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Very Tragic...Dan Weldon was killed today in the Las Vegas 300..
Indy 500 winner 2005, 2011.
33 years old, Married with 2 young boys, 2 and a half, and 7 months....
Lived in St. Petersburg, FL......Really Sad....
I don't understand why this kind of stuff happens.....
Very very sad day. I love watching those cars race but at the speeds the go, these kinds of things are bound to happen once in a while.
Drew...I think there is one word for it...ADRENALIN...these things happen because man has these incredible urges to go faster than the body can react. When these instances happen, even the greatest drivers can't control the vehicle.
R.I.P. Mr Weldon...
Is is a sad day when people loose thier lives doing what they love.
As far as why this kind of stuff happens Drew,my guess would be pushing it to the limit,racing is very competitive.
Rick
[QUOTE=DREW;473032] I don't understand why this kind of stuff happens.....[/QUOTE]
220mph 4 wide on a 1 1/2mile banked track that's why. Even the driver's were nervous before that race. That track was not designed for Indycar speeds and grip levels. Literally, there is no room to pass in that scenario. Add 30+ cars all trying to move forward and it was a recipe for disaster. I am not a fan of open wheel simply because of the open wheel aspect... you run up on someone's tire or even touch at the wrong angle and it's instant liftoff. These cars are designed with downforce to keep them glued to the track. When they lift off the ground, they become a kite and the driver is just along for the ride
He was a great guy and will be missed by many
It is a very sad day indeed. I have had the chance to meet Dan Wheldon and he was a great guy.
Unfortunately the reason this happened is because of the great speeds they are traveling at and the laws of physics. When a car is traveling that fast in a tightly packed group, it becomes very difficult to avoid a wreck or piece of debris. He died doing what he loved, but if he had survived that he probably would go right back to racing again.
[YOUTUBE]vyJaZTEUG9k[/YOUTUBE]
Eric
I know how these things happen..Been around racing for a long time..
I wonder WHY they have to happen....
I've never been a huge Indy Car fan, as I feel those cars at those speeds are just NOT SAFE.....
You're right. Apparently people who manages the track knows that. Notice in the video there are no spectators on the front rows near the track.
[QUOTE=DREW;473197]I know how these things happen..Been around racing for a long time..
I wonder WHY they have to happen....
I've never been a huge Indy Car fan, as I feel those cars at those speeds are just NOT SAFE.....[/QUOTE]
The speeds they drive at are usually safe. Now when I say safe, remember that there is always a danger to racing no matter how fast the cars are going. The problem here was Indycars were racing on a track purpose built for Nascars. The reason this is a problem is Nascars are made to race in large tight packs, Indycars are not due to their open wheels.
As to why these types of things have to happen, they don't. There has never been a good reason for a driver to die. Not even in a wreck caused by a mechanical failure.
Yes...VERY sad indeed. An amazing driver/champion and he seemed like a great guy. He will be greatly missed. :(
I watched the first 10 laps of the race and then DVR'ed the rest because I was busy. Found out later about the crash and that he had passed.
In my opinion...IndyCar shouldn't be racing on high-banked tracks designed for NASCAR. (Texas, Vegas, etc...)
225+ MPH flat-out pack-racing is playing Russian Roulette. Watching the Texas race always made me nervous.
I am a big IndyCar fan, but not this kind of racing...
Kurt