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24 Hours Of Le Mans 2011 Marked By Two Major Crashes (VIDEO)

24 Hours Of Le Mans Crashes Video

The Huffington Post  Craig Kanalley  First Posted: 06/11/11 07:19 PM ET Updated: 06/11/11 07:37 PM ET

Two violent crashes took place on Saturday at the 24 Hours Of Le Mans, one of auto racing's most prestigious events, but the affected drivers seem to have escaped OK. (Scroll down for videos.)

Shortly after the race began this morning, Audi's Allan McNish collided with a slower car and plunged into the outside wall. McNish amazingly walked away from the crash under his own power.

"I'm glad to be alive," McNish said.

The second crash involved Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller after nightfall. Rockenfeller lost control of his vehicle, prompting ambulances, recovery trucks and safety cars to scramble to the scene. Rockenfeller was immediately evaluated but is "OK," according to reports.

The 24 Hours Of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car endurance race, ran annually in France since 1923, per Yahoo Sports.

WATCH (first crash):

WATCH (second crash):

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Two violent crashes took place on Saturday at the 24 Hours Of Le Mans, one of auto racing's most prestigious events, but the affected drivers seem to have escaped OK. (Scroll down for videos.) Shor...
Two violent crashes took place on Saturday at the 24 Hours Of Le Mans, one of auto racing's most prestigious events, but the affected drivers seem to have escaped OK. (Scroll down for videos.) Shor...
 
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3 hours ago (2:55 PM)
Do you believe in Miracles, or must you see to believe? Here's one you can clearly see:

Watch closely in slow motion as the debris flies over the barricade, but at 2:39 the car reverses direction mid-air as if an unseen wind stops and pushes back the vehicle away from the pedestrian­s. Wow! I haven't seen such an impossible move since old-school kung-fu movies!

I believe God wanted somebody there to stay alive, and it proves He is a racing fan too!
58 minutes ago (5:14 PM)
It's not a miracle when "odds" come to fruition. If 5,000,000 people buy a lottery ticket, it is GUARANTEED at least one person will win. If that one person is you, it's not a miracle, it's just that SOMEONE was bound to win.

Stop this miracle nonsense.
54 minutes ago (5:18 PM)
Ok, I watched this alleged "impossibl­e" move (which it seems obvious to me is possible).

So because you don't understand such basic concepts of physics (velocity & mass & weight distributi­on) you deem it impossible­?

Get your mind out of the Middle Ages.
21 hours ago (9:07 PM)
That's almost as bad as driving on Long Island during rush hour traffic.
23 hours ago (7:37 PM)
check out the guy hiding behind the motorcycle­. debris is falling all around him, nothing hits him! fate placed him at that exact longitude/­latitude!

then look at the blond woman, not realizing that debris is raining down her. That right rear tire lands inches away from her head. Again, fate place her at that longitude/­latitude venue! Also, doesn't most people who watch racing, only really want to see the crashes?!? otherwise, the monotony of cars driving in a circle is the most boring activity next to watching grass grow!!

ha ha
21 hours ago (9:23 PM)
everyone to his or her own tastes. keep your eye on the grass.
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
5 hours ago (1:13 PM)
I agree.

Pretty deluded, narrow-min­ded view of a sport you obviously know nothing about.
47 minutes ago (5:26 PM)
Isn't that why an injury attorney watches? By the way, shouldn't you be describing the scenario with a negative light?

Eg, "Look at the woman with debris raining down on her. She's liable to get something in her eye affecting her vision for life. And look at the guy--he's probably breathing in fumes affecting his earning a living."

???
23 hours ago (7:28 PM)
I just like the accents. What are they British?
05:29 PM on 6/13/2011
Excuse me got my facts wrong 83 killed.
05:08 PM on 6/13/2011
This has nothing to do with politics but it is incredible how both of these drivers walked this wreck looked like it had the potential to be a fatal wreck. The 24 hours of Lemans is not just a famous endurance race but a famous race in general right up there with the Indy 500. By the way motorsport­s most devasting crash was here in 1955 where a Mercedes benz lost control and hit the grandstand killing 89 people and killing the driver. I so happy to see Lemans not to relive that awful day.
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
01:51 PM on 6/13/2011
It'd be nice if HP mentioned F1 every once in a while as well.

And not because of any crashes.
23 hours ago (7:27 PM)
what is f1?
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
8 hours ago (9:48 AM)
If you have to ask...
01:19 PM on 6/13/2011
It's amazing nobody was hurt badly by the flying debris.  That huge tire was bouncing around between people and easily could have killed someone.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
LegallyPalin
needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
11:36 AM on 6/13/2011
Auto Racing in America is a 100% republican sport. In 2008, out of all the NASCAR drivers, not one donated to the democratic party, all who donated went republican­.
01:30 PM on 6/13/2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr is a liberal ...
01:46 PM on 6/13/2011
So how many NBA players donated to McCain?
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
01:49 PM on 6/13/2011
What about the American Le Mans Series?
23 hours ago (7:42 PM)
There are so many innate, cultural, natural difference­s between the aforementi­oned political parties that I sometimes think that there should be two (2) separate Unions. More would get done legislativ­ely, and be a more productive body. I think, for the most part, it would be the left side and the right side of the US be separated by the people in the middle. Of course, one could always visit the "other side", but with a "innovativ­e, creative" passports of sorts, that makes travelling between the two (2) easier than if you came from outside the two (2) separate Unions.

Am I bonkers? or do I make any valid points?!?
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
8 hours ago (9:48 AM)
Off topic.
10:04 AM on 6/13/2011
Corvette won the GT class. Pretty cool to see an American manufactur­er on the podium.
08:39 AM on 6/13/2011
Were any spectators hurt, looks like a miracle if they were not.
07:31 AM on 6/13/2011
For the "sports" part, the surviving Audi won the race, leading the second placed Peaugeot by only 13 seconds after 24 hours of racing! (Peaugeot placed their cars 2,3,4,5!)

It's Audi's 10th victory in 12 years and perhaps their greatest. The race pace was phenomenal­. Long gone are the days when you could, and had to, pace yourself. Today it's a 24 hour sprint race. The average lap times are just a few seconds shy of the pole qualifying time.

PS: The 24 Heures du Mans isn't "a prestigiou­s European race". It's THE endurance race. 250'000 spectators lightheart­edly invaded the small French city and it's surroundin­gs during the race weekend.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
WasteNJ
Is Not Slowing Down For You.
08:02 AM on 6/13/2011
"The 24 Heures du Mans isn't "a prestigiou­­s European race". It's THE endurance race. "

You said it. Looks like Team Corvette cleaned up the GTE Pro Class, another win! The crashes are horrible, but a part of racing. The fact that they walked away unhurt is a testament to the safety measures built into these cars.
04:26 AM on 6/13/2011
At H/P: Sarah Palin's fault.

At Fox: Obama's fault.
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
02:35 AM on 6/13/2011
Jeez, the only time HP mentions any auto racing is when there's a spectacula­r crash.

Nothing like carnage to merit a headline or two.
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The Smartest Monkees
Planet of the Apes? We're on it, baby!
06:05 AM on 6/13/2011
Hey, I'm not knocking the sport, but, if it's not about the "spectacul­ar crash" element possibilit­y when watching a race, then why is it the highlights of NASCAR (or any other car race) shown on the news sports clips, always the crashes?

Like I say. Not knocking, just asking?
08:14 AM on 6/13/2011
NASCAR is a bit different in that it is more commercial­ized than most motor racing series, so certainly the most spectacula­r aspects of the sport (accidents­) are those that are focused on. Most people that enjoy motor sports like the idea that men/machin­es compete in a team sport where results are sometimes determined in sub seconds, with many many factors of success. There is a strategy for just about every step of motor racing that determines win and loss. It is more of a chess game that happens to be dangerous. Rubbin' ain't racin', a clean pass is.
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
01:45 PM on 6/13/2011
I gotcha.

Yeah, the media plays up the crashes as well, but it also applies for other sports as well.

Carnage is the real spectator sport.
01:29 AM on 6/13/2011
Auto racing is the most stupid Sarah Palin influenced activity (not even a sport) imaginable­! Boring beyond belief..
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
L3p3rm3ss14h
Morality is Temporary. Wisdom is Permanent.
02:10 AM on 6/13/2011
Explain to me exactly what Sarah Palin has to do with a prestigiou­s European race that has existed for almost 90 years in 200 words or less. You have 30 minutes. GO!

Actually, you know what? Never mind. I'll just assume your answer was_stupid and you can assume I proved conclusive­ly to you just how wrong you were and we can both move on and grow as people. You're welcome.
02:14 AM on 6/13/2011
Isn't it nice that nobody makes you watch, then.

But there's hardly anything more annoying than the smallminde­dness of "If I don't enjoy it nobody should." This is the attitude of 3 year olds to broccoli.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
RogerHWerner
03:47 AM on 6/13/2011
Great comment and so true.
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
02:43 AM on 6/13/2011
If you knew how much physical conditioni­ng these drivers require to drive these cars, maybe you wouldn't doubt this as being a real sport.

Then again, associatin­g auto racing with SP pretty much means you're not very open-minde­d.
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bmwracer
In the Left lane.
02:54 AM on 6/13/2011
BTW, what yawn-induc­ing sports do you like so that we can look down our noses at?
04:25 AM on 6/13/2011
You're proof that ridiculous HufPo liberals know nothing about anything, and will happily attach Sarah Palin's name to anything.