"The shunt to end all shunts" Riverside GTP

Eric Johnson · 03-25-08, 09:37 PM

This is extremely rare footage of the accident involving Lynn St James, Doc Bundy and Chip Robinson in one of the last sportscar races held at Riverside.

Hold on! YouTube - 1986 IMSA GTP - Riverside crash

Simon · 03-26-08, 02:49 AM

Hmmmm, not my cup of tea to be honest. Can't see the attraction in viewing destruction and injury. Hope the drivers got out ok.
Simon

Malcolm · 03-26-08, 04:49 AM

All drivers walked away unhurt. Shaken perhaps?

Eric Johnson · 03-26-08, 07:25 AM

Sorry Simon,

No one was injured.Unfortunately, there is not a lot of archived video of GTP racing around and I don't know why. Speedvision (now SpeedTv) was in it's infancy at the time and televised just about every GTP race back then. The cars were just fantastic. I guess the series was our generations "Cam Am".

Two great commentators can be heard on the clip.Bob Varsha, who has to now cover Nascar and the underrated Bill Adam, a racer who competed in the series sporadically.

Again, sorry to all .I didn't mean to offend in any way.I knew that no one was hurt.

J. Salmon · 03-26-08, 08:01 AM

It's worth watching to see what happens when the Jag is backward. I could imagine a 917 doing the same thing. That turned a simple spin into an incredible ride.

Eric Johnson · 03-26-08, 08:09 AM

Correction : The early GTP races were initially televised by ESPN not Speedvision

Pat Buckley · 03-26-08, 10:16 AM

I think you titled it correctly and the last time I checked I still had the ability to make a decision as to whether or not I wanted to see a video of a crash....

I remember watching that on TV live and thought for sure we would have more than a few casualties - not just the drivers but from the spectator area.

Lucky, lucky deal.

It reminded me of Richard Petty's crash at Daytona (or Talledega?) when he almost went into the crowd....

Peter Jankovskis · 03-26-08, 11:48 AM

I was at the event and saw it live. Very frightening. A similar shunt occurred in the same area two years in a row. It was a very tricky corner because you funneled from a wide straight down to a single car line very quickly.

Steve Briscoe · 03-27-08, 08:09 AM

A frame by frame study of the cars right before the crash gives some good information about lines to an apex and what will\will not work.

Thanks,
Steve

Brian Hamilton · 03-27-08, 12:38 PM

Ouchies!! Makes you remember the flying Porsche's and Mercedes' of the 90's LeMans races. Sux to see beautiful cars destroyed.

Eric Johnson · 03-27-08, 12:54 PM

Or...John Morton's Nissan GTP taking to the skies at Lime Rock which led to the chicane being installed at the uphill section.

John · 04-05-08, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salmjo1

It's worth watching to see what happens when the Jag is backward. I could imagine a 917 doing the same thing. That turned a simple spin into an incredible ride.

I'm not sure that 917's could do this. These GTP cars had massive ground effects tunnels along with their highly developed wings, which made the cars fly when turned around. Maybe the latter can-am 917's with their big wing; but i think, the le mans cars, even though they have a rear end that looks like it would trap air if turned around, wouldnt produce lift. The rear bodywork would probably fly off before that.