Alright alright… while I’m digging out of snowbanks here’s a YouTube video from the (in)famous 1955 Le Mans to bide your time with. It features some digging too.
BTW: This is the first time I’ve ever seen the famed Mercedes SLR Air Brakes in action.
4 thoughts on “Hey Chuck, where’s the cars?”
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did not know about the huge air brakes on the Mercs! wonder how fast you were allowed to deploy them at
Jerome
No idea jerome. I’d read about them, but never seen a photo or film of them being used until now. They were used to provide some edge against the jaguars and their disc brakes and very light weight.
given the area of them you could imagine they might not be able to be used above a certain speed or fun might happen…
Jerome
Great video, Chuck!
Pains me when I see that terrible accident, though…:(
Here’s some random thoughts…
-*Always* wondered how to pronounce properly Ivor Bueb’s name!
-For some of the BEST ‘pillow talk’ of that era and its drivers, read Denise McCluggage’s book, “By Brooks Too Broad For Leaping.” I guarantee you will LOVE it!
It (and she) are two of the most undersung songs of what I consider the “Golden Age” of motorcar racing. She was equal in driving ability to a lot of those famous drivers, well-respected by them all: She’s sorta the Shirley MacLaine of the racy “Rat Pack!” I’m lucky to have had the oppo to talk to her and get a signed copy of her book. She lives in Santa Fe, NM, so that’ll help you locate it.
-When I see videos like this, it *almost* makes me wanna go vrooom, VROOOOM again…but not quite. At 52 and with my gimpy arms/hands/shoulders, I could no longer do a lot of what’s required of the ‘spacer.’ Sigh…at least I gots good memories!
-The air brakes, though they ~sorta~ helped, weren’t enough. M-B stuck with those GIGANTIC Al-Fin drum brakes WAY longer than they should have; IIRC, M-B even continued on w/drum brakes past 1955, before they ‘got it.’
-It’s a wuckin’ fonder they didn’t kill MORE drivers and spectators, back in those days!!! To see the track officials and spectators in ‘target zones,’ and nary a Jersey barrier in sight! No belts, leather helmets, sometimes short sleeves..Izod, natch.
-Ah, when drivers were fat and tires were skinny….:)