One of the craziest viral videos to hit the internet with respect to racing has been the El Mirage crash of Brian Gillespie. We were among the first to run the video and then it blew up everywhere (not taking credit for that, just stating we were among the first few outlets to run it) to the point that the video and Gillespie were featured on Good Morning America yesterday. The segment profiled the crash a few times and featured an interview with Gillespie that showed him walking around his destroyed car and talking about the wreck. He claims that he remembers nothing after shifting the car into third gear during the run. It all just goes black from there and we can understand it.
Yes, we feature a lot of crash videos because we’re a gearhead website that talks about racing a lot. Good Morning America isn’t exactly that. Do you think it is a bad thing when a sport like land speed racing gains national attention because of something like the El Mirage wreck? Certainly it is a good illustration about safety and how race cars embody a lot of technology that has made it into passenger cars over the years. It is one of those things that can also draw the ire of dreaded wacko environmental protection groups that seize on this stuff to make claims about how racing at places like El Mirage is destroying the natural habitat of the sand ants or something of that nature. So what do you think?
BangShift Question Of The Day: Is It Bad When Racing Gets National Exposure For A Big Crash?
The recent accident of the Olympic ski Star has been shown a lot more than racing accidents
at least in our market .
It isn’t the dramatic pass or the speedy pit stop that gets the most attention from ESPN’s NASCAR coverage. It’s the ‘big one” massive wreck that happens at Daytona or Talladega that garners the most press. It is also one of the main reason casual fans tune in.
As much as i dislike the constant media attention focusing on the crashes ( in all sports .. including skiing , bike racing etc ) there’s an old business adage from my end o’ the world ;
” The only bad publicity …. is no publicity at all ”
So …. I guess we live with it … like it our not 😉
Just like Obamacare.
And by the way Guitar Hero, I mean slinger, I don’t like being called a “Neo – Fascist Tea Member.”
Unlike you, I happen to be a retired military veteran, who doesn’t like how his country has become after investing over twenty years of my life in it.
While you were out playing your guitar, I was out defending and sacrificing my life so we enjoy the freedoms we should have.
At one time I actually respected your opinion, but since you turned my satire into a personal attack against me,you showed me that you respect very of others opinions.
It’s a GOOD thing when they air it AND the driver WALKED away.
GMA is staffed by idiots.
AGREEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!
its both a boost and a Dred to the sport but technology only persist when advances are needed its a hard pressed scenario.
It’s an unfortunate part of our culture now. We can see things that we used to not have access to (i.e. major crashes in places like El Mirage) and we can see it virtually anywhere. The excitement of the crash is not unlike our wanting to see the mishap along the road. “Hey, I gotta see this!” At Bonneville this year there was a similar wreck involving Jonny Hotnuts and his racer…totally destroyed and easily as dramatic. The Bonneville folks are a bit more cautious with coverage out there as there is no footage of that wreck, though there are some still shots of the aftermath. They pretty much chased away all the media people when that one happened and I’m certain the SCTA’s feeling was “Let’s not make this into a spectacle.” The wrecks are interesting, but honestly I’d rather see a great “save” or some footage that is just plain out and out great driving/riding…something that makes you go “how’d they do that?”
The media will push what sells ads “if it bleeds it leads”. The majority of people do not understand racing nor do they really appreciate the skill involved or the what drivers have invested financially and emotionally in the motorsports. Crashes attract attention.
The bad thing will be if some politician seeking attention sees this as a “cause”, decides it is too dangerous and create a law to ban the sport.
Any Press is good for these Guys! It brought National attention! These Racers never get that kind of coverage. It is unfortunate that the driver and his wallet went through this, but then on the bright side….
Has anyone ever invited Good Morning America to the land speed runs? Maybe then they would begin to understand what drives these racers to go faster then they have before.
Yes it is bad coverage that land speed racing gets because of the bad crashes but until they reporters and the media understand what drives these racers. They will NEVER understand their form of racing.
My suggestion is to invite them to a race, If they do not come then they need to keep quiet till they do!
I agree, ALL naysayers need to attend any race, speed trial, or competition before any word is written to criticize, or give credit to any racer, team, car or venue. Example: Standing at the starting line at a Top Fuel event will change a lot of attitudes about drag racing, I’d be willing to bet… xD
unfortunately the news is all about the bad and the worst. They don’t show the good that is done or even talk about the thousand of safe runs. The will only show and vilify the bad. It is much more dangerous to take a shower then race anything on the planet but that isn’t shocking and graphic. If it can be used to limit the enjoyment of some. This is why we cant do as much as we use to. Last weekend I watched a rocket powered machine run at a local track. The first rocket to race in the us for over 30 years. He came from France to do it. Europe and is Australia they still can build these dangerous and fun thing. The law suites and the liberal media wish to keep us from having fun in our own way. It is too dangerous for then so they think that we shouldn’t do it either.
Just attending will not make them understand,even if they spent a week on the salt,or sand. My wife spent 2 years as a dragracing widow,and the last 25 years with me and even she doesn’t undersyand the “high” I get from being involved in motorsports,any motorsport. It is the most intiment team sport I know. Maybe stick and ball guys get that feeling,but I never have and do not. Ill go to a game,watch on TV ,but in no way do I feel envested in what Im watching unless it was one of my kids or grandson. Even then I wish they were on a bike or in a cart.
A press person will antended but it will be for a story,job,if they spent 5 days 24/7 with a team and somebody crashed the “lifestyle” story will never make air or print the story will be the danger/death.
We are the odd ones…
I thought the media outlets that showed the crash were all very well done. I saw the GMA and several news broadcasts and my take was they ( the news people) were incredulous that someone could survive that type of accident. We all watched it well before the major news outlets showed it, so what does that make us?
As a land speed racer myself, my thought is as long as they don’t turn it into a self-rightious issue it’s okay with me. It was SPECTACULAR footage and Brian came out in good shape.
As a referance, how many of us have seen the news at 10 say “two killed on Mulholland hwy. drag racing” Nobody needs that.
I say good job to the media.
Mike
I agree Mike. It is the loonie civilians commenting on all those stories that drives me nuts. Some of them just disrespectfull.
I dislike it. NHRA does it, NASCAR does it, pretty much, all racing does it. They market their product (the racing) by selling the image of wrecking cars. Sensationalized “come buy tickets and possibly see a fiery car wreck!!” overshadows the true sport, competition and engineering involved. It takes automotive sport, and waters it down to an adolescent urge to see an accident that a lot of people possess way past adulthood. I feel like belting the sh*t out of a spectator when an explosion or wreck occurs and they cheer or clap. Mind you, they are cheering and clapping because they just got what they were sold. The rest of us with class and dignity and may I say, maturity, clap and cheer when it’s all done and anyone involved comes out unscathed. On the highways, we call idiots who can’t help but stare and hope to see some carnage as they pass a wreck “rubber-neckers”….at the track, I call them f*cking idiots.
In this case, I think it is good publicity if the viewers are intelligent enough to see the positives. Unfortunately most are not. If Mr. Gillespie had not been able to walk away from this wreck it may not have made it to national news. However, many of us saw the article on Mr. Warner (RIP) and read the horrible comments that were posted about him and his accident that took his life. So it’s a two way street. We run a car on the salt and concrete in OH and are currently building another car that should be capable of 200+. I showed my wife this video from El Mirage as proof that the cage and safety requirements that S/ECTA mandate are excellent and even when the shit hits the fan these cars are safe. So in my mind this particular coverage was a positive for the land speed racing community and solidifies that this true grass roots racing has some of the best built and engineered cars in all of motorsports. But in the end the media can make or break the image of anything or anyone.