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[dbug]

Just watched GP:The Killer Years on BBC4, and saw the distressing video of a good friend of mine, Roger Williamson, being burned to death at the F1 Dutch GP at Zandvoort in '73.  It was beyond belief watching it again to see marshals standing about just looking, doing nothing, only David Purley trying everything to save Roger.  The accident was caused by a blown tyre, and he was more or less unhurt - he died of asphyxiation trapped underneath a burning overturned car.

Used to race Roger many moons ago at Mallory Park, and other circuits, back in the late '60s - his Holbay Anglia against my 1293 "S" - had some interesting "coming togethers", and managed to beat him a few times.

Very, very sad - the loss of a potentially future F1 champion.

[Nickbat]

8

Just watched GP:The Killer Years on BBC4, and saw the distressing video of a good friend of mine, Roger Williamson, being burned to death at the F1 Dutch GP at Zandvoort in '73.  It was beyond belief watching it again to see marshals standing about just looking, doing nothing, only David Purley trying everything to save Roger.  The accident was caused by a blown tyre, and he was more or less unhurt - he died of asphyxiation trapped underneath a burning overturned car.

Used to race Roger many moons ago at Mallory Park, and other circuits, back in the late '60s - his Holbay Anglia against my 1293 "S" - had some interesting "coming togethers", and managed to beat him a few times.

Very, very sad - the loss of a potentially future F1 champion.

Missed that, but watched Roger a number of times at Brands.

Motor racing was extremely dangerous in those days, but there's no point in thinking "if only". The marshals were brave, but not stupid. These days fuel cells are designed in such a way as to not cause the conflagrations that happened then. Yes, there were sad events, but also a lot of non-PC fun – admirably provided by some who are no longer with us.

[dbug]

8

Just watched GP:The Killer Years on BBC4, and saw the distressing video of a good friend of mine, Roger Williamson, being burned to death at the F1 Dutch GP at Zandvoort in '73.  It was beyond belief watching it again to see marshals standing about just looking, doing nothing, only David Purley trying everything to save Roger.  The accident was caused by a blown tyre, and he was more or less unhurt - he died of asphyxiation trapped underneath a burning overturned car.

Used to race Roger many moons ago at Mallory Park, and other circuits, back in the late '60s - his Holbay Anglia against my 1293 "S" - had some interesting "coming togethers", and managed to beat him a few times.

Very, very sad - the loss of a potentially future F1 champion.

Missed that, but watched Roger a number of times at Brands.

Motor racing was extremely dangerous in those days, but there's no point in thinking "if only". The marshals were brave, but not stupid. These days fuel cells are designed in such a way as to not cause the conflagrations that happened then. Yes, there were sad events, but also a lot of non-PC fun – admirably provided by some who are no longer with us.

Yep Brands, and Silverstone, were among the circuits we drove back then.  Roger was lucky, his family had a transport/coach company in Leicester, and he used a converted coach to transport his racer + kit to meets - us less well heeled people used to haul ours on trailers (used my TR4 as a tow car on a few occasions) or if local drove the racer to the circuit (mine was sort of road legal, was taxed, MOT'd and insured for road use).

Those were the days, but as said, racing was dangerous then.

[plym ian]

I watched it to. I'm to young to remember them years but looked totally dangerous by today's standards, they truly were proper drivers back then by the look of it

Also watched the programme after tg about the 1976 season with the hunt v lauda battle very intresting indeed