of silence
Primorcon 1 year ago
when a track marshall rushed to the scene he saw grayish stuff on the track. when he got there, smileys helmet had been torn off as had most of his skull. the grayish stuff was his brain. when he was examining his body later he noticed that every bone in his body was shattered. He was more of a road racer, when the back of a normal car he was driving stepped out he would correct it but the front gripped this time and he smashed into the wall. Killed instantly. What a way to go. Rip Smiley @----
MADMANAARON95 1 year ago 2
@MADMANAARON95 That track official was Dr. Steve Olvey, who later became the medical director for the CART series.
floydian06 9 months ago
@MADMANAARON95
@2:26 his helment is gone
Spinsane94 9 months ago
I know a guy who is Safety patrol @ the IMS and he said Gordon was decapitated - he dont look like he was Decapitated @ 2:24 does he to anyone else?
SunniWinchester2 1 year ago
From 1970-74 I flipped three vehicles ('64 Pontiac Tempest; 65 Ford Mustang; 63 Chevy II): all on highways, wee hrs. of a.m.; 2 while falling asleep at the wheel, 1 speeding. None of these accidents >86 mph; broken back, int. injuries, multiple contusions. Can barely imagine brutal degree of violence + horrific injuries GS's impact was Vs. solid retainer @ that speed: dead stop, 190 to 0 in very small fraction of a sec. Helmet pulled off! Is that flying @ 1:33? Rnd object @ 3 o'clock. Thx J.
Querencias 1 year ago
@Querencias actually, it is helmet wuth part of his head - Gordo was virtually torn in pieces. RIP
Mitas5757 1 year ago
@Querencias jesus christ your an amazing driver arent you?
XxSuPaMaNxX101 1 year ago
@Querencias
nice choice of cars youfe got, but how is it possible to flip that many cars, are you a race driver or something??
denniesloot18 1 year ago
My Aunt was an ER nurse at Methodist then and said Smiley's body was basically liquid upon arrival. That was 1982. She's retired. I understand Tony Renna's crash in 2003 actually involved mutilation and disembowlment.
3338MAN 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
why is he still sitting in the car after the accident? there is fire around you, get out of there. i dont get it. Did he walk away?
bjblyrical 2 years ago
@bjblyrical
Ahh, i detect a hint of sarcasm.
At least, I hope so, you horrible person.
bigmuffexpress 2 years ago
@bjblyrical
no, i can tell you why he didnt get out of the car. because he was dead, you moron.
denniesloot18 1 year ago
@bjblyrical wtf is wrong with you
iceman21002 1 year ago
2:24 there he is
Falippas 2 years ago
At 1:43, is that his head and face (left profile) in the middle of that carnage (1:00 position from the #35)?? I may be wrong, but it certainly could be...I believe Dr. Olvey said the impact caused Gordon's eyes to dislodge from his skull. His book would make an interesting read.
DCP64 2 years ago
@DCP64 You can see his back and left arm. The fireproof balaclava is still on his head at that point.
twolaneblacktop71 2 years ago
That pic at 3:00 shows that he did not have his legs and his head right?Super sad...I hate these accidents:-(
triplehhhmytimewwf 2 years ago
@triplehhhmytimewwf His upper torso was under the back part of the seat in a foetal position, that's his legs visible. The top of his skull and part of one of his hands was gone.
twolaneblacktop71 2 years ago
2:23 is that his body?
solsisod 2 years ago
@solsisod: yes, also at 2:42 and 2:47.
GhostCosmonaut 2 years ago
poor guy...
At least he didnt suffer
redsunsjim 2 years ago
@afannell, I would be pleased.
GhostCosmonaut 2 years ago
I was at the track that day with my father. We were in the paddock when they announced the accident. Shortly thereafter, the pieces of the car came back on hooks. I snapped a few pictures... Later, we had heard that he died instantly.
mccorry 2 years ago
It's possible that Smiley's road racing career may have led to his demise. In Aurora F1, etc., dialing in oversteer and using throttle & opposite lock is the fastest way through a turn. Most turns on road courses are also taken slower than at ovals. But at Indy I think the set up is different. The cornering speeds are greater and car setup can prove a real bear to get right. Smiley was in oval racing 2 years and had 10 years of road racing habits and reactions to overcome. Look at Nelson Piquet.
CapLockheed 2 years ago 3
Let's keep things in perspective. As a driver, you'd rather not die. But if you have to die, this is just about the best you can hope for. I'd rather be blown into a million little pieces and gone in an instant that pulled out of a burning wreckage and spend months in a hospital, waiting to die. Either way, I'd prefer if a bunch of immature cunts didn't mock my death on a daily basis, but what can you do.
fearbeforefearbefore 2 years ago 71
Judging by the film, I guess that Smiley's death was very much instantaeous.
rotterdam1953 2 years ago 3
it seems you are referring to swede savage.
GhostCosmonaut 2 years ago
he died just a week after gilles villeneuve. they took part in the "race of champions", brands hatch, on 15th april 1979. it was a F1 non-championship race, gilles won on ferrari 312T3, gordon finished 10th driving a tyrrell. it would be nice to see photos of them together, out of the cars at the box and on track. I find any on the web...
GhostCosmonaut 2 years ago
I do recall that race. I was marshalling in the pits there and had the chance to take pics of Gordon Smiley.
rotterdam1953 2 years ago
one of the people who went out to the crash said he say his brains smeared across the track, i think. It must have been horrible to see that.
TheZeus022 2 years ago
rip gordon. horrible crash.. very graphic indeed
justin0185 2 years ago
2:25 is thrilling... RIP Gordon...
bozoestadevolta 2 years ago 2
Probably the worst open-wheel crash in history. Smiley was a cocky beginner and did not understand Indy car technique. When his back end slipped out, he turned into it like a short-track racer - the front wheels grabbed and sent him straight into the wall at 200 mph. The onsite doctor stated that a trail of brains led to the body. He'd been partially decapitated by the retaining fence. Every bone in his body was crushed. There's a reason Indy winners are typically 35+ years old.
antimatterXXXIII 2 years ago 3
you seen the tom pryce crash? brutal.
055697 2 years ago
not the camera angle i want to see it at tho the one on to of the building i think it is. that one ws absolutely horrible. poor 19 year old marshall but im still uncertian as to if the other driver tom's car hit died as well. i know they both went into the wall
justin0185 2 years ago
the other driver was the frenchman jacques laffite. he is alive and works for tv now i think.
055697 2 years ago
G-force trauma caused from a fighter jet crash is why F-14 pilots call their helmets, "brain buckets".
LesPaulCustom79 2 years ago
It is not the impact that kills you, it is the sudden stop and the G-forces pressing on your internal organs, your brain liquifying in your skull, and your neck vertebrae snapping like a twig.
LesPaulCustom79 2 years ago 2
When a human body stops suddenly, after hitting a concrete wall head-on going 200+ mph, the G-forces literally turn internal organs into jello.
LesPaulCustom79 2 years ago
Um... no. Basically, the force ripped him out of the car, and ripped his helmet off. Then, he slid a few hundred feet down the road, grinding off the top of his head. Parts of his skull and brain were all over the asphalt.
Obliverate15 2 years ago 2
Yeah he's fine.
YouthEnergy 2 years ago 6
This has been flagged as spam show
Whatever! Last winter I slid off the road too, in my Toyota Prius. And even though there was no damage to the car I thought it was pretty bad, and I walked away. Some guy had to pull me out, which was nice.(I guess) So I suppose that makes me a better driver then this guy. Seeing that we both got into horrible wrecks, but I was able to handle my car.
frothydrink 2 years ago
the worst racing car crash ever seen
ahmi94 2 years ago 28
@ahmi94 not at all
acuraboy101 1 year ago
@ahmi94 i previously thought this was bad until ths one
youtube.com/watch?v=9qLBjcZLHRE
DBDMotorsports 1 year ago
@ahmi94
me too man..
chouzouris 1 year ago
Cliner98 - These cars back then regained traction is a different way to modern single seater racing cars, due to the ground effect skirts on the cars. F1 cars had exactly the same issue also. They werent progressive at all when the rear end snapped loose, so regardless of how much lock you put in at high speed to correct a slide, the car wouldnt always react in the same way.
weallfollowmanutd 2 years ago
Even if a crash like that happened today, the SAFER barrier wouldn't save this guy's life...Head on at 200mph. There are just some crashes that technology can never be prepared for....this was one of those.
indyracingnut 2 years ago 6
The drivers knew back then, that there was a high chance of death and thus had to compensate at ultra high speeds.
weallfollowmanutd 2 years ago
glkarpicky - even if the left front wing was collapsing, 80% of the cars downforce was from the underneath of the car, due to the tremendous downforce the car had due to ground effect. The driver was told many times by fellow racers to stop making big corrections at high speeds. He didnt listen sadly. Another thing I heard from others on here, is the fact that drivers correct the car on ovals today, but comparing 1982 with 2009 is quite unbelieveable.
weallfollowmanutd 2 years ago
R.I.P Gordan, Bad month for motorsport that year with Gilles also
mybizuk 2 years ago 3
This has easily got to be the most horrific crash ever at Indianapolis.
indyracingnut 2 years ago 2
His left rear suspension collapsed, you can just see the wheel turning in; he had no chance to react.
jerryludlow 2 years ago
It's just just that you don't wanna be correcting a lock like that in a racing car on the corner of an oval circuit at almost 200mph...the poor poor bloke was unlucky but he took one f**k of a risk. And he had been warned not to do it.
krakenwave 2 years ago
still amazes me that is helmet flew off on impact.... clearest view of it is at 2:23
VanOstenMotorsports 2 years ago