Firsts and Lasts in Motorsports

[Stan Reid]

Perhaps the first motorsports fatality was on July 28 of 1852. The steamboat Henry Clay under Captain Thomas Collyer was racing the Armenia, another steamboat Captained by Isaac Smith, down the Hudson River out of Albany. An overheating boiler set the Henry Clay on fire. The boat was intentionally grounded and most aboard survived but 81 of the craft's passengers died either in the fire or from drowning.

[Steve Boyd]

Perhaps the first motorsports fatality was on July 28 of 1852. The steamboat Henry Clay under Captain Thomas Collyer was racing the Armenia, another steamboat Captained by Isaac Smith, down the Hudson River out of Albany. An overheating boiler set the Henry Clay on fire. The boat was intentionally grounded and most aboard survived but 81 of the craft's passengers died either in the fire or from drowning.

Not if you are counting the Rainhill Trials!
Member of Parliament William Huskisson was run over by the Rocket & fatally injured during those Trials. Despite being rushed to hospital by Rocket he later died of his injuries. There is a trackside memorial at the site of the accident. His death is also widely acknowledged to be the first passenger railway fatality.

[Stan Reid]

He was killed at an event dedicated to opening the track, yes.

[Stan Reid]

This is pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ROrZeiSvU

[Stan Reid]

This is what a 60 degree (at the top) banked turn looks like.racetracks_main.jpg

[jens]

I am not convinced it was the 'first' (haven't checked), but Auto Union had a ground effects racing car already around 1937-1938. Four decades before the famous Colin Chapman innovation!

[Stan Reid]

Actually, the turns look like they are in pretty good shape so do some patching and grinding then add some safer barriers above the rim and put it on the Indy Car schedule. It's nice and wide.

[D-Type]

There was the race on the Narragansett Park horse race track in Cranston, Rhode Island, USA in September 1896. This is claimed as the first race on a track in the USA, and probably in the world.

[Stan Reid]

As best I can find, the 4 motorsports accidents that killed more than 10 people:

4-(11)-1957 Mille Miglia-Driver Alfonzo de Portago, his navigator and 9 spectators
3-(11)-2011 Reno Air Races-Pilot James Leeward and 10 spectators
2-(16)-1961 Italian Grand Prix-Driver Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators
1-(84)-1955 Le Mans 24 Hour-Driver Pierre Lavegh and 83 spectators

[D28]

As best I can find, the 4 motorsports accidents that killed more than 10 people:

4-(11)-1957 Mille Miglia-Driver Alfonzo de Portago, his navigator and 9 spectators
3-(11)-2011 Reno Air Races-Pilot James Leeward and 10 spectators
2-(16)-1961 Italian Grand Prix-Driver Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators
1-(84)-1955 Le Mans 24 Hour-Driver Pierre Lavegh and 83 spectators

I remember only the Monza tragedy, 1961 was the first year I attempted to follow F1. Media coverage In Canada was very thin, and I relied on Road & Track reports a few months behind. The Monza tragedy did get front page coverage in Toronto dailies, but that was it, no dedicated analysis or follow ups, or opinion pieces. In retrospect all 3 auto tragedies were very close together and could be referred to as 1950s accidents.While loss of civilian life may not have been accepted, it was at least expected.
Today such carnage would not be tolerated, I think it is fair to say progress has been made in protecting spectator lives. Danger to drivers and course workers still exists, but has been greatly reduced, of that we can be thankful.