Funniest race of all time?

[Cheeveer]

Saw this fantastic article about the 1983 Sebring 12 hours, which got me thinking, which race has gotten you laughing the hardest in your life?

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/sebring-st ... ears-1983/

For me, I think the 2007 Chinese GP takes the cake. That was fantastic.



Also, the 2008 Canadian GP was amazing too.

[Jesper Hvid]

The human race.

[Cheeveer]

The human race.

Can't argue with that.

[PTRACER]

Hamilton beaching his car in Shanghai's only gravel trap was one of the funniest moments. I was watching it with a mate and we were absolutely roaring with laughter.

I'd also have to say the 1999 Canadian GP. I watched it again yesterday, because it was the year the Wall of Champions got its name. Actually, other than Hakkinen, so many of the big names come unstuck.

[DaleJuniorFan]

2012 Daytona 500. The absurdity of someone breaking their suspension and spinning into an inconveniently-placed jet dryer under caution, and by Juan Pablo Montoya no less, is something you'll only see once in a lifetime. Everything that occurred in the ensuing red flag period only added to the comedy.

* Dave Blaney in an underfunded car almost winning the Daytona 500 by sheer dumb luck.
* Cleanup crews running out of "speedy-dri" to soak up the oil and resorting to using Tide household laundry detergent, a feat later immortalized in a Tide commercial.
* Fans cheering whenever a driver used the restroom. Kyle Busch bowing to the crowd after taking a piss, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski racing each to the lone port-a-potty on the backstretch.
* Keselowski becoming an instant Internet celebrity by tweeting the whole thing from the smartphone he smuggled into his car.

[erwin greven]

Afaik was it a failing transmission what caused the crash. At least Juan spoke about a problem when shifting. That is why he pitted under caution and after he left the pits he asked his spotter if he saw something unusual when shifting.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Hamilton beaching it in China.
Mansell hitting the kill switch whilst waving at the crowd on the last lap of Canada 1991.
Mansell giving Senna a lift at Silverstone.

[ReneLotus]

Schumacher spinning off behind the safety car in China in 2005 after already having clobbered Albers on the way to the grid.
Kinda summed up his 2005 season.

[Allan Guimaraes]

F1 GP Monaco 1982
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsEkirmymWA

[erwin greven]

F1 GP Monaco 1982
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsEkirmymWA

First one that came in mind! The race no one wanted to win...

[Andy]

There used to be some sort rallye cross destruction derby around xmas involving touring and sports car aces somewhere in the Netherlands back in late 70s, starting 80s. I think they converted beetles for it.
Try to find the source text over the weekend.

Edit : found it. It was called "Crazy Race" introduced by Toine Hezemans and his dad Joe and took place in 1970. But it was just a one off because the dutch motorsport authority found out about it and prohibited it from the next year on.

Source : "Hallo Fahrerlager 1" by Rainer Braun

I`ll scan the double site later

[Andy]

Here we go. Excuse the rather bad quality but my hp-software went on strike so I took a photo with the mobile.
As stated before this is from Rainer Brauns "Hallo Fahrerlager (1)" pages 78 & 79. Rainer was a long time motorsport journalist, track speaker at the Nordschleife and racer himself who helped quite some other racers into good seats. Most famous here are Stefan Bellof and Hans Georg Bürger probably. Below you find my translation.



Cheers,
Andy

Like hey-go-mad

Toine Hezemans and his dad Joe, unrivaled in contriving crude jokes, dialling up a couple race mates shortly before Christmas. The message: "Two days under the Christmas tree are way enough. After that something has to happen". What the Hezemans-clan had thought out as a festival with their "Crazy Race" between Christmas and New Year would lead to prompt imprisonment these days. Not to speak about withdrawal of licenses.

The rules of the meeting are already something that needs to get used to. Everyone who finishes with an unscathed car is disqualified automatically. Good chances of remaining in the competition have those who produce wild roll-overs and hard collisions. And there's a start guarantee for the final if you manage a complete lap wrong way round. A Le-Mans-Start is enfforced but only with the aid of a hopping ball. And most importantly: Whatever happens, the car has to finish unaided.

For the 20 starters from the Netherlands, Germany and England there are 40 VW-Bugs on the woods and meadoes course near Aalst, in close proximity to Eindhoven. The binned cars were bought off by Hezemans from VW`s general importer Ben Pon for 200 DM each.

With Gijs van Lennep, Han Akersloot, Toine Hezemans and Rob Slotemaker the Dutch racing elite is almost complete. The German team is made up of Willi Kauhsen and Helmut Kelleners. I`m invited as journalist but am allowed to take part, too, but my race finishes in first heat because my vehicle missed any scratches. Colleague Kauhsen saves the German honour with a fashionable flight into the ditch, what gets him automatically into next round. Kelleners does well, too, and ends his heat with stripped down fenders and a crooked front tire.

For the intermediate heat we get 'fresh' cars. Now Kelleners is out, too, because unfortunately he doesn't manage one bigger collision. Kauhsen on the hand forces his way into the final with a couple of rude actions, where he remains the only German against 9 Dutchmen and 4 Englishmen.

Hero of the day becomes local racer Rob Jansen. His two laps wrong way round with lots of crashes convinced the jury completely. Kauhsens courageous jumps, including a stand up after side rolling, are honoured with a 2nd place in front of Rob Slotemaker.

Following the boozy award ceremony Toine Hezemans threatens a rematch for the next year at the same time. But the sequel does not take place because the Dutch sport authority KNAC got to know about it and puts a permanent ban on the scrap festival.

[erwin greven]

Joe Hezemans should be: Thieu Hezemans.

[Andy]

Thanks for clarification, Erwin.

[erwin greven]

Thanks for clarification, Erwin.

Not your fault. The article indeed says Joe, but officially his name is Thieu. Maybe because its pronunciation causes that English native speakers write down: Joe.