Tribute to Dan Wheldon

[nopanic - neil]

Thoughts are with Dan Wheldon and his family, very sad day.


Like everyone says the site was total carnage, as bad as a plane crash.

What amazed me was how quick the cars burst in to flames, reminded me of early days of F1 (not that i was there). Safety level should be higher

[Boorish Grobian]

As I said in my previous post, it was mind numbingly stupid to start 34 cars on 1 1/2 mile high banked oval.  But with all due respect to the dead, what the hell was Wheldon thinking?  I've watched the replay several times and can't figure out why he just went bombing into the accident scene like nothing was happening.  I mean the accident had already unfolded for several seconds when he came flying into it, while everyone else was checking up he just went into it flat out.  I can only assume he wasn't looking up the track.  He has raced only one other time since Indy, and this may have played a part.
There were a hell of alot of drivers out there yesterday who had no business being in a Indycar.  Indycar wanted a big end of season show to attract some attention...Well those morons got it!
Fax

[landman]

I blame this purely on Indycar and the jackasses running it.  Starting 34 cars on a 1 1/2 mile track was utterly stupid.  It was recipe for carnage.  The way the regs are, with rev limted engines, they run flat out around the track without lifting, as a result they can't get away from each other, much like NASCAR on restrictor plate tracks.  f**k*ng stupid racing, with stupid rules.  Dan wasn't always the most likeable guy, but one never wants to see something like that, leaving his wife widowed and his to boys without a father.
Fax

+1

[Lorry]

A sad loss indeed, especially when he had to go the States to find fame and fortune

[mgmark]

Dreadful.  What the phuq was anyone who organised that race thinking about?  My maths may be a little out calculating at this time of the evening, but 34 cars (even if they were evenly distributed) around a 1.5 mile track = one every 77 yards.  On a 25-second lap.  Travelling at 107 yards per second.  The dynamics at that speed, coupled with smoke, debris etc from the first incident and with that amount going on all at once, means that a driver's ability to do anything meaningful are going to be pretty much negated.  15 cars out of 34 in the race, taken out in a single incident - more like gladiatorial combat in the Rome Colosseum than a motor race.  I can't think of any redeeming features or regulations that would have prevented or mitigated it, other than not to have run such a race on such a Mickey Mouse circuit.          

RIP Dan Wheldon.  Thoughts to his family and friends.

MG Mark  

[Nordic]

I would not claim to know a lot about indy car in recent years, fallen of my radar since the split so would not claim to know if the Vegas race was a problem waiting to happen or not, but its claimed this is the first death there?

Did watch Wheldon race in the lower series in the UK so realise he did have a fair amount of talent and this is a sad loss for his family and it brings back into focus the fact that people can die for the sake of entertainment. That will never go away all the time guys want to race.

The amount of press coverage with endless replays on TV has been slightly disturbing. Seeing the final moment of someone's life played out on the local news because he once raced at Brands seemed to trivialise his death. 

[chop456]

“As long as I’m CEO, danger will be an important element of this sport. When you sign up to be a racecar driver, you accept a responsibility for that danger. And if you don’t want to be a racecar driver because of danger, go find another profession.”

— IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, June 2011

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/10/17/dan-wheldons-death-casts-a-shadow-on-indycar/


Those piles of garbage have sailed like kites since day one.  Everyone knows it and they've done nothing to end it.  In addition to their propensity for flight, there's a list of spinal injuries as long as your arm due to the rigid and tail-heavy design.  As far as I'm concerned, the 'league' officials should be removed, if not prosecuted for gross negligence.  Their ineptitude was astonishing this year, with oval racing in the rain, making rules on the fly and now this.  It's infuriating.   

RIP Dan.

[Robbo]

Easy to take a shot at the organisers when something like this happens.

Its on the back of every entry ticket, the world over: MOTORSPORT IS DANGEROUS!

Great piece by Marshall Pruett: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/pruett-danny-boy/

Also the new 2012 Dallara chassis will carry Dan's name: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-dallara-to-name-2012-car-in-honor-of-wheldon/

[Andy Zarse]

Easy to take a shot at the organisers when something like this happens.

Its on the back of every entry ticket, the world over: MOTORSPORT IS DANGEROUS![/url]

I cannot comprehend how someone with no motor racing experience can come in to the sport as green as a cabbage and start calling the shots on areas affecting driver safety. On that basis, yes it is very easy to take shots! And well deserved one's too.

[Brad Zarse]

As I said in my previous post, it was mind numbingly stupid to start 34 cars on 1 1/2 mile high banked oval.  But with all due respect to the dead, what the hell was Wheldon thinking?  I've watched the replay several times and can't figure out why he just went bombing into the accident scene like nothing was happening.  I mean the accident had already unfolded for several seconds when he came flying into it, while everyone else was checking up he just went into it flat out.  I can only assume he wasn't looking up the track.  He has raced only one other time since Indy, and this may have played a part.
There were a hell of alot of drivers out there yesterday who had no business being in a Indycar.  Indycar wanted a big end of season show to attract some attention...Well those morons got it!
Fax

Far be it for me to question your knowledge Fax, but are you sure you're watching the right car??  Contrary to the commentators information, Wheldons car is the one that flies FIRST.  The car that goes ploughing in, over two cars, was Will Power - Wheldons car was launched off of the Green Lotus car, not across the two cars - which I agree, did look a bit silly.  Wheldons car was collected by Pippa Mann's car - which it appears, is the impact which caused the damage.

Not sure you can question Wheldons driving skill really - the guy only entered one other IndyCar race this year, and won it - how much more proof do you want?

[Boorish Grobian]

Hi Brad, I could very well be incorrect, but I 'm pretty sure Dan's car is the white & black one that comes on the scene a couple of seconds after the shunt started, he is low on the track and comes up behind a couple of slowing cars and climbs over the top of them and gets launched. I still don't understand why he didn't go down on the apron, it was wide open for evasive action. There's someone in a white car who comes bombing into the carnage even later than that at full tilt boogie, I have no idea what this driver's thinking.
Got it from a friend who works in Indycar, and was in Vegas, that Wheldon's helmet was torn off by the debris fencing, that's where his injuries came from.
Regarding the idiots running Indycar?  Randy Bernard is the same moron who made the call to restart the race at New Hampshire on a still wet track, causing a big shunt. At this point I'm wondering how many drivers are going to end up killed or crippled by the incompetance of these clowns running the sport.
Fax

[Nordic]

Guys,

I dont think this is the right time for a debate on tragic events, leasons will be learned and action taken, of that we can be sure.

[Chris24]

You are correct that this isn't the place or time for a discussion on it other than to post tributes etc. But just to correct Fax, wouldn't restarting the New Hamshire race come down to the race director Brian Barnhart rather than the Indycar CEO Randy Bernard. Also its very easy for us to critisize the drivers for what speed they came into the accident, the cars are travelling a football field a second at that speed and there is hardly anytime to make a decision on what action to take and if its going to be the right one or not. Also if you lift too quickly the car will either spin or you will cause a major accident for the car running behind you.

Anyway this thread is supposed to be a tribute to Dan.

[goodduck]

It is very interesting to read everyone's thoughts on the tragic events. I dont think it is disrespectful to Dan Wheldon's memory to talk about safety in motor sports, even if it is still very fresh.

Thoughts and prayers are with Dan's wife and small children.

[Boorish Grobian]

Agreed Goodduck, I think it completely appropriate to discuss safety in these circumstances.  This was something that was entirely avoidable, and those of us who follow the Indycar series over here have every right to be critcal of the way things have been handled.  This race should never have taken place, it was gimmicky stunt created by people desperate to attract some sort of attention to their series.  Indycar's TV ratings are horrible, as is their gate attendance.  The brass at Indycar is willing to throw safety to the wind, and their drivers under the bus if they think one of their half-assed, poorly thought out ideas will grab some headlines.  Wheldon paid the price for it.
Chris, it was Bernard's call at Loudon, Barnhart didn't want to re-start the race, but Bernard was determined to see the race end in the allocated TV time slot, and demanded the race re-started.  Its what happens when you have a guy who knows absolutely nothing about motor racing calling the shots.
Fax