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searching for mercedes racecar flying in air picture...

Discussion in 'Other German' started by juicert, May 2, 2004.

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  1. juicert

    juicert Rookie

    Mar 17, 2004
    46
    #1 juicert, May 2, 2004
    A few years back I saw a picture in a magazine of a mercedes racecar that had bad aerodynamics in it that caused it to take off into the air and flip end over end as the race course took a sharp drop in elevation ... it was flying 15-20 feet above the track ...

    Anyone have this pic, or perhaps other pics like it ?
     
  2. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

    Dec 11, 2002
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    Milton, Wash.
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    Jeff B.
    #2 Miltonian, May 2, 2004
  3. riverflyer

    riverflyer F1 Rookie

    Nov 26, 2003
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    #3 riverflyer, May 3, 2004
    Can you believe the driver walked from that accident. Wow, now there is a guy who is blessed!
     
  4. juicert

    juicert Rookie

    Mar 17, 2004
    46
    #4 juicert, May 3, 2004
  5. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

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    #5 Miltonian, May 3, 2004
    More than one Mercedes took flight at LeMans in 1999, and I believe a Jaguar did the same a few years before. Mark Donohue "flew" in a CanAm Porsche. I remember reading about a Japanese driver who was killed when his car took off and struck the spectator bridge above the track. There is usually some kind of contact between cars when they get airborne, but at such high speeds there have been many incidents of cars flying.
     
  6. Admiral Thrawn

    Admiral Thrawn F1 Rookie

    Jul 2, 2003
    3,932
    #6 Admiral Thrawn, May 3, 2004
    The same thing happened to Mark Webber when he was driving for Mercedes-Benz in the CLK-GTR a few years ago.

    It lost downforce, flipped up into the air, rotated 2 or 3 times, flew completely off the track and landed in a forest (somehow avoiding any trees!). I saw him being interviewed about the incident when he had just gotten into Formula One.
     
  7. Simon

    Simon Moderator
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    Aug 29, 2003
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    #7 Simon, May 3, 2004
    I was at Le Mans when Peter Dumbreck did his flip during the race in 1999. It was about 8 in the evening and we were eating. Lots of people had gathereed in the area where all the restaurants and food tents where. There was a large screen showing the race and when his car started flying there was a gasp and then the several thousand people stood there suddenly went quiet. Very wierd to witness.

    This, flip was a problem with the aerodynamics of the car at the time. It had happened twice in previous practice and qualifying sensions. After the race incident all the CLK GTR's were withdrawn by the team.

    Luckily for Dumbreck his car landed right way up, amongst some small trees, but in an area that had recently been cleared.
     
  8. Z0RR0

    Z0RR0 F1 Rookie

    Apr 11, 2004
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    Julien
    #8 Z0RR0, May 3, 2004
    A Porsche GT1 also took off in Road Atlanta. Just do a search on Kazaa and you will find it.
     
  9. SkizoACE

    SkizoACE Formula Junior

    Mar 24, 2004
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    Houston
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    Thomas
    #9 SkizoACE, May 3, 2004
    It happens pretty often. So much for German aerodynamics.
     

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