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

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):

Comments

[Daniel Gillum]

02:55 PM on 06/14/2011

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!

[my4salebox]

05:14 PM on 06/14/2011

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.

[my4salebox]

05:18 PM on 06/14/2011

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.

[DOC666]

09:07 PM on 06/13/2011

That's almost as bad as driving on Long Island during rush hour traffic.

[joshua761312006]

05:29 PM on 06/13/2011

Excuse me got my facts wrong 83 killed.

[joshua761312006]

05:08 PM on 06/13/2011

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.

[bmwracer]

01:51 PM on 06/13/2011

It'd be nice if HP mentioned F1 every once in a while as well.

And not because of any crashes.

[Please-Play-Fair]

01:19 PM on 06/13/2011

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.

[LegallyPalin]

11:36 AM on 06/13/2011

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.

[Please-Play-Fair]

01:30 PM on 06/13/2011

Dale Earnhardt Jr is a liberal ...

[simpleperson]

01:46 PM on 06/13/2011

So how many NBA players donated to McCain?

[simpleperson]

10:04 AM on 06/13/2011

Corvette won the GT class. Pretty cool to see an American manufacturer on the podium.

[jim9034]

08:39 AM on 06/13/2011

Were any spectators hurt, looks like a miracle if they were not.

[MurrayAbraham]

07:31 AM on 06/13/2011

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.

[WasteNJ]

08:02 AM on 06/13/2011

"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.

[FrankfurtSirens]

04:26 AM on 06/13/2011

At H/P: Sarah Palin's fault.

At Fox: Obama's fault.

[bmwracer]

02:35 AM on 06/13/2011

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.

[The Smartest Monkees]

06:05 AM on 06/13/2011

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?

[Rapid1]

08:14 AM on 06/13/2011

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.

[bmwracer]

01:45 PM on 06/13/2011

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.

[jgarcia]

01:29 AM on 06/13/2011

Auto racing is the most stupid Sarah Palin influenced activity (not even a sport) imaginable! Boring beyond belief..

[L3p3rm3ss14h]

02:10 AM on 06/13/2011

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.

[KPinSEA]

02:14 AM on 06/13/2011

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.

[RogerHWerner]

03:47 AM on 06/13/2011

Great comment and so true.

[DenverWilliam]

12:32 AM on 06/13/2011

Maybe a little more exciting than nascar...they actually have right hand turns too!

[ekg]

08:18 AM on 06/13/2011

NASCAR runs two street course races every year.

[Rapid1]

08:19 AM on 06/13/2011

Every car is engineered and built separately with a set of rules that doesn't impede creativity. They race at night, and in the rain.

Just some other differences.

[henrypapillon]

12:28 AM on 06/13/2011

Esse ein messenheimer, Jah!