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Marco Simoncelli Killed @ Maylaysian GP

I just watched the race, via dvr (which helped me understand what happened alot better)

During the 2nd lap, Simoncelli was coming thru a fast right hander.  Ben Spies, who was in the commentators box at the time, suggested that the turn was a 3rd gear 100mph corner.  Simoncelli lost the front, as shown from a mounted camera via the Suzuki race bike, and slides off to the left as Baltista passes him.  He also slides to the left of the normal camera of that corner of the track, as it is panning to show Edwards and Rossi coming up into and thru the exit of that corner.  Simocelli then comes gliding into view from the left, and is hanging off of the bike, body positioned down around the right footpeg. 

Here is where my DVR gives me a better view of what occured next:

Edwards appears to see Simocelli coming back across the track.  This you can tell from the 'bobble' his bike makes while still leaned over.  Rossi is right behind Edwards and probably couldnt see Simocelli at all.  Once Edwards bike settles down, knee still on the deck, you can see Edwards make an attempt to turn the bike away from the racing line, as Simocelli's bike is still moving at high speed and totally about to cross the path of Edwards and Rossi.  A frame by frame look from here shows Edwards turn to look at Simocelli's bike, and you can see him kinda brace himself for the impact to come.  Once he hits Simocelli & his bike, the next thing you see is very disturbing.  As Edwards is thrown over the handlebars, and Rossi hits Edward's Yamaha and bounces off of it to the inside (...how he stayed on the Duc is beyond my comprehension), you see Simocelli;s body, and his famous hair.  The first thing any rider would say is "how the FCUK did his helmet come off?!?!"  As the frames of video progress, you next see his helmet bouncing down the track in front of Edwards bike.  The two bikes sort of collaps on each other, and then bounce off of the ground, either on, of very near where Simocelli's body is sliding on the track-his face, hair, and head all very clearly sliding along the asphalt.  They go on to show Rossi riding thru the grass, as he looks as if he is going to crash as well, but doesnt.  And they show Edwards try to stand, gets up, but then sits back down in obvious pain.  The screne then shifts to the helocopter shot where you can also clearly see Simocelli's body laid motionless across the track-hair in plain sight.  The video never shows the crash again, and there is never another angle of what takes place, but one can only wonder what occured in the front of Edward's bike, the point of impact.

A press conference was then held, after the race was canceled and it was announced of his passing, that informed that he went into cardiac arrest as they loaded him into the track amulance.  That continued into the med center, along with intubation to try and assist his breathing.  But none of that was successful.

It was a very odd crash, as loosing the front usually puts you off of the bike, and sliding off of the track.  For folks who have done trackdays and raced, it can be assumed that he attempted to save the slide with the bike on his knee-holding it up until the front was able to be recovered.  What may have occured is, once the front came back, it was turned due to the nature of the lowside and his own use of the bars to try and save the slide, and thus it gained traction and sent him, at probably still in the 75-90mph range, in a direction where he wasnt fully in control.  Leaving Edwards and Rossi simply no where to go.

RIP Marco Simoncelli


 
Oh dear God, this is terrible.  Pat, thanks for the heads-up and Mnofpeace, thanks for the write up; I haven't had a chance to watch the race yet but just checked and I do have it on my dvr as well.  That is incredible that his helmet came off- did he just forget to cinch it down?- I can't imagine any rider of that caliber riding like that as a habit.  He will be sorely missed by his fellow riders and the fans as well, that much is for certain.  Going to watch the coverage now.  :(
 
I just went to watch the race on Speed. It has instead been replaced with the smaller bikes race. Although I didn't see this. I can't help but be saddened by this. This is the second death in racing in the last week. Terrible. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
 
Just watched the crash.  The only way that could've been a worse crash is if more riders had been involved or hurt.  Blessedly, it appeared that Marco was already unconscious as most of the worst of it happened, one can only hope.  RIP, Marco- this was too soon for you and all of us that enjoyed your racing style.

As Mnofpeace notes, it is really odd how the bike came back across the track.  They show the feed from Bautista's bike behind Simoncelli as he loses the front end and is obviously trying to lever it back up with his right knee, and then Alvaro is past him.  The next shot shows, from behind, Colin Edwards and Vale going into the turn.  Vale is behind Colin but taking the tighter line underneath and passing him, and then suddenly from the left Marco and his bike come sliding back into view- the bike on top of Marco and directly in the path of Edwards bike.  Absolutely no way Colin could've avoided him.  Colin's bike then strikes Rossi's front end sending the Duc into a wild tank-slapping, rear-end waving fit that Vale manages to ride upright into the grass and then back onto the track.  Meanwhile, Colin, his bike and Marco's bike go sliding and tumbling in a massive mess into the grass at trackside; this appears to be the point at which Marco's helmet comes off.  Marco is left behind laying on the track where he came out from under the bikes and stopped sliding.  Colin is able to get up momentarily, but then has to sit down, and it's over.

Very hard to watch, but certainly exemplifies the risks these guys take, and the skills they have to have, every time they go out on the track to race.  A very sad day for Marco's family, the San Carlo team and the whole MotoGP racing community.  :(
 
I just viewed the crash on line. It looks like the bikes (his) ripped the helmet right off his head. But there was no sign of movement from that point on, as he just slid across the track.
 
How horrific. RIP Marco.

Watching the slo-mo playback of the crash I notice 2 things. Simoncelli seems to have been "pinched" between his bike, Edward's and Rossi's.  Also, looking at Marco's helmet rolling along, it does not appear to be whole. It makes me wonder if it was destroyed by the impact with the 2 other bikes.

 
Hogboy, Thanks for the slow motion video. It was a horrific event but that video really helps
to see how everything unfolded.

Simoncelli's helmet gets pulled off his head at 0:19 seconds into the video, You can then
see the whole helmet bouncing along with the chin strap flapping around. The helmet
looks to be in one piece maybe minus the shield.
You can also see at the very beginning that Marco has actually come off and is already
partially under his own bike before Edwards hits him.

I so wish that Marco would have just let the bike go and not tried to save the lowside/front
tuck so we could have watched him for many more years to come.
 
A tragic loss indeed.  Can only imagine the horror going through Edwards mind in the instant he realized he was going to hit him squarely with his front wheel, and not a damn thing he could do to stop it from happening. 

RIP Simoncelli, and peace to his family and friends.
 
Sorry I missed the thread dropped one in the say anything yesterday.  I'm only guessing here but do you think maybe Marco got caught on the bike?  Either his boot or leathers?  I can't for the life of me imagine how he could have been in that position otherwise.  He's basically being dragged by the bike.  Just a one in a million thing. :'(
 
Marco was my leasr favorite rider because of his style.  But i will miss him still.  Terrible loss.
 
Looking at the accident and the drop, I seriously doubt the drop make any impact on his condition.  But it sure does LOOK bad for the emergency workers.
 
Necron99 said:
Marco was my leasr favorite rider because of his style.  But i will miss him still.  Terrible loss.
Click to expand...

+1  I thought sometimes he let his competitiveness get the better of him too.  He might have grown out of it.  Might have....what a shame.
 
Necron99 said:
Looking at the accident and the drop, I seriously doubt the drop make any impact on his condition.  But it sure does LOOK bad for the emergency workers.
Click to expand...
Marco's father was on the scene and stated that he had died before this dreadful screw-up.  FIM, nevertheless, has been asked to upgrade things with track workers before they kill somebody.

Reminds me of Anton Mang's accident (I think it was him) back in the 80's.  He was badly injured and the evac idiots didn't wait for a stretcher.  One on each arm and leg and one COMPLETE MORON grabbed the chin-bar of his helmet to carry him away.  He was unconscious and, luckily, did not suffer any neck/spine injuries.
 
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