Ironically, the bidding ends today....27 years, to the day, he died. Interesting planning. I'm not sure I'd want to own this. :eek:
David.

Here's the link if you feel like bidding: (It's already over $200.00)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gordon-Smiley-19...QQcmdZViewItem

Sadly it's probably one of the bigger pieces that came off the car.

Probably true. That was one accident that is just beyond words.
David.

This accident happened during Qualifying or practice not the race, turn 3. Or am I wrong.

David..... this post is NOT directed at you in any capacity. I want to clarify that up front. But I just saw this and it has hit a very RAW NERVE.

I was there.... May 15, 1982. I was 10 days short of my 12th birthday. 12:15pm. Second lap of warmups, I looked up and saw the car go head on into the wall. This was the most HORRENDOUS thing I have ever seen.... even to this day. As a youngster, it was a wakeup call to the danger of the sport that I loved with all my heart. I was shocked.... devastated.... sad.... and scared. I took a friend that year with me.... and he has never watched a race or a race car run since. There is no way you can describe that scene.... except horrendous.

I guess the think that absolutely chaps my a$$ is..... why in the F&*K would you want to SELL or OWN something like this? A MANS LIFE WAS TAKEN IN THIS RACECAR!!!! AND YOU WANT TO SELL THIS PIECE LIKE IT'S A TOY??????? ***???????????????

I do not get this. One slightest bit. You know.... I am an easy guy to get along with..... but this hits a nerve on me like nothing has since the ex/divorce thing. If fact this one hits harder cause I was there and saw it with my own eyes. I mean seriously..... ***?????????

I just guess some folks have no respect for the dead.

P.S. Again David not a vent on you.... just the auction itself. I just don't get it. It just PISSES me off someone will turn a quick buck off of a death. That's just so low you can't even describe....

EDIT: Z-man..... warming up prior to the qualifying attempt and yes turn 3. We always sit in Northwest Vista top row for qualifying so we had the catbird seat so to speak.... man to this day I see it as tho it was yesterday.....

I know what you're saying Don, it takes a lot of nerve to profit from selling this. I was there that day also. About a week before I graduated high school. My Dad and I were standing at the front of the tech line for qualifying. Saw his crew give him the "thumbs up" as he pulled out to go qualify. He came around one time and then never again.
I took some great photos of him a few days earlier, on a practice day, in the pits. Maybe one of these days I'll scan 'em and post 'em. He seemed like a cool guy, took time to talk to us and sign autographs. I've read and heard people have negative comments about him over the years but he seemed nice to us. Hated to see his crash.
David.

I was there that day as well. I too had a friend with me. I remember looking through the fence and seeing Gordon sitting in his garage and smiling. It is a smile that I will never forget.

Don I was probably sitting a couple rows down from you as I too looked up right as his car bobbled and headed for the fence.

Its sad but people will try to make money off anything.

I've visited Gordon's gravesite in Omaha a couple of times. It is not far from where the old Aksarben race track was.

later,

Bob Mays

I was talking to a friend about this very thing. It is something that is permanently ingrained in my brain. EVERY TIME I go to the Speedway, and I am near turn 3, I look at that spot. I have even woke up at night, even as lately as a few weeks ago, seeing the crash vividly in my mind. Maybe it's because I was 11 when I saw it is the reason it's so burned into my brain. I can also vividly recall the crashes of Jovy Marcello (innocent looking half spin into the wall) and Scott Brayton (Very hard half spin into the wall).

Every single driver who has EVER turned a competitive wheel at that place is a hero to me. Maybe this is why I so vividly remember these incidents... its men who gave their lives doing what they love to do so that I as a fan can love watching what they do. I SOOOOOO want to drive an Indy car there..... even with these incidents so fresh in my mind. Just to have the opportunity to do so would mean more than I could ever put into words.