Another top racer dies in crash

[Mondo]

I've been into MotoGP for about a decade... one of the new charasmatic Italian riders, Marco Simoncelli, was killed on the track today.

It was in the Malaysian Grand Prix. Ironically, it was likely good friend, and possibly best rider ever, Valentino Rossi who had the misfortune of not having anywhere else to go and running over his head, ripping off his helmet etc... American Colin Edwards also hit Marco in the 3 bike wreck. I feel sorry for what they must be feeling as well.

 

Sad day....

[rnr]

Doubly painful since it happened a week after both Dan wheldon and Simoncelli' career best 2nd place at Japan.

 

Ironically, it was likely good friend, and possibly best rider ever, Valentino Rossi who had the misfortune of not having anywhere else to go and running over his head, ripping off his helmet etc... American Colin Edwards also hit Marco in the 3 bike wreck. I feel sorry for what they must be feeling as well.

 

While Valentino and Edwards did hit him I have to think there was something worng even before that. His attitude on the bike looked extremely "off" before the impact and I wonder if there was a medical condition beforehand.

[Birkin42]

I also found it very weird that he was drifting wide at the start of the crash (likely a low side) and then veered back to the inside of the track coming back across the racing line. Unfortunately there wasn't a camera angle between the onboard from Butista when Sic went wide, and later just before the collision so see what was happening with Sic. I agree, something was wrong before the collision even occured.

You knew it was bad right after the crash when you saw Rossi's reaction. He was pretty upset and it wasn't due to his own situation. You just had the sinking feeling at that moment.

I was surprised to see Sic's helmet come off in the crash. It must have been pretty violent. Given the extents of his injuries, they may never find out what really happened.

[notakit]

I doubt any kind of injury or medical condition; That looked like a simple low-side to me. It takes a couple seconds to recover, get a grip of the bike and pull yourself back on ALL while correcting the trajectory of the bike. He had plenty of run-out to pull it off but not enough seconds.

[Mondo]

Yeah, I think while trying to save it and pick it up from a lowside, the front tire got traction and sent him across the track.

I saw a pic from the front when both Edwards & Rossi hit him... think he died straight away. Looked terrible.

[pureadrenalin]

Would nearly bet on death at impact. He was hit right were the atlas, and axis sit in the spinal column. Breaking either of those is a less than 1% chance of survival. Given the force of the impact, between a highly probable C1/C2 fracture and displacement, it's also extremely likely that both internal and external jugular veins were severed, along with tracheal rupture and displacement.

 

It's quite likely that he never knew what hit him. i feel horrible for Rossi, and I really hope this doesn't end his career as well due to psychological traumas. I know when Michael Park was killed in 2005 in a WRC crash, Markko Martin basically retired from the WRC, and has only been doing R&D work since, with an occasional rally.

 

It was a horrible week, three racers lost. Two in events, and one in a private plane crash...all three were at the top of their game.