I was there. Didn’t see the crash as I was in Turn 3, but will never forget the bloodthirstiness of the crowd, feeding on every word of every detail of the accident.
Swore I’d never return to the race, but I went back on my word to myself in ‘66 as a good friend’s dad was a top USAC official and we had special escort getting in, pit passes, and tickets to the awards banquet afterwards where AJ Foyt was at the table next to ours.
Went to 6 or 7 Indy 500 races, but this one left a big hole in my gut.....
Hogwash. Everyone was very solemn, at least where I was sitting. A few were crying.
I’ve been to many racing events, even ones where some participant died. I’ve watched people talking about the crash, but never in a bloodthirsty manner that you write about.
But, your comment reminds me of the Gulf War, as people at the news conferences giggled as bombs blew people away.