[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Rex Judicata

Hero is a word that is often misused by the media. A hero is person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.

On August 1, 1976, when leading the WDC, Niki Lauda crashed at the Nurburing during the German Grand Prix. Two following drivers - Harald Ertl and Brett Lunger - hit Lauda's wrecked car. Two other drivers avoided the accident and stopped - Guy Edwards and Arturio Merzario.

It took the combined efforts of Ertl, Lunger, Edwards, and Merzario to pull Lauda from his burning car. Guy Edwards was awarded a Queen's Gallantry Medal for his bravery.

Lauda received last rites and was not expected to live. However, he sat out several Grands Prix and despite constant pain, contested the remaining races in 1976. Under impossible rain conditions, Lauda pulled into the pits and withdrew from the season ending Japanese Grand Prix, giving James Hunt his hollow WDC by one-point.

I salute these four unsung heros of F1:

1. Harald Ertl
2. Brett Lunger
3. Guy Edwards
4. Arturio Merzario

For the BBC's perspective on this horrible accident, see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/d...00/2526869.stm

I've got Autosport from 5th August 1976 open in front of me here and am reading Pete Lyons' report of the German GP from the previous weekend. Brett Lunger in the Campari Surtees did the bulk of the work to get Lauda out, grabbing him by the shoulders in what sounds more like the scene from a disaster event. Its a stark reminder of the dangers of motor-sport and just how lethal it was 30 years ago.