My take on the Dan Wheldon tragedy and what it means to our sport

[AJ Roadster NJ]

These are just the thoughts of a fan of all motorsports. I watch every F1 race, every NASCAR race, most of the IndyCar races, many of the NHRA races, and have attended many of each. I love the sport.

I have been saying for a long time that IndyCar in particular is treading on thin and very unsafe ice. While Dan Wheldon's death is tragic, and while I understand that this has always been a blood sport and always will be, the sport as a whole will suffer horrible repercussions when, someday, a car flies over the fencing and into the grandstand. The potential for dozens (or more) of spectator deaths from one incident is very real in IndyCar.

F1 does not endanger spectators to anything like the degree that IndyCar does. NASCAR has had its moments of high risk, and as a result has gone to great lengths to implement effective methods of slowing the cars down and keeping them on the ground in almost all circumstances. The NHRA does not put spectator seats at the end of the strip.

Bottom line, there is a huge difference between a driver taking responsibility for his/her own risks by simply getting behind the wheel, and a fan taking a huge risk by buying a ticket without understanding that the sactioning body is throwing the dice on every oval they race.

Every ticket I've bought to any motorsports venue has fine print on it somewhere that says that spectating an auto race is inherently dangerous and the facility is not responsible if I die watching the race. Fine. But I also expect the sanctioning body to extend reasonable efforts to protect me. Someday, when IndyCar launches a car into the grandstand and kills 80 people (as happened at LeMans in 1955), it will affect F1, NASCAR, NHRA, and your local short track.

The entire sport will suffer. Angry lawmakers that don't understand the sport will pass ridiculous new regulations to strangle speed. IndyCar, as an organization, poses a threat to the rest of the motorsports community. There is NO REASON to run open wheel cars at 225 mph on a 1.5 mile track, period.

Rest in peace, Dan Wheldon. And know that if your death has a positive side, it will be that you changed IndyCar before their bad judgement and lack of sound reasoning resulted in far more deaths.

AJ

[65 Cobra Dude]

Nicely written and true AJ,

Henry

[riptide motorsport]

Cant say I agree with everything you said, ie. the P51 crash. you can only do so much, don't like the risk, dont go. And that applies to the current saftey measures of Indy.........feel free to stay home. Oh and what about when a spooked racehorse jumps the fence......I can go on and on.........JMHO ...Steven

[DARKPT]

The drivers do have a responsibility for their own safety, but the track owners also bear responsibility to put on a safe show.

Indy car racing killed 3 fans each at Michigan and at Charlotte in an 8 month span back in the late 90's. Following the incident at Charlotte, then speedway president Humpy Wheeler said : "This is a terrible thing. It's very regrettable. It's something we'll live with for a very, very long time." source - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/...ain45325.shtml

Humpy Wheeler was working at the time for Speedway Motorsports, Inc (SMI) which owns Charlotte Motor Speedway. Though Indy never returned to Charlotte, Indy cars did race the very next year at Atlanta, Kentucky, Las Vegas, and Texas. These tracks are all owned by SMI.

But lest you villify Bruton Smith (SMI's chairman and CEO) for continuing to put fans in harm's way, remember that Indy was back racing at Michigan (owned by an SMI rival) after just a 2 year hiatus. If Las Vegas is dropped from next year's schedule, check to see if Texas is also dropped. You might remember Kenny Breck doing his best to get through the fence there back in 2003.

Oh, and Robin Miller reported on July 3rd that Randy Bernhard wanted to add Charlotte back to the schedule for next year.

SMI has learned only to move the show to another town after a tragedy. Yes, the fences are taller today and yes, they have moved the fans so far up in the stands that they get frequent flier miles. However, two of the fans killed at Charlotte were seated in row 25.

As for me, I attend road course races when open wheels are involved. And I get my NASCAR thrills from the cheap seats beause there's usually a breeze up there to cool you off.

[AJ Roadster NJ]

Yup, DARKPT, you are getting what I wrote. I agree with your comments. I understand the risks, and I go to many, many races. I've stood at the fence at both Talladega and Daytona (although they won't really let you stand there -- you have to time your trip to the little boy's room just right) just to get the rush when the pack comes by at 190 mph.

My worry is that when IndyCar finally has the horrific spectator count (as if the six from the late '90s weren't enough) that all forms of motorsport will suffer from new regulations and we won't have that choice any more. I want to keep on going to races.

AJ

PS -- I read your blog. I'm doing the bodywork on my Roadster right now. I share your pain.