33 replies to this topic

[Jimisgod]

This is a fairly absurd topic, but I suppose it might be of interest uncovering obscure events that have happened at racetracks.

 

I was at an indoor karting track when the helmet flew off one of the pilots and rolled along the track behind the vehicle for a distance before bouncing off a tyre barrier and into the crowd. The helmet was his own and apparently not well cared for as the chin strap had sheered through. Obviously on the straight, the air came through the opening, pushed it back and it took off with nothing to hold it there.

 

I suppose this may have been more common in the earlier years when open face helmets and even goggles with leather caps were more common. Were there any notable cases of drivers losing headgear while racing?

[Gabrci]

Lauda would be the obvious and most well-known example I think. 

[Tim Murray]

Then there's the well-known incident involving Tony Brise, Terry Ogilvie-Hardy and the infamous 'frangible bolt', as discussed in this earlier thread:

Griffin the pigeon..

[DutchQuicksilver]

Wasn't Button close to losing it back in Hockenheim 2004? I believe on the straights he had to hold onto to it keep it from falling off.

[GMACKIE]

My brand-new [open face] AGV helmet was torn off during this end-for-end roll at Oran Park, 1969. The Elfin F Vee was badly damaged, however, despite losing my helmet in the 'first bounce', I was not badly injured.

 

[Ray Bell]

Helmets with chin cups were a problem...

Paul Hamilton can tell a story similar to Greg's I suspect.

[D-Type]

When setting speed records in a Sunbeam Alpine on the Jabbeke Road, Sheila Van Damm had problems with the airflow getting under a loose fitting helmet and nearly strangling her.

Apart from freak circumstances like a strap breaking as described above I would expect that other cases of losing a helmet are all the result of accidents.

[Lee Nicolle]

I have seen it happen a few times. Most memorable was a midget driver who hit the wall gently and his helmet fell off and fell against the car as he stopped. Early 90s.

I can remember a solo rider at Rowley losing his helmet too though that was a fairly severe fall and tumble.

I once 'stood' a car on its nose at an off road event and my open face came forward enough to push my sunglasses right down on my nose and skun it nicely.  The event director saw the blood and nearly fainted! Though ofcourse it was only superficial damage. though the most blood I have ever shed in 45 plus years of motorsport. Preperation accidents not withstanding!

Helmet fitment is very important, plus doing the things up properly also. probably the midget drivers problem. I have seen no end of people putting helmets on with the strap very loose and it comes forward and can fall off. A good test of fitment actually, grab the helmet and pull it forward hard from the back, some will come off.

[lustigson]

I lost my helmet once when driving a go-kart.

It might have had something to do with me going into the tyre barriers.

[Paul Hamilton]

Helmets with chin cups were a problem...

Paul Hamilton can tell a story similar to Greg's I suspect.

I lost my helmet when I end for ended my F2 car following a suspension failure during a test day on the Warwick Farm short circuit back in 1973.  I was wearing a chin cup on the strap which provided a handy fulcrum point around which the helmet rotated forward off my head when it took a blow from the rear as the car went over.  

 

I don't recall the brand of the helmet but it was one of the very early full faced models and the first of that type which I used.  The chin cup was not original to the helmet but I had transferred it from my old Cromwell open faced helmet thinking that it could reduce the risk of neck injury which might be caused by the strap.  That thought had been motivated by knowledge of an incident in which another driver had sustained near fatal neck injuries caused by the strap.  The cup was, of course, never used again!!

 

The incident did have a rather gruesomely humorous side!!  I suffered minor head injuries and still have no recollection of the details but I was later told by AARC Secretary, the delightful Mary Packard, that potential rescuers had been a bit reluctant to approach the wrecked car as they had seen my bright red helmet bouncing down the road, I was unconscious and slumped forward within a high sided cockpit when the car came to rest right side up, and they thought initially that I had been decapitated.

[GMACKIE]

Similar to my end-for-ender, Paul. My open face AGV was rolled forward also, after 'doing its job' by taking the initial impact with the Oran Park straight. The helmet was quite badly damaged, and sent to CAMS for examination. Track marshals who saw it rolling down the track were similarly shocked !

 

After a couple of 'endos', and some barrel rolls, my Elfin landed upside-down. I could see a number of boots surrounding me, and politely asked for the car to be lifted off. "S..t, he's O.K." someone yelled, and after being released from my wrecked Vee, I thanked the startled group, and walked to the ambulance. Gary Campbell, who was involved in the accident, drove me to the hospital for a check-up. A few bits of 'bark' ff, but nothing broken. Neck's still a bit crook, otherwise all good. Used up all my good luck, though.

[Doug Nye]

I was driving one of the Donington Vanwalls at the Park in the later-'80s when I came out of Goddard's esses to be confronted by one Tommy Milton, an American visitor, broadside in front of me in what was at the time Ian Cummings's Ferrari Squalo. At that moment he mashed what he thought was the brake pedal, to spin the car to a safe halt. Sadly, he hit instead the central throttle pedal, which meant he blasted straight off into the left-side concrete wall, hitting it under max acceleration in second gear at about a 90-degree angle. He was thrown forward through the aero screen, the upper part of his body flat on the scuttle bodywork, then as the car rebounded his body was flung backward, shoulders flat against the top of the car's tail.  Whereupon his crash helmet flew off.  I vividly remember dodging past the crash scene in the Vanwall, glancing down to my left attracted by some peripheral movement, and there, bouncing along the road, was his crash helmet.  I was SO relieved to note instantly that it was empty.  Mr Milton survived the experience - with I think a broken rib, a severe battering, and a badly cut head.  In fact as I scrambled from the Vanwall and ran back to him I was aghast to see the white number disc on the side of the car's tail turning - from the top downwards - the same colour as the rest of the car, the driver was lying back unconscious, head on the tail, and bleeding so badly.  

 

He was quickly patched up and was conveyed to the Krankenhaus for X-rays and a thorough stitching.  And the unfortunate Squalo was eventually rebuilt...I believe at his expense.

 

The story could have been very different.  But one should always be very aware that larkin' about in old cars is great fun, but in a mere split second the fun can always change into something completely horrific. 

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 29 March 2016 - 23:16.

[Ray Bell]

Yours was a Shoei, I'm pretty sure Paul...

[cooper997]

Doug, just to clarify, would the then Ferrari owner be Australian, Ian Cummins - purveryor of D type Jaguar and the like?

 

Stephen

[Jacer]

Amaroo Park in the early 80's at a AARC event a Vee spun mid way through the loop. The following car hit the spun car side on in the right hand front wheel, the impact sending the helmet forward out the front of the car past the spun driver's head and rolling down the track. The guy in the spun car jumped out at the speed of light and ran towards the second car as he thought his head had come off! I really don't know what he intended to do when he got there though. It was an open face helmet that parted company not sure which brand. No injuries luckily to report other than embarrassment.

[rms]

I lost my helmet when I end for ended my F2 car following a suspension failure during a test day on the Warwick Farm short circuit back in 1973.  I was wearing a chin cup on the strap which provided a handy fulcrum point around which the helmet rotated forward off my head when it took a blow from the rear as the car went over.  

 

I don't recall the brand of the helmet but it was one of the very early full faced models and the first of that type which I used.

 

It's time to confess ! (forgive me Father)

 

1 ... I constructed the car that Paul was driving

2 ... There was a suspension failure ... and

3 ... I sold that helmet to Paul .... it was slightly large for my head (many will doubt that fact) and under acceleration/brakes was moving on my head, so new helmet required and sell the old one to Paul !

 

One other point ... as Paul is hair challenged .... his attempt at a green scalp (grass stains) was not becoming.

 

Erol

[Doug Nye]

Doug, just to clarify, would the then Ferrari owner be Australian, Ian Cummins - purveryor of D type Jaguar and the like?

 

Stephen

 

 

 

Yes - sorry if the 'g' with which I spelled his name is incorrect.     

 

As it turned out perhaps the worst part of that entire incident was when Ian was standing there, ashen faced, looking at the 3-foot shorter wreck of his car when Tom Wheatcroft strode up, took in the scene, slapped Ian heartily on the back and said "Tell you what Ian lad - I'll give yer thirty grand for it as it stands". I know Ian nearly decked him. That was a moment when sympathy or silence was required - neither being great Wheatie attributes...

 

And while we were just relieved and happy that Milton had survived...I am not sure if Ian shared that view.

 

DCN

[Lee Nicolle]

I was driving one of the Donington Vanwalls at the Park in the later-'80s when I came out of Goddard's esses to be confronted by one Tommy Milton, an American visitor, broadside in front of me in what was at the time Ian Cummings's Ferrari Squalo. At that moment he mashed what he thought was the brake pedal, to spin the car to a safe halt. Sadly, he hit instead the central throttle pedal, which meant he blasted straight off into the left-side concrete wall, hitting it under max acceleration in second gear at about a 90-degree angle. He was thrown forward through the aero screen, the upper part of his body flat on the scuttle bodywork, then as the car rebounded his body was flung backward, shoulders flat against the top of the car's tail.  Whereupon his crash helmet flew off.  I vividly remember dodging past the crash scene in the Vanwall, glancing down to my left attracted by some peripheral movement, and there, bouncing along the road, was his crash helmet.  I was SO relieved to note instantly that it was empty.  Mr Milton survived the experience - with I think a broken rib, a severe battering, and a badly cut head.  In fact as I scrambled from the Vanwall and ran back to him I was aghast to see the white number disc on the side of the car's tail turning - from the top downwards - the same colour as the rest of the car, the driver was lying back unconscious, head on the tail, and bleeding so badly.  

 

He was quickly patched up and was conveyed to the Krankenhaus for X-rays and a thorough stitching.  And the unfortunate Squalo was eventually rebuilt...I believe at his expense.

 

The story could have been very different.  But one should always be very aware that larkin' about in old cars is great fun, but in a mere split second the fun can always change into something completely horrific. 

 

DCN

I have heard of similar with far less consequences with people unused to centre throttle cars. My one experience after about half an hour and nearly did the same when a car shot out from a side street.

I forget what the car was, it was 30s? Euro something on a test drive to keep the thing running and I got my bum in the seat. After that I told the tester he could drive!

I have said this before,, uniform controls, though fairly hard to change the pedals though I am sure it has been done.

[Stephen W]

A drag racer taking part in the 1965 Woodvale event had his helmet fly off as he was about to cross the finishing line. For some reason Sydney Allard is in the back of my mind.

[D-Type]

By the way, what is the logic behind a central throttle?  Is it to facilitate "heel and toe" gear changing?

Edited by D-Type, 30 March 2016 - 12:01.

[Wirra]

I worked in helmet standards research in the 70s and recall studies around the dislodgement of helmets. IIRC the first study led to the banning of chin cups and encouraging users to 'do them up' sufficiently. Today I still see many road wearers with very loose straps. A further study was undertaken when it was found wearers were dying when the mass of the helmet and the forces involved were tearing their skulls off their spinal column, usually termed 'fracture to the base of the skull', yet their other injuries were very survivable. This was particularly evident in speedboat drivers who entered the water feet first and water rushed into their helmet. The research suggested 'frangible' fittings but the problem became how to determine breaking strains. I remember the use of cadavers was raised but there was no follow-up. It took another 30-40 years before someone thought of HANS for drivers but for motorcyclist it is still an issue.

 

I've made this comment before but it could be argued the dislodgement of Lauda's helmet saved his life!

Edited by Wirra, 30 March 2016 - 11:04.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posed by D-Type
By the way, what is the logic behind a central throttle?  Is it to facilitate "heel and toe" gear changing?

Well, double declutching while braking, yes...

[FLB]

Rich Vogler and Gilles Villeneuve both lost their helmets when they were killed. Didn't something likewise happen in the 1950s? The name Mario Alborghetti rings a bell?

[dgs]

According to "European Formula Libre" book published by Formula One Register at Eastern Counties M.C. Snetterton meeting held on 28th June 1952, Geoff Richardson (RRA) was disqualified from results for having lost his crash helmet. He had finished in 3rd position in the 15 lap race 

[f1steveuk]

I've had helmets move about, usually the type with "Beadall" liners, that have compressed, but it was never consistent, it depended on the car, the weather, if I was following somebody etc etc. But I always did the "roll forward" test when I got new ones, and the more modern the helmet, the thicker the padding which you have to squeeze your head in to. We ran a kart track at the museum I worked at, and people would always select a helmet that was too big, or not do it up properly, which was usually the reason they came off, though I remember one girl, who couldn't bear the thought of pulling a full face helmet over her head. As she was so slow, we allowed the use of an open face helmet, which she promptly put on backwards, and drove off..............................

 

Centre throttles. I recall a man coming to the museum to drive the Scuderia Alfa 8c, "SF31" (reg BGO). I asked if he was familiar with the arrangement, to which he got quite shirty with me. As we poodled through Jevington, he panicked when a car came the other way through a narrow part near the Eight Bells, and hit the "brake" hard. There after, he froze as the speed increased, so I lent across and switched the mag's off. When we stopped, I took some deep breaths, he threw up...................................

[FLB]

How about drivers who have willingly taken their helmets while driving? I remember Patrick Tambay doing it during the cooling-down lap at Zandvoort in 1983. Gerhard Berger did the same after winning at Estoril in 1989 and got in trouble with the FISA (Balestre).

[BRG]

IIRC the first study led to the banning of chin cups and encouraging users to 'do them up' sufficiently. 

One of my bugbears is TV shows and films were someone just bungs a helmet onto their head and drives/rides off with no attempt to fasten them at all.  Saves a few moments of filming of course and doing up a helmet strap is hardly great footage but it hardly sets a good example for the kids.  Or any else.

[GMACKIE]

One of my bugbears is TV shows and films were someone just bungs a helmet onto their head and drives/rides off with no attempt to fasten them at all.  Saves a few moments of filming of course and doing up a helmet strap is hardly great footage but it hardly sets a good example for the kids.  Or any else.

Thank goodness for that...I thought it was only me who was annoyed about that practice.

[DogEarred]

I'm sure I was told off more than once, being the callous youth I once was (instead of being the callous old git I now am) for taking my helmet off/opening my visor on a hot day on the slowing down lap.

 

Brings back an ugly memory for me:

I tangled wheels with another competitor one day at Donington Old Hairpin. I got on well with him & we were quite friendly.

His car roll over, the roll over bar snapped & I was sickened as I saw his open helmet rolling down the track. The car landed upside down with him in it.

Fearing the worse, I could not bring myself to go to his wreck & cowered by the side of the track.

I was greatly relieved, as he was being loaded in the ambulance, to see him give a wave.

 

Talking to him next day, he said he spent the night in hospital but was home & just bruised, thankfully.

 

 

I used one of those "frangible strap" Griffin helmets for a while but thought better of it & reverted to a Bell, which saw me through a couple of roll overs, thus preserving my brian in prefect wurking ordure...

Edited by DogEarred, 30 March 2016 - 20:11.

[Allan Lupton]

How about drivers who have willingly taken their helmets while driving? I remember Patrick Tambay doing it during the cooling-down lap at Zandvoort in 1983. Gerhard Berger did the same after winning at Estoril in 1989 and got in trouble with the FISA (Balestre).

'Twas quite common in the 1950s/60s as were other impossible (to modern thinking) acts on the cooling down lap, such as Mike Hawthorn stopping at a mashals' post to pick up a pint of beer and displaying and swigging it for the rest of the lap. There is even a photo in "Mon Ami Mate" of JMH bareheaded as he and JMF finish their side-by-side warming down lap at Reims in 1953.

[Rob G]

Rich Vogler and Gilles Villeneuve both lost their helmets when they were killed. Didn't something likewise happen in the 1950s? The name Mario Alborghetti rings a bell?

So did Gordon Smiley, although with the sheer violence of the accident and its accompanying forces, that was not surprising.

[Leif Snellman]

Chris Amon lost his visor at Monza 1971. Does that count?

 

Also, a fast picture search on the net shows an amazing number of drivers (E. Fittipaldi, Peterson, Laffite, Prost, Berger, Fisichella  etc.) without helmets getting a lift back to the pit after the race on another car. Of course its easy to understand why.  They have retired earlier, removed their helmet  and then they have to jump on in a rush. Still quite a risk!

[Nemo1965]

Chris Amon lost his visor at Monza 1971. Does that count?

 

Also, a fast picture search on the net shows an amazing number of drivers (E. Fittipaldi, Peterson, Laffite, Prost, Berger, Fisichella  etc.) without helmets getting a lift back to the pit after the race on another car. Of course its easy to understand why.  They have retired earlier, removed their helmet  and then they have to jump on in a rush. Still quite a risk!

 

He did not lose it. He tore it off, by accident, because he tried to do a tear-off. IMHO.

Edited by Nemo1965, 31 March 2016 - 15:50.

[Lee Nicolle]

Chris Amon lost his visor at Monza 1971. Does that count?

 

Also, a fast picture search on the net shows an amazing number of drivers (E. Fittipaldi, Peterson, Laffite, Prost, Berger, Fisichella  etc.) without helmets getting a lift back to the pit after the race on another car. Of course its easy to understand why.  They have retired earlier, removed their helmet  and then they have to jump on in a rush. Still quite a risk!

And Mark Webber in recent history too as swinger for Alonso.