The Crimson Trap The Tragic Fire That Banned Open Road Tracks | Amazing World of Automobiles | Ep 13

Welcome to Episode 13 of "Amazing World of Automobiles"! In this historic and high-octane installment titled "The Road Circuit Gladiators," we travel back to the golden and perilous era of European road racing—uncovering the jaw-dropping legacy of legendary open-road tracks like Spa-Francorchamps, Reims, Rouen-les-Essarts, and Le Mans. We plunge into the rolling hills of the Belgian Ardennes to chart the baseline development of the fearsome original 14-kilometer Spa track. Revisit the tragic, rain-slicked 1939 Belgian Grand Prix that claimed the life of British hero Richard Seaman, and explore the post-war mechanical evolution that saw Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss execute flawless formation finishes for Mercedes-Benz. We detail the historic 1958 guard-changing battle between Mike Hawthorn's Ferrari Dino 246 and the aerodynamic Vanwalls, Cliff Allison's desperate survival inside the fragile Lotus 12, and the industrial safety revolution triggered by Jackie Stewart's terrifying 1966 crash. Next, we cross over to France to tour the high-speed triangle of Reims in the Champagne region, dissecting the engineering breakthrough of the desmodromic valve W196 Silver Arrow and the tactical slipstreaming chess matches of the Reims 12 Hours. We trace the technical decline of Rouen's cobbled hairpins and culminate on the ultimate battleground: Le Mans in the 1960s. Discover the multi-million dollar corporate warfare between the Ford GT40 and Ferrari, the bizarre 1965 triumph of Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory trying to break their own car, and the physics-defying 240mph blind flight of the iconic air-cooled Porsche 917 down the original, un-chicaned Mulsanne Straight. If you are a fan of vintage open-road racing, legendary F1 engine design, and classic endurance documentaries, smash that like button, comment your thoughts on Eau Rouge, and subscribe for more episodes!