An ode to the hanger
07/08/2014
It started harmlessly at the apex of the bend. A little too much oversteer, ,,,
... a little too late when counter-steering.
The Jaguar XK 120 turned too much towards the inside of the bend and left the track.
The adhesion values changed drastically on the grass.
The Jaguar really dug in ...
... threatened to roll over.
The driver must have already suspected the worst at this point. There was not much he could do now, just wait.
He was lucky. He didn't roll over, the car continued to turn.
And the driver was still in the car, presumably thanks to the seat belts attached to the roll bar. The rollover protection would presumably have protected the driver from the worst consequences of the accident even if the car had rolled over.
Even if we sometimes turn up our noses at these safety features, which severely disrupt the lines of a beautiful vehicle, we must also consider the safety benefits. As the series of pictures shown here clearly documents.
The scene was observed at the Le Mans Classic on July 5/6, 2014. A comprehensive report with many more master photos has already been published.
