Kate,
With all respect, I haven't heard anyone call him stupid or worthless. The common opinion that seems to be shared, even among his own colleagues, is that he was out of his depth in a IRL car. He wasn't alone, in my opinion there are several drivers in the IRL who shouldn't be there. From everything I've seen and read, he made a mistake that cost him his life and could have cost Carpenter his too. If Buddy Lazier said that he showed a complete lack of taste, which would be in keeping with the IRL, which has a complete lack of taste.
Fax