I wonder if anyone knows

When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, start the engine, and race off. Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? 2_Slow

Jim: That was the infamous "Le Mans Start", used primarily at Le Mans. It was outlawed on account of driver safety issues. For example: In a effort to gain a few seconds (in a 24 hour race, duh) drivers would leave without fastening their seat belts, etc. It was exciting to watch them run to their cars and scramble to get it started, but not a very good way to actually start a race IMHO. Andre Ming Long time simmer that mostly lurks now. Jim Erb wrote:

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> > When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > start the engine, and race off. > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > 2_Slow

Oh man where have you been??????? that was Le Mans, the last start like that was in 1969 where Jacky ickx as a protest walked to his car kinda calmly, got in did up his belt took off last, and proceede to win one of the most exciting races ever....... BTW this year at LM Ickx did a run in the old 1969 car around the track in honour of him being made an honorary citizen....you should have heard the applause when he took off (well he's a legend, with six wins under his belt...) Sudesh Jim Erb wrote:

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> > When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > start the engine, and race off. > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > 2_Slow

LAWNMOWER RACING!!! they use that way of start!

On 15 Jul 2000 04:22:15 GMT, [email hidden] (Tony StewartNo20) wrote: >LAWNMOWER RACING!!! they use that way of start! Lawnmower Racing? Is that the next game from Head Games? Or was it WizardWorks?

that's a "leMans Start" "Jim Erb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8kofcp$h21$[email hidden]...

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> When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > start the engine, and race off. > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > 2_Slow > > > >

think some classic racing events still use this start Martyn_D Jim Erb wrote:

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> When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > start the engine, and race off. > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > 2_Slow

On 15 Jul 2000 01:41:01 -0500, [email hidden] wrote:

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>On 15 Jul 2000 04:22:15 GMT, [email hidden] (Tony >StewartNo20) wrote: > >>LAWNMOWER RACING!!! they use that way of start! > >Lawnmower Racing? Is that the next game from Head Games? Or was it >WizardWorks?

ROTFL! Andre

that's a "leMans Start"

LAWNMOWER RACING!!! they use that way of start!

Le Mans was famous for this practice but many many sports car races of the period were started in this manner. MS "Jim Erb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8kofcp$h21$[email hidden]...

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> When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > start the engine, and race off. > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > 2_Slow > > > >

Hehe. We do it at our local karting track as well MS "Tony StewartNo20" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > LAWNMOWER RACING!!! they use that way of start!

Hehe there are Euro and US lawnmower racing championships Martyn_D [email hidden] wrote:

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> On 15 Jul 2000 04:22:15 GMT, [email hidden] (Tony > StewartNo20) wrote: > > >LAWNMOWER RACING!!! they use that way of start! > > Lawnmower Racing? Is that the next game from Head Games? Or was it > WizardWorks?

The 24 Heures de Le Mans was the race and that was called (and still is) a "Le Mans start". -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- Jim Erb <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8kofcp$h21$[email hidden]... > When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > start the engine, and race off. > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > 2_Slow > > > >

Remember that the start was used WAY before seat belts were invented, Andre. It is still used in historic racing. -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- Andre Ming <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Jim: > > That was the infamous "Le Mans Start", used primarily at Le Mans. It > was outlawed on account of driver safety issues. For example: In a > effort to gain a few seconds (in a 24 hour race, duh) drivers would > leave without fastening their seat belts, etc. It was exciting to watch > them run to their cars and scramble to get it started, but not a very > good way to actually start a race IMHO. > > Andre Ming > Long time simmer that mostly lurks now. > > > Jim Erb wrote: > > > > When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > > start the engine, and race off. > > > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > > > 2_Slow

some french 24 hours race,, it's a big one,,,movies, games, racing series named after it Jim Erb wrote:

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> When I was a young lad, think 50's, 60's, I remember watching a race > from Europe, regularly, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The cars were all > parked diagonally on the front straight with the engines off. When the > flag flew the drivers had to run across the track, jump in the car, > start the engine, and race off. > > Anyone know what race or series this would have been, back then? Do > they still run it? How the heck did they get their seat belts on? > > 2_Slow