|
|
#1
|
||||
|
||||
Wow! I assume that was a non sanctioned event or an event to showcase dragracing?
I use to follow NHRA religiously when we had ESPN and TNN but now all I get is reruns, occasionally.
__________________
52 Topps cards. https://www.flickr.com/photos/144160280@N05/ http://www.net54baseball.com/album.php?albumid=922 |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Yes. It was March, 1969 at Yellow River Drag Strip, just east of Atlanta. Houston Platt loses control while racing Don Nicholson. I took the pic with a Polaroid camera.
__________________
Successful transactions with: Double-P-Enterprises, Thromdog, DavidBvintage, Desert Ice Sports, Kurtz Kardz, Cooperstown Sportscards, BBT206 and tenorvox! |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
I had never heard of this incident until you mentioned it here, even though I've been living in the Atlanta area over 30 years. So, out of curiosity I researched it some. To this day it is still the worst US racing disaster. Just a few clarifications: Huston Platt was racing Frank Oglesby, who was driving Don Nicholson's car, a Cougar. At the 1,000-foot mark, Platt heard a bang and let off the throttle and deployed the parachute. As this happened, an idiot in the crowd ran out onto the track to retrieve a beer can and was killed instantly when he was hit by the parachute. The impact to the parachute caused the car to veer wildly into the crowd, killing ten more people, injuring 40 more. One of the injured died a few days later in an Atlanta hospital, bringing the death total to 12.
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Maybe I don't remember correctly, I'll check into that. It took me an hour to find the newspaper clippings. I was wrong, 11 died that day. It's odd that you get something in your mind and you could swear that it was right, until you see it in writing.
__________________
Successful transactions with: Double-P-Enterprises, Thromdog, DavidBvintage, Desert Ice Sports, Kurtz Kardz, Cooperstown Sportscards, BBT206 and tenorvox! Last edited by BruceinGa; 05-15-2017 at 09:10 AM. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Don't feel bad, bro. The tragedy you've been recounting was flat-out bad, and in a disturbing way, parallels the '55 LeMans catastrophe in that spectators were jammed to the edge of the fence to get a better view. Looking directly right from where they were, they could see the speeding cars, for a few seconds, coming right at them....., just as the gentleman with the camera was, whose amazing footage was loaded up on You Tube, and linked here. ---Brian Powell Last edited by brian1961; 05-16-2017 at 11:45 AM. |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Vintage Auto Racing Autographs | indy500autographs | Autograph Forum- Primarily Sports | 0 | 12-28-2015 05:01 PM |
1988 Maxx Racing (MB) set | SmokyBurgess | Everything Else, Football, Non-Sports etc.. B/S/T | 0 | 09-09-2010 07:10 AM |
2 Vintage 1940's Horse Racing Postcards - CHEAP! | IronHorse2130 | Everything Else, Football, Non-Sports etc.. B/S/T | 4 | 04-11-2010 02:46 PM |
Horse Racing | HercDriver | Everything Else, Football, Non-Sports etc.. B/S/T | 1 | 06-19-2009 07:26 PM |
Horse Racing and Tennis | Archive | Everything Else, Football, Non-Sports etc.. B/S/T | 0 | 11-15-2008 06:17 PM |