Sad day for motorsport

[robo]

Thoughts for the family and friends of Dan Wheldon who died yesterday.



Bob

[MarkB]

Indeed, I saw that on the news and blimey what a crash.

[wylliezx9r]

very sad, thank god this a rare occurence in motorsport these days unlike the 60's when this was happening every race practically.

[robo]

Its rare here in europe but not in the states. The only reason that made the news was because it was an english driver and the race was the indy 500. The news reporter was saying that there had been fifteen deaths this year in that sport. Horrid!

Bob

[wylliezx9r]

Its rare here in europe but not in the states. The only reason that made the news was because it was an english driver and the race was the indy 500. The news reporter was saying that there had been fifteen deaths this year in that sport. Horrid!

Bob

Feck me didnt realise it was so dangerous, if that was over here it would be outlawed. They have been lobbying to get the TT stopped and theres only ever a couple of deaths there.

[PorkChop]

Its rare here in europe but not in the states. The only reason that made the news was because it was an english driver and the race was the indy 500. The news reporter was saying that there had been fifteen deaths this year in that sport. Horrid!

Bob

Eh?

Dan Wheldon won this year's Indy 500. This weekend's race was the season finale; the Las Vegas 300.

FWIW, the last Indycar fatality before Dan was Paul Dana in 2006.

RIP Dan :(

[robo]

Thought that was a bit highit must have got twisted in the translation from this;

In an era when technological advances have been so rapid in areas, from communication to healthcare, it seems inconceivable that a sporting celebrity can still lose his life in such a high-profile way, what is more disconcerting for those in charge of motorsport in America is that this is not a lone incident in the modern era.

Driving a fragile human body at high speed around a circuit made of stone in a vehicle made for speed is always going to be a risky business but in the last 20 years there have been 15 deaths in IndyCar and NASCAR combined.

Tony Renna, Paul Dana and now Wheldon are Indy drivers to have died racing since the turn of the century.

Just compare this to safety record of Formula One, a rival division of elite motorsport in which former champion Jackie Stewart maintained there was a two in three chance he would die at the wheel such was the high ratio of driver fatality during the 1960s and 1970s.

Since 1953, 36 drivers have died racing in Formula One; nine of these fatalies were at American circuits, seven at Indianapolis two at Watkins Glen

From CNN

Bob

[MarkB]

Scary stuff, so fast yet so close to walls and each other. Very brave along with those that race the road circuits like the IOM.