I didn't hear about this until now. You thought the Dan Wheldon wreck was the end of it all--well, it's not. Italian Moto GP driver Marco Simoncelli died in the Malaysian Moto GP on Oct. 23. He fell off his bike in the second lap and was struck by two other drivers, taking his helmet off as he laid there in the middle of the track. The wreck also sent another driver flying into the grass although he is hopefully okay. Simoncelli was unconscious as paramedics took him to the hospital. He was declared dead hours later. No idea if he was killed instantly or he was in great pain for some time.
I'm not even going to bother posting pics or videos of this. Just look at the picture on that site. At least in the Dan Wheldon wreck, you didn't "see" Wheldon die, he was just caught up in the wreckage. In this bike wreck, the man was just lying there in the middle of the road. It's chilling. Jesus, I can only imagine if you were watching it live on TV. What's sad is that Simoncelli was only 24 years old. Dan Wheldon was 33. He was so young and so good at what he did. It's one thing for adults to die, but young people...give them a break.
I admit that I don't watch a lot of motorcycle racing. I'm not that crazy about bikes. But these guys truly got guts. At least in a car, you have some sort of roll cage/buffer to absorb the hit when you crash. But on bikes, you got nothing but your helmet & racing suit to protect you. Riding so close to the ground too. And when they fall down, they usually get back on their bike and continue racing. Insane...
I guess the idea is if you lose control of your bike, in most conditions you won't "fall" to the ground but instead slide/roll on the concrete into the grass or whatever barriers they've constructed. Yes, that would hurt but it's better than crashing face-first into the pavement. That doesn't protect you from getting tangled up with your bike or being struck by other drivers. Bear in mind these bikes go over 200 mph/320 kph and that is scary fast.
So, what am I saying. So we can go on about NASCAR, Formula 1, Rally Racing, Touring Car, etc. But some people like bikes--Moto GP, Dirt Bikes, etc. They share the same passion for racing and that should be commended. Just drive, baby.
I've hardly mentioned Hang-On (1985) and Super Hang-On (1987). Yu Suzuki loved riding bikes so that's why he made Hang-On. The idea of a cabinet that leaned back and forth was awesome. This game was Suzuki's "break-out" title. Bear in mind OutRun (1986) was released a year later so if Suzuki hadn't made Hang-On, would we even have OutRun, Virtua Racing, or Daytona USA?? Maybe I should put up a Hang-On picture on the right side of the screen...yeah I'll do it later. My bad.
Not to detract from Marco's death but now you know why motor bikes are a big deal. Just say a prayer for Marco's family and for other racers that everyone is safe. Can't stand drivers dying like this, especially when they are so young. I promise I'm not going to turn this site into an obituary. Much better news coming up soon. Too much stuff to talk about in too little time...
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