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RE: Speed differentials - Le Mans Catastrophe

To: "'Jeremy Braithwaite'" <atroz@compuserve.com>, vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Speed differentials - Le Mans Catastrophe
From: Jim Hill <Jim_Hill@chsra.wisc.edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 16:06:57 -0600
Jeremy Braithwaite wrote:

> Macklin must have been day dreaming when Hawthorn 
> passed him and braked for the pits.  He only had to keep 
> his foot on the throttle and steer round the Jaguar . . .
> but Macklin should have been able to cope with the 
> situation if he'd been on the ball.

> The speed differential of the cars did not contribute to the accident.

While I have all the respect in the world for the opinions expressed on this
point (and speed differentials generally), the fact is that not everyone
uses their mirrors properly - especially when confronted with an unexpected
situation like a car suddenly swerving in front of you under hard braking on
a straight. We could--and should--be better of course, but after more than
80 years of using rear-view mirrors on racing cars, incidents like this
still happen on occasion.

And when they do, it would be hard to convince me that a significant speed
differential does not contribute to the severity of the resulting accident.

Jim Hill
Madison WI

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