Trivia: For the “Love” of Armco Edition
For better or worse (mostly worst) race tracks the world over featured Armco barriers to separate race cars from grandstands, trees and many other things that would cause harm to man, women, children and 8, 10 and 12 cylinder mechanical beasts.
With few exceptions Armco barriers have been relegated to the dustbin of history because of their proclivity at skewering a driver to his final demise faster than a jumbo prawn waiting to be shish kabobed on an Aussie’s Barbie.<div style=”clear:both;”
One of those exceptions is highlighted in the video below showing BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld taking flying laps on a circuit, the first time an F1 car has lapped its tarmac in 31 years. Below you will find a few hints as to the circuits identity.
- Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx are among those that dominated the track during its heyday.
- American Phil Hill became the first person to complete a lap in under 9 minutes driving a Ferrari 156 “Sharknose” in 1961.
- In 1967, a chicane was added before the start/finish straight in order to reduce speeds at the pit lane entry.
- In 1970, after the fatal crash of Piers Courage at Zandvoort drivers boycotted this speedway
- In 1971 the circuit was reconstructed by taking out some bumps and installing the [in]famous Armco safety barriers
- In 1976 Niki Lauda, then reigning world champion and only person ever to lap the full 22 kilometers in under 7 minutes called for a another boycott for safety reasons.
- The other drivers voted against the Lauda boycott and the race went ahead, ironically and tragically Lauda paid the price, as he crashed in his Ferrari and was badly burned in the resulting fire.
(NOTE to Peter, pay no nevermind to that last bullet point, it’s too much of a give away for you.)
As a special service to FT readers we will be offering your choice of one of two “prizes” for the first commenter that correctly identifies this speedway. If you are a NASCAR fan you can chose a copy of the sanctioning bodies Mythical Rulebook signed by HWSBO. It also comes with a limited edition Alternative Universe Teleporter
I know it would be logistically impossible for old Nurburgring & it’s 22km (!) length to accommodate a modern GP, but I was always disappointed with the modern one. How, with the amount of space & track the organisers had to work with, they ended up with the creation on offer is a mystery.
Marc, did you put this in as a punishment for my cruel Niki Lauda & the rabbit joke I posted?
Who me?!! Punish someone?!!!
Never… honest.
BTW, which “prize” are you selecting?
Marc do you find it at all ironic that one of the main changes that Jackie Stewart wanted implemented on Grand Prix circuits, when he became the spokesman for safety in F1, was more armco? The Nordschleife was thought top be too big to be lined sufficiently with the stuff. Nice vid.
Marc I don’t wish to be ungrateful, but as both of your prizes are totally useless i.e. NASCAR’s rule book & a direct feed to Bernie & Max voices, I will have to pass.
Your stats have shown me something I was unaware of, while everybody knows Niki did the course in under 7 minutes, can you imagine the size of Phil Hills balls to set a time under 9 minutes in a shark nose Ferrari in 1961? F**K me! talk about taking your life into your own hands.
Regarding Charlies question about the armco, I’m guessing Jackie thoughts were that armco was the only known or viable option at the time. Hitting the armco was probably seen as better than going off into the trees; as Charlie points out neither of those two options would be acceptable today.
BTW Peter, you doth protest too much.
When push comes to shove you failed to give the correct answer anyway, Charlie did. (Nordschleife) I thought I would overlook you asserting the track was “old Nurburgring” when in fact it was given a name.
Soooo THERE, whine about my “prize” selection all you want I’ll’ just send it along to Charlie and he can “enjoy” listening to Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.
AND… I’d say anyone that raced in any type of car be it NASCAR, F1 or Le Mans in the fifties thru the mid-sixties must all have had a set of balls the size of grapefruits.
YES! I WON! It’s not about the prizes. It’s about the competition. BTW. Just how big are your balls when you drive a race car without seat belts so that when you crash you are thrown away from the car so you don’t burn up in the combined gasoline-magnesium rolling coffin you helped build. Ask Mrs. Gurney.
Charlie… and it’s a bad thing to get tossed from your race car at 150mph?
Isn’t there a ride like that at Disney World?