Early onboard race footage

Frank Musco · July 19, 2010, 10:03:08 PM

While looking through some video of Le mans, I found this early footage of a lap around the circuit. Check out the massive camera and the huge microphone. Also the people on the track!

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=84DB1521CD5A2641&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&v=sk2irKVQB4I

Now one for the Alfisti. Love the driving style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoimATBQXfA&feature=related

Does anyone know when the first on-board racecam was used?

Ray Pignataro · July 19, 2010, 10:57:06 PM

Frank it was bathurst in a celica driven by somebody Williamson about 1980ish.

Paul Gulliver · July 19, 2010, 11:17:03 PM

Frank , very innovative for 1956. I like the idea of practice with cars & pedestrians circulating in an on coming direction. I espically liked the action at the 1.45 min mark when he nearly took out an on coming Morris Minor . They surely must have been contenders for the 1956 Darwin awards. Perhaps we could try something like that at Winton next month to keep the interest levels up

Paul Gulliver · July 19, 2010, 11:23:56 PM

Ray, not sure he was the first , but here is the clip from Peter Williamson in his Celica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsXyrCOp228&feature=related

Sheldon McIntosh · July 19, 2010, 11:24:57 PM

That is so brilliant (the Hawthorn clip). Love it at 1.27. "Got to be a little careful today..." *corrects oversteer* "...quite a lot of traffic on the road"

aggie57 · July 20, 2010, 03:36:41 AM

Nice links guys. Amazing how Williamson managed to commentate and drive at the same time. "Here comes Bobby Morris - look at him go - wonderful" or words to that effect.

With all the traffic, speed differences and recovery trucks on the circuit that was scarier than the Mike Hawthorn footage!

Alister

Paul Gulliver · July 20, 2010, 08:19:28 AM

QuoteAmazing how Williamson managed to commentate and drive at the same time. "Here comes Bobby Morris - look at him go - wonderful" or words to that effect.

Its a pity the clip doesn't show the ending . It ended in tears. Williamson was doing a bit of self commentary claimimng that the celica was the fastest car across the top of the mountain when he gets tapped from behind to the big Jaguar coupe. Then again he probably didn't see it coming with that 500kg camera they had stuffed in the boot