Tag: airborne

Video: Simona De Silvestro goes airborne at Indy, suffers second-degree burns

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Racing

Simona De Silvestro crash Indy 500

Simona De Silvestro crashes while practicing for Indy 500 – Click above to watch the video after the break

Simona De Silvestro, a 22-year-old female Swiss racer, went airborne, flipped a few times, slid hundreds of feet upside-down and was engulfed in a massive fireball when the right rear wheel of her Dallara chassis separated itself in the middle of a turn during a practice run for the Indy 500.

Thankfully, Silvestro wasn’t seriously injured in the accident, though she did suffer second-degree burns to both hands. Track crews and safety personnel rushed to her assistance and put out the blaze. She had reportedly been clocked at speeds well over 200 miles per hour just prior to the accident.

Yes, there is video, and you can find it after the break. Here’s hoping Silvestro gets medical clearance to take part in the actual race on May 29.

Continue reading Simona De Silvestro goes airborne at Indy, suffers second-degree burns

Simona De Silvestro goes airborne at Indy, suffers second-degree burns originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dirtbike base jumping in Chile is airborne insanity

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Motorcycle, South America, Off-Road

Motocross base jump in Chile

Motocross base jump in Chile – Click above to watch the video after the break

For those unaware, the ‘base’ in base jumping is actually an acronym that stands for buildings, antennae, spans (otherwise known as bridges) and earth. In other words, if you jump off pretty much anything that stands tall above the ground below, you’re base jumping.

But what if you base jump from a motorcycle, or, more specifically, a motocross bike? Base jumper Julio Munoz decided to stage just such a stunt, and the results are predictably stunning and insane. And costly.

While Munoz floated safely to earth after a few thousand feet of freefall, the dirtbike didn’t fare so well. After being airlifted via helicopter to the top of the Chilean mountain, then jumped off a low-slung ramp into thin air, Munoz dismounted the machine and let it fall back down to the earth. Wanna watch? Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Dirtbike base jumping in Chile is airborne insanity

Dirtbike base jumping in Chile is airborne insanity originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Mitsubishi Evo IX goes airborne at 2011 Targa Tasmania

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Mitsubishi, Australia

targa tasmania crash

Kym Illman’s Mitsubishi Evo misses a turn – Click above to watch video after the jump

Apparently, “left four and a half after crest” is code for ‘hold on tight!‘

Kym Illman and co-driver Kirrilee Gentleman were cruising along a late stage of the 2011 Targa Tasmania. Their Mitsubishi Evo IX was running well and Gentleman was shouting out the guidance so Illman could keep pushing. Apparently, however, the pair got mixed up on one crucial route point – a slow left immediately following a fast straight with a crest at the end.

As Gentleman tried to point out the rapidly approaching “left 4.5 after crest,” Illman was trying to clarify what he heard. They didn’t have time for that, however, because the car went light over the crest while traveling approximately 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour). Again, left four and a half after crest!

“LEFT FOUR AND A HALF AFTER CREST!”

Brakes don’t work too well in this particular situation, so the Evo flew right through the turn, and wound up in the Tasmanian countryside.

“Sorry.”

Thankfully, neither driver or co-driver were hurt. The video cameras were rolling, providing footage from two angles. The first angle shows us Kym and Kirrilee’s vantage point while the second reveals just how violently the jolt shock the co-driver. Illman was wearing a HANS device while Gentleman, sadly, was not. Click past the jump to see the clip.

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: Mitsubishi Evo IX goes airborne at 2011 Targa Tasmania

Video: Mitsubishi Evo IX goes airborne at 2011 Targa Tasmania originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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