The Most Horrific Crashes In All Of Motorsports History

There is no doubt whatsoever the sport of auto racing is risky and dangerous. Part of the attraction for spectators and drivers is the sense of thrill, danger, and adrenaline the high speeds and intense atmosphere provides. The drivers appear fearless as they reach top speeds and carve corners on the track, but when a driver loses control, tragic accidents are often inevitable. As much as they try to avoid crashes and roll-overs, the unexpected happens. Some of the worst accidents in motorsports history around the world are highlighted in the following slides.

10. South African Grand Prix

An ugly scene is what spectators, drivers, and personnel remember from the 1977 Grand Prix in South Africa. It started with Renzo Zorzi, whose vehicle went ablaze on his twenty-second lap of the race. He pulled over and as two attendants ran across the tarmac with extinguishers, one, Jansen van Vuuren, was struck by a racing vehicle driven by Tom Pryce. Both men died. Pryce’s instant death resulted from van Vuuren’s fire extinguisher hitting him on the head.