View Full Version : Henry Surtees
18 year old son of '64 World Champ John Surtees died of head injuries sustained in the F-2 race at Brands Hatch. :(
It didn`t seem so bad on video...sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTDiYS1NVW4
cameraman
07-19-09, 09:59 PM
Hit in the head by a bouncing wheel/tire from another driver's crash.
:shakehead:(
His visor is open.
RIP :(
So sad, such a young kid killed. In slow motion video, you see that the up-right/ suspension piece hit him and not the tire/wheel it self. That video also on youtube.
It's crazy when you consider that his father survived the deadlist era of motorcycle & auto racing and his 18 year-old son is killed in such a freak accident.
The question has to be answered why the car's wheel fly off like that, and why did Clarke's car bounce off the tire wall like it did. He almost went back in the path of the other cars. A proper run-off, sand trap, tire wall and wheel theathering system could have prevented this tragedy. :shakehead
opinionated ow
07-19-09, 11:48 PM
So sad, such a young kid killed. In slow motion video, you see that the up-right/ suspension piece hit him and not the tire/wheel it self. That video also on youtube.
It's crazy when you consider that his father survived the deadlist era of motorcycle & auto racing and his 18 year-old son is killed in such a freak accident.
The question has to be answered why the car's wheel fly off like that, and why did Clarke's car bounce off the tire wall like it did. He almost went back in the path of the other cars. A proper run-off, sand trap, tire wall and wheel theathering system could have prevented this tragedy. :shakehead
According to grandprix.com (http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21654.html) the cars are equipped with wheel tethers.
According to grandprix.com (http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21654.html) the cars are equipped with wheel tethers.
Interesting. Because even the rear wheel flew off Henry's car after he made contact with the barriers. I think it's safe to say that those tethers don't work! :saywhat:
opinionated ow
07-20-09, 01:43 AM
Interesting. Because even the rear wheel flew off Henry's car after he made contact with the barriers. I think it's safe to say that those tethers don't work! :saywhat:
I can't bring myself to watch it. If it hadn't been fatal I might...but I just can't do it so I can't comment.
FCYTravis
07-20-09, 03:43 AM
I can't see any tethers either.
I have yet to see any tether design that works 100% of the time. I've see shunts were they did work, but just as often it seems a wheel gets launched or the whole assembly comes loose.
grungex
07-20-09, 10:32 AM
Tethers don't hold the wheel itself, so if it breaks off the hub or upright there's nothing to prevent it.
miatanut
07-20-09, 12:05 PM
I have yet to see any tether design that works 100% of the time. I've see shunts were they did work, but just as often it seems a wheel gets launched or the whole assembly comes loose.
Yes. It seems like they work about 50% of the time. Can't they do better than that?
Tethers don't hold the wheel itself, so if it breaks off the hub or upright there's nothing to prevent it.
Yes, but it's routine to see one with all the suspension pieces attached. I remember an accident in one of the first 3 F1 races this year, Force India or some other bottom end car, which didn't go all that fast into a soft barrier, and the wheel with all these spears projecting out of it were sitting separate from the car.
TrueBrit
07-20-09, 12:48 PM
Man that sucks.....:(
oddlycalm
07-20-09, 01:08 PM
:( No words.
oc
Trevor Longman
07-20-09, 01:21 PM
odd... Yesterday at around 2 I went on autosport.com and saw that he had been injured but was in stable condition. Then last night I checked again and I was shocked to see that he had died. Such a shame that this great young talent died and in such a freak accident no less. RIP Henry :(
High Sided
07-20-09, 02:11 PM
r.i.p. henry :(
TravelGal
07-20-09, 02:45 PM
Just awful. You can imagine how is dad feels. To have a son late in life and see his talent blossom where yours did and then lose him.
One article said it was the day after his first F2 podium. Reminds me of Nick Adenhart of the Angels baseball team. So cruel.
Some sites are saying that it was not the impact of the tire but the crash that followed. Cameraman says it was a previous crash. Either way, it would not have happened without the tire hitting him but it seems like two freak accidents creating an impossible situation. I can only speculate, however, because like OOW, I can't bring myself to watch the video.
I watched it yesterday and I'd be really surprised if he wasn't killed by the tire.
Michaelhatesfans
07-20-09, 06:15 PM
The mark on the visor is pretty tell tale.
My thoughts for his family.:(
oddlycalm
07-21-09, 02:10 PM
It's crazy when you consider that his father survived the deadlist era of motorcycle & auto racing and his 18 year-old son is killed in such a freak accident.
Yes, that struck me as well. Surviving public road venues like the Isle of Man, Spa and Nurburgring wearing nothing but a pudding bowl helmet and goggles then losing his son in a modern F2 race just defies all logic. :shakehead
It was similar sad irony when Surtees driver Mike Hailwood was killed by a truck making an illegal turn while out for dinner with his kids in the family Rover after winning every FIM motorcycle title in sight and driving in F1 and F2. :(
oc
Ahhh...Mike The Bike...I remember him welll...and Mike Hawthorn, '58 world champ for Ferrari died in a highway crash also. Who was he "racing" at the time?...some other well known racing figure as I recall, have forgotten who it was.
Palmer really needs to look around a little bit and improve safety on his series, his cars and his track.
1) The rear wheels (Clarke's & Surtees for that matter should not have torn off like that. Look at crashes in the Earl for that matter, wheels never fly off like that. Look at Patrick-Matos at St.Pete for example.
2) Clarke's car bounced off the wall and almost ended up in the middle of the track. Where were the sand trap? Why didn't the tires absord the impact? And, why is the run-off decreasing like that?
Palmer and his organization need to get his stuff together. :saywhat:
Michaelhatesfans
07-21-09, 08:00 PM
Mike Hawthorn, '58 world champ for Ferrari died in a highway crash also. Who was he "racing" at the time
Rob Walker.
cameraman
07-21-09, 08:02 PM
2) Clarke's car bounced off the wall and almost ended up in the middle of the track. Where were the sand trap? Why didn't the tires absord the impact? And, why is the run-off decreasing like that?
The track has had that exact configuration for the last 20 years. The last changes were made in 1988 when they tightened up Westfield Bend but the position of the barriers date back to the construction of the track in 1959. It isn't like they just threw the track together for a weekend event.
The tire barrier did absorb the impact. Light cars tend to bounce off of tire barriers. They do that everywhere.
It is true that CCWS did not run on that portion of the track when they ran at Brands Hatch. They had issues with the design of the full length track, could be they did not like that corner.
The Brands GP configuration is definitely not an FIA Grade 1 track, it is real fast and lacks runoff. It would fit right in here in North America.
CCWS used the Brands Indy configuration which cuts out the two long fast sections that make the GP configuration. A1GP however has used the GP circuit when at Brands.
opinionated ow
07-21-09, 10:16 PM
Palmer really needs to look around a little bit and improve safety on his series, his cars and his track.
1) The rear wheels (Clarke's & Surtees for that matter should not have torn off like that. Look at crashes in the Earl for that matter, wheels never fly off like that. Look at Patrick-Matos at St.Pete for example.
2) Clarke's car bounced off the wall and almost ended up in the middle of the track. Where were the sand trap? Why didn't the tires absord the impact? And, why is the run-off decreasing like that?
Palmer and his organization need to get his stuff together. :saywhat:
I don't think that is fair to Jonathan Palmer. The cars were designed by Williams F1 and surpass the last set of Formula One crash tests. The track meets FIA Grade 2 which is the requirement to run basically any international series except Formula 1.
Rogue Leader
07-22-09, 07:34 AM
Yes, that struck me as well. Surviving public road venues like the Isle of Man, Spa and Nurburgring wearing nothing but a pudding bowl helmet and goggles then losing his son in a modern F2 race just defies all logic. :shakehead
It was similar sad irony when Surtees driver Mike Hailwood was killed by a truck making an illegal turn while out for dinner with his kids in the family Rover after winning every FIM motorcycle title in sight and driving in F1 and F2. :(
oc
Who was the old driver killed on his Bicycle a few years ago?
Methanolandbrats
07-22-09, 08:22 AM
Who was the old driver killed on his Bicycle a few years ago?
Bob Wollek
chop456
07-22-09, 08:38 AM
The track meets FIA Grade 2 which is the requirement to run basically any international series except Formula 1.
So it's Mosley's fault.
Johnathan Palmer's statment on Autosport (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77102)
Johnathan Palmer's statment on Autosport (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77102)
That's actually a very good read, on a really sad accident.
:(
The track has had that exact configuration for the last 20 years. The last changes were made in 1988 when they tightened up Westfield Bend but the position of the barriers date back to the construction of the track in 1959. It isn't like they just threw the track together for a weekend event.
The tire barrier did absorb the impact. Light cars tend to bounce off of tire barriers. They do that everywhere.
It is true that CCWS did not run on that portion of the track when they ran at Brands Hatch. They had issues with the design of the full length track, could be they did not like that corner.
I know it's been there quite a while. I've been there quite a few times myself, even the 2003 Champcar race. i don't think the F2 is considered a 'light' car like a FFord or even F3. The car should never have bounced that far after hiting the tires. Maybe it's the rubber deal they have covering up the tires that caused this. I don't know. But, I remember this being an issue at Lime Rock @ the diving turn (last corner), before they solved the issue with some more gravel trap. They have a gravel @ Dingle Bell, they should add one @ Westfield.
Tifosi24
07-22-09, 10:25 PM
I might be in left field on this one, but if I remember correctly the planning authority where Brands is located is beyond crazy, so even small modifications, like increasing the runoff at Westfield may be a non-starter, or require years of red tape.
I might be in left field on this one, but if I remember correctly the planning authority where Brands is located is beyond crazy, so even small modifications, like increasing the runoff at Westfield may be a non-starter, or require years of red tape.
That would explain a lot.
TrueBrit
07-23-09, 04:05 PM
I might be in left field on this one, but if I remember correctly the planning authority where Brands is located is beyond crazy, so even small modifications, like increasing the runoff at Westfield may be a non-starter, or require years of red tape.
You are correct. The track is bang in the middle of the 'Green Belt' and there are houses directly behind the GP circuit so improvements are very difficult. The proposed 'new' Brands Hatch that was circulated for a while a few years back would have resulted in moving the main pits to Pilgrim's Drop on the GP circuit, and the removal of hundreds and hundreds of trees that were centuries old....that plan was dead before it even got off the ground...not a bad thing in my mind because the new design looked bloody awful...
FCYTravis
07-24-09, 12:43 PM
i don't think the F2 is considered a 'light' car like a FFord or even F3.
The F2 weighs only 20 kg more than an F3 - 570 kg.
Steve99
07-24-09, 02:40 PM
So sad. Is this the first season for the new F2?
The previous video link doesn't work anymore, but I did find this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6zKHMRMRbQ
Edit: This video seems less compressed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itxgfaFNP8g
opinionated ow
07-25-09, 09:37 AM
So sad. Is this the first season for the new F2?
The previous video link doesn't work anymore, but I did find this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6zKHMRMRbQ
Edit: This video seems less compressed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itxgfaFNP8g
Yes...and it is another s*** spec series
Insomniac
07-30-09, 11:43 PM
I believe the tethers must withstand a certain force only. That is why we still see tires coming off cars. They weren't intended to fully eliminate tires from flying, but to reduce the force they have if/when they come off. This and Massa's accident are sad reminders that despite all the gains in safety, racing is still so dangerous.
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