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GREG MOORE'S FATAL CRASH
A race-car driver has to be perfectly fit, both mentally and physically, before a race. Sometimes, there are unforeseen circumstances that can change one's fate drastically. The same thing happened to a well-known Canadian race-car driver, Greg Moore. Greg Moore had won multiple races in the 1995 Indy Light series. Sadly, CART FedEx Championship was his last race. Moore was injured before the race when a vehicle knocked him off his scooter, injuring his right hand. He was supposed to be replaced by a backup driver, but he passed the doctor’s exam and was deemed fit for driving, with a hand brace, of course. Sadly, most likely due to his injury and/or hand brace, he lost control of his car at a high speed and crashed. Moore sustained massive head injuries and died. In his honor, there exists a trophy presented annually called the “Greg Moore Legacy Award.” His legacy lives on.
4
SOMETIMES, INSTINCTS CAN KILL
Rally races need the driver to be in fit condition to handle the powerful cars and tackle the treacherous roads. Henri Toivonen was a renowned Finnish Rally racer, who, at the age of 24, came to be known to be the youngest driver ever to win a world rally. Henri was no stranger to mishaps on the circuit. At one time, he was nearly paralyzed while racing at the Rally Costa Smeralda in 1985. His luck ran out when his car crashed on 2nd May 1986 on the Tour de Corse rally in Corsica. Henri was suffering from flu but still insisted on racing that fateful day. He and his navigator Sergio Cresto were in the 600 hp Lancia Group B car. The car was extremely powerful for the track and went out of control. The car fell into a ravine and landed on its roof. The car exploded, killing both Henri and Sergio on the spot.
3
ROLAND RATZENBERGER FATEFUL DAY
During a race, mistakes are made that don't seem drastic at the moment, but the result of it catches up with you, and then, it’s time to pay. The same happened to a race-car driver named "Roland Ratzenberger." Roland was a beloved driver in the motorsport industry. He was unfortunately killed during the qualifying round of the San Marino Grand Prix, the same event during which Ayrton Senna died a day later. Ronald veered off track and hit his front spoiler that provided the downforce to the car, but instead of going to the pits for repairs, he stayed on track to complete the race. During the straight run of the track, the front heavily damaged spoiler broke off and got under the vehicle. The debris resulted in loss of steering. Unable to turn in time, Roland hit the barrier at 314 km/h, which killed him instantly.
2
FATAL CONFUSION
This entry is a perfect example of how a small misjudgment on a driver's side can cause fatal consequences. Gilles Villeneuve was a Canadian race-car driver and had won six races with Ferrari. He was also well known for his exciting performances. On May 8th, 1982, Villeneuve was in the last qualifying lap, driving a Ferrari for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. Villeneuve wanted to overtake another car driven by Jochen Mass. Mass realized that and wanted to give way to the Ferrari since it was at speed (200-225 km/h). Mass turned to the left as he was giving way to Villeneuve, and the Ferrari also turned left to overtake Mass. This resulted in a collision from the rear, sending the Ferrari airborne and landing nose down. The crash killed him a few days later while he was in the hospital.
1
DEATH OF A LEGEND
Mille Miglia was an Italian race that tested the endurance of cars and drivers. It took place a total of 24 times from 1927 till 1957. The Mille Miglia is famous for being dangerous, and this was acknowledged by Alfonso ”Fon” de Portago. Alfonso was a Spanish race-car driver who died at the Mille Miglia. On 12 May 1957, Alfonso was preparing for the race at Mille Miglia. He was reportedly not concerned about his cars and the knowledge about how those machines worked. At the Mille Miglia, Alfonso was so keen on winning the race that he ignored to change the tires on his car. This caused one tire to burst while he was going 240 km/h. His Ferrari 335 S hurled over the onlookers, killing him and 9 other people. This was one of the reasons why the Mille Miglia was shut down.