Patrick Bedard Indianapolis 1984 Crash LIVE

[kingofrunescapepking]

Bob Jenkins on the radio call?

[goomba1982]

great job on the high quality vid there at the end, way better than the crappy tv feed they had going, yes smiley's accident was way worse than this one but very similar to wheldons as the catch fence is probably the most dangerous part of the track now as well as pit entry, they are now looking into how to make these parts of the track safer

[MrJemer1234]

First time I've seen this accident since I saw it live in 1984. I was sitting in about the 10th row between Turn 3 and 4 and still vividly remember the details. Small fish tailing of the back end followed by a crash into the inner wall. It was an overcast day and this crash made things darker. Was certain it was fatal and am thankful I was wrong.

[devildog881966]

I really don't think that Smiley would have survived if he'd been in a tub made of diamond. The angle that he went in and all that, he *MIGHT* have survived if he had a CF tub AND SAFER barrier to impact.

[localcrew]

Jackie Stewart has an asymmetrical face. He sure could drive though.

[smitchix1]

how can Jim McKay say "one of the worst accidents we've seen", then mention Sneva and Ongias (which were bad accidents), but overlook Gordon Smiley just 2 years earlier? None of those crashes compare to Smiley's. Smiley's car disappeared basically.

[ProfessorIgor]

@infantryofficer they didn't have "capsules" in 1982... it was a monocoque chassis comprised of welded, rivited & glued sheets of aluminum. The carbon fibre "tub" didn't find it's way to indy until about 87.. STILL wouldn't have saved Smiley's life though.

[gcmc2]

@ProfessorIgor Carbon tub may have saved Smiley. Recent years have shed new light on the G forces the human can absorb. Some have survived huge accidents into concrete walls. ( Nelson Piquet at Indy for instance ) The impact was huge and perpendicular, yet his injuries ( although horrific ) were confined to his feet & lower legs. Fuel explosions also much less common. btw sheeting not welded in tubs. Bulkheads are usually chrome molly - sheeting is bonded rivetted duralium & such exotics.

[PorygonFanatics]

@infantryofficer Survival capsules don't guard against catch fence decapitations.

[mmatom1407]

Yea chips crash was at Michigan with little al

[zackfan]

WOW! He walked away from that? Are you kidding me!!

[altfactor]

Had this been a few years earlier, Bedarad would have been killed instantly.

By the 1980's, Indy cars had "survival capsules".

It's interesting that driver-turned-owner Chip Ganassi appeared at the end of this clip, for he also had a similar accident, and his life was saved by a similar 'survival capsule".

[QuikdrawlMcgraw]

sam posey has an always has SUCKS he is the most uninfromed commentator ever even to thsi day i turn off formula one when he comes on in prerace with his useless banter

[wildarms007]

@QuikdrawlMcgraw Go play with yourself.

[cameron197040]

bahahahahaaaaaa look how young Sir Jackie Stewart is... lol

[theeviltwaz]

Thanks for this. A very lucky guy - Sam Posey for one, thought Bedard wouldn't walk away from that.

[altfactor]

Thanks for also including the radio call in one of the replays.

[altfactor]

This was not broadcst live in the United States, although I believe it was shown live in parts of Europe, and maybe in Canada and Mexico, too.

Back then, ABC's broadcast the Indianapolis 500 as an edited tape on the evening of the race.

[CoachVCard4life]

The year before this, Bedard was involved in a accident with Tom Sneva during the Michigan 500 during a yellow flag. It cost Sneva a chance at the "triple crown" (Sneva had already win Indy & Pocono). Sneva said in an interview right after the accident "we have guys out here that should be writing about racing instead of being out here."

[hellsbells3084]

I was there!!Seen it happen. My dad still has the pictures

[IndyGlenn]

Pat Bedard survived this accident to continue to write for Car and Driver until late 2009 after 42 years with them. He was a very lucky man that day in 1984.

[CourtyardPigeon]

He is still alive? Is he Chuck Norris?

[jbracer86]

Similar to Greg Moore's fatal accident. A car crashing into the infield wall and flipping violently to a stop in the infiels.

[kevintje82onboard]

@jbracer86 Seeing this i think the only difference is that mr. Moore hit his head against the wall R.I.P

[vuetube]

Remember this horrific crash we thought he was killed until they announced later he was alive. Lucky they started using monocoque cockpits by then. Interresting listening to Jackie Stewart from F1, which was in some ways much more dangerous than Indycar, at least because of track safety or lack thereof. He talks about the classic argument of racing ages: slowing the cars down. I'm sure when they first hit 100 mph the same was said.

[GreyBull88]

@vuetube Not sure if F1 was more dangerous back then. I belive they already all had monocoques by 1984. "Only" 3 drivers got killed between 1984 and today.

[texaskev09]

Sir Stewart did a lot of TV color for CART (Indy type cars) and F1 back in the day. Early to mid 80s mostely. This was my favorite line up , Paul Page, Sam Posey and Jacky Stewart. Gold!

[texaskev09]

Pat was a racing reporter. His first story after this crash he wrote that "the car had been trying to kill him all day".

[mrmootheirrev]

@texaskev09

It lost.

[urmo345]

How he survide this is a mystery

[themusicman1970]

Saw it live as we were sitting in turn 4 all those years ago. Nothing short of a miracle that he walked away from that one. Thank God.

[afannell]

@1969captainron

He's a good writing but had no business in an Indy Car!

[jraybay]

wtf is jackie stewart doing on abc? D:

[Jorge1Jigen]

Bedard was one lucky cat...nine lives baby. I also enjoy hearing Jim McKay doing these old 500's especially since he didn't like racing much, ABC just wanted their lead anchor there. McKay was disturbed by the deaths in 1973 and 1982 understandably. I also kinda think he viewed race drivers as wreckless draft dodging hippies anyway, he used to complain on air about their mustaches, sideburns, long hair, and sunglasses too.

[stever411]

How seriously was he injured?

[BillClausen]

@stever411 A concussion and a broken jaw but no other injuries.

[urmo345]

@BillClausen jesus how lucky!

[20alphabet]

Thank God he wasn't killed!

[indyjim1969]

This happened right in front of us in Stand J. At the time, I was convinced we had just seen a driver lose his life.

[Senninha70]

Thanks for posting this. I've been looking for it for years. This is the first major crash I ever remember watching in Indy-style racing.  Pat Bedard was a buffoon to think a magazine writer could race Indy just for shits and giggles. Fortunately, this crash knocked some sense into him and he "retired" from driving and stuck with what he knew... writing about driving.

[20alphabet]

Buffoon? He was an excellent driver whose skills were respected by the other drivers. Escort would not have sponsored a buffoon, nor would have any of his other sponsors. So to summarize your reasoning, if one has another career, stay off the track. Hmm. Anyway, look at his record prior to this crash and it's pretty good all in all. (Better than mine, for sure).

[word360]

VERY violent crash! You can tell that the commemtators thought that he was dead right away.

I also agree with Jackie Stewart's comments.

[24jeffgordan88JRfan]

HOLY CRAP!!!! that poor guy that all happnes so fast