Short Video on Welsh Formula 1 Driver Tom Pryce.. Classic Formula 1 bios. Vintage Racers. Formula Phil. copyright infringement educational purposes. Classic Motorsport.
Thomas and I were born the same year. My racing career started when I took my first car, a1959 Triumph TR3, to Pacific Raceway in Washington state and spun it out in the chicane. The next time I got on a race track was at age 60 getting my first motorcycle racing license at Portland International Raceway. I got three podium finishes on my beloved Suzuki GSXR 1000 before a vicious crash in 2017. I’m 72 now and am heading back into land speed racing on a bike I designed and built. The desire Tom and I have will never die. I wish I had got to meet him.
I agree with you. Every accident, be it fatal or not fatal, should be available for people to watch so they can understand what happened. History is there to help us learn and not repeat the mistakes we made. R.I.P. the fallen F1 drivers.
One of many tragic deaths in not only formula one but motorsports as a whole. These guys really did drive by the seat of their pants, no computers, traction control, anti skid etc. Just power and skills. They had balls of steel. Pryce most definitely would of been one of the greats. It's a shame he's not more widely known purely due to the manner of his death which he was in no way responsible for. There was absolutely nothing he could of done to change the result. The fault lies with the Marshall who gave them the all clear to cross. He was the rain master way before anyone ever heard the name Michael Schumacher. R.I.P. Pryce.
I was there on the day, up the main straight, a few hundred meters before the pit area where the accident took place. Fortunately, we were unaware of anything until after the race when a moment of silence was announced. While van Vuuren was widely blamed for the accident, the two marshals (who could not spot oncoming cars due to the lower section just before the pits) were prompted to cross the track by another Marshall towards the pit entry, who must have misjudged the time his two colleagues would have to cross the track. Very, very sad...
Tom was just driving the normal racing line and in complete control of his car but had no reason to expect someone on the track and no chance to avoid them at the speed he was going behind another car, over a blind crest. The young marshall was just following the guy ahead too and was probably apprehensive about crossing the track. Never should have happened :(
My Uncle Trevor Williams was Tom's best mate, met Tom & his wife at uncle Trevs wedding - no airs & graces had his photo taken with everybody - truly great man
@@SupBro-ww9go I only met him once, really down to earth, mixed with everybody, no superstar status ideas, just an ordinary lad from North Wales who had an amazing ability to handle cars well at high speeds, not just F1 cars, my uncle tells a story of them ripping standard Ford Anglias around rural country lanes and mountain roads whilst being pursued by the local bobby in his panda car - they always got away! He didn't come from a rich family, (Unlike most of the F1 drivers today) his success was achieved by ability alone, My uncle is still alive & I'm sure he did an interview about Tom many years ago - I've seen it on RU-vid, but that was ages ago - Thanks for your interest - Best wishes, Glynne
Stuck has said that he still can't believe he survived, he missed the first marshal by less than an inch, and jinked by pure instinct to miss the second one by about the same.
The 1970''s is my favorite F1 era of all time. While I miss the drivers and cars of that era.....I do not miss the horrible accidents that era seems to have had. Tom was a favorite.....thanks
Thank you for this little documentary. I am a South African of Irish descent and Kyalami was not far from where I grew up. Although his accident was before my time, my mom and dad would often talk about it saying that they will never forget the day it happened. It was very traumatic for them. I stumbled onto his accident footage while watching other F1 documentary and then did a search, thus finging this video. I never though there would be footage of this accident. I am glad I got to see the footage so thank you for not holding it back, but also thank you for all the other info, now I know more about the man instead of just the accident.
I had arrived in SA a few months before,in my early twenties and seeing Africa.A pal asked me to go and we were in the grandstand opposite the pits.The pits were at the end of a long strait,the car speeds deceptive like tracer bullets coming up to a place meandering slowly then flashing past. It was fairly incident free,then a car on its own seemed in trouble the driver pulled in just in front of us,got out and started to make his way across to the pits as the main body of cars came up the track at a distance. The car burst into flame,the driver turned back and put his hand into the cockpit and appeared to operate an internal fire extinguisher.The fire went out. The driver realizing the cars were approaching fast stayed by his car. Inexplicably a marshal with an extinguisher ran across to put out the non fire,another in an act of impulse ran after him with an extinguisher .The cars were now upon them flashing past at incredible speed,the first marshal incredibly appeared to almost vault a car to get to the side.A car braked to stop hitting the second marshal a car directly behind pulled past him on the inside and hit the marshal.He went high in the air like a rag doll and landed by the side of the track. A few seconds later a groan from the crowd and some smoke on our side but further on, unclear possibly another crash ? It was the next day it became clear,the newspapers with photos of blood covered wreck ,flying fire extinguisher. etc. My first and last F1 race.
It’s easy to say this but I always wondered why Zorzi didn’t pull into the pits if he knew there was a problem with the fuel metering unit. It was one of Formula 1’s most horrific accidents. RIP Tom Pryce and also that poor marshal, So tragic.
I’m related to Tom Price on my father side, he was my father is a second cousin. I only found this out after my grandmother’s death. When Tom Price’s father was at her funeral, and I asked who it was. All my life, I’ve been a Formula One fan and did not realise I had a relation who was driver
A historical piece of F1 video regarding Welsh driver, Tom Pryce, who's life was shortened by the tragic accident at Kyalami in 1977. May he R.I.P. Never forgotten.
I was in the grandstand and personally witnessed the accident that day..and I remember watching the footage that night on SABC that showed both angles of the Marshall getting struck and shredded by Toms racecar, it was the most traumatic event broadcast in the short history of SABC which had only been in existence for a few years at that point in time.
I remember him at Mallory Park when I was marshalling myself in the early seventies. In 1982 I was racing regularly at Kyalami in Formula Fords. That part of the straight was near the start grid and uphill flat out. The cars crested the rise at the point of the accident so neither Marshal would have seen Price and he wouldn't have seen them either till too late.
@@navalhistoryhub3748 it may have to do partially with the gruesome nature of the fatal crash- or the fact that he wasn't a prolific winner (what could have been...). There's so many of these guys who don't get the recognition or memory they deserve truthfully.
Still can't understand how Zorzi and the marshall next to him stood there with no reaction witnessing the horror as if there was nothing special happening in front of them...
@@Richard-qu5vi Exactly, very few people have experienced (in person) something as graphically violent as that. It must shake you to the fucking core, I have no clue how I'd react to something like that a few feet away from me.
"Tengo miedo de la muerte, pero no tanto por mí sino por los seres queridos que dejaría" Tom Pryce "No hay nada que festejar porque murieron dos personas" "Con un Lotus, un McLaren o un Ferrari, Pryce sería campeón" Tony Southgate, diseñador de Shadow (En 1976) Niki Lauda, después del Gran Premio de Sudáfrica 1977 Saludos desde Venezuela ¡Descansa En Paz, Tom! "I am afraid of death, but not so much for myself but for the loved ones I would leave" Tom Pryce "With a Lotus, a McLaren or a Ferrari Pryce would be champion..." Tony Southgate Shadow ´ s designer (In 1976) "There is nothing to celebrate because two people died" Niki Lauda, after the 1977 South African Grand Prix Greetings from Venezuela. Rest In Peace, Tom!
that was the most info in less time I've ever gotten on that horrible unessasary crash..thank you for your research ...F1 fan since 78 long beach Terry
Thank you for showing the actual “crash” for Tom Pryce. I’ve been looking for any video on it but all they show is the first gory part with the poor young marshal. Also, I heard you say the body was headless. I had heard he was killed instantly but not decapitated. Did I hear that correctly? I miss watching him race. He was a real gentleman. RIP Tom
Yes that bit is incorrect. According to Wikipedia, the extinguisher impact pushed his chin strap through his neck and partly decapitated him, but his head was not completely off.
This is probably one of the most gruesome of all time. Watching a man turning almost literally to human sushi. To say the fire aide was "badly mutilated" is a bit conservative, to be sure.
I am from South Africa and I was 9 years old at the time and already a keen F1 fan. I remember the evening news showing footage of the accident over and over again... I think I was too young to fully comprehend the horror but I never forgot those images. My parents were totally shocked and people spoke about it for days. I still don't understand why Zorzi went back to the car after he got away. Sadly this probably prompted the marchals to make their fatal decision to cross the track. They were used to working local races, where the cars were much slower than F1. So they completely misjudged the speed. Terrible tragedy RIP to the victims. Great video thanks
I think that's the one man, I look forward to seeing that finished, also, I just read that there is a memorial fund for a statue in his hometown of Denbigh.
Oh how tragic but as you stated before the video began these men of f1 racing knew this danger of being killed...they gave their life for the race and the love...rip; to them all.
"Headless driver"? Come on, man. Unnecessarily and inaccurately graphic. Yeah, there was severe trauma... but it wasn't what you said. Thankfully you didn't include the footage of everything that came afterward. It was tragic...and shamefully the race continued on. Different times.
I wish people would stop talking about this fucking accident. I don’t want to see any more pictures of that abomination. I want to see what he was like as a driver. At least you had the good manners to warn viewers so thanks but I stopped as soon as you said it.