RIP Dan Wheldon

m4a1mustang · 10-17-2011, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cossie1600

That sucks. Did he die on impact or at the hospital? The details are a little murky, I guess that's what happens when you are in a third tier sport

I hope they stop going to a lot of these banked ovals, let them go back on the road courses and design safer cars

From what I've heard he was still alive when they got him to the medical center but he was 100% unresponsive and dying. I just hope it was painless for him.

They have the safer car design coming next year (see my earlier post on the first page). I think the oval racing is good, they just need to get the cars so they aren't running in those huge packs at those speeds. There are ways to change the cars to do that.

There are plenty of great ovals out there for them to race on, that the series has been leaving recently... New Hampshire, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Iowa... all really challenging ovals for those cars. Not just foot to the floor and pray like Las Vegas.

scottIN · 10-17-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

From what I've heard he was still alive when they got him to the medical center but he was 100% unresponsive and dying. I just hope it was painless for him.

They have the safer car design coming next year (see my earlier post on the first page). I think the oval racing is good, they just need to get the cars so they aren't running in those huge packs at those speeds. There are ways to change the cars to do that.

There are plenty of great ovals out there for them to race on, that the series has been leaving recently... New Hampshire, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Iowa... all really challenging ovals for those cars. Not just foot to the floor and pray like Las Vegas.

And in reality, the current cars are very safe already. Look at the wrecks we've seen over the last 10 years with the current car and how few serious injuries there have been. As Scott said on the broadcast: " I'd rather hit a wall at 225 mph in an IndyCar than 65 mph in a passenger car."

The new rear tire protectors will be interesting. A few years ago, most of karting went to full width bumpers. It's increased the bumping and on track contact tremendously. Granted, we're talking about 75 mph vs. 225 mph, but covering the rear wheel takes a lot of the risk out of the guy behind getting into you-there's no penalty for him bumping you vs. if he was hitting an open tire. Hopefully they thought about this in the design and made them so they'll (a) keep someone off your rear wheel, yet (b) make them delicate enough so as not to invite contact.

m4a1mustang · 10-17-2011, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottIN

And in reality, the current cars are very safe already. Look at the wrecks we've seen over the last 10 years with the current car and how few serious injuries there have been. As Scott said on the broadcast: " I'd rather hit a wall at 225 mph in an IndyCar than 65 mph in a passenger car."

The new rear tire protectors will be interesting. A few years ago, most of karting went to full width bumpers. It's increased the bumping and on track contact tremendously. Granted, we're talking about 75 mph vs. 225 mph, but covering the rear wheel takes a lot of the risk out of the guy behind getting into you-there's no penalty for him bumping you vs. if he was hitting an open tire. Hopefully they thought about this in the design and made them so they'll (a) keep someone off your rear wheel, yet (b) make them delicate enough so as not to invite contact.

Definitely. This was just one of those deals where Dan hit the wall/fence at just the right angle that nothing would have saved him.

If we roll back safety advancements in racing 15 years or so we probably would have lost a handful of drivers this weekend. Not only at Vegas in the Indy Car race, but Jimmie Johnson's impact at Charlotte could very well have been fatal pre-HANS device.

We just take all of the safety advancements for granted until something like this happens.

Methodical4u · 11-02-2011, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

Definitely. This was just one of those deals where Dan hit the wall/fence at just the right angle that nothing would have saved him.

If we roll back safety advancements in racing 15 years or so we probably would have lost a handful of drivers this weekend. Not only at Vegas in the Indy Car race, but Jimmie Johnson's impact at Charlotte could very well have been fatal pre-HANS device.

We just take all of the safety advancements for granted until something like this happens.

that and don't forget this... go to 2:38 ... could have easily been 2 drivers VERY seriously hurt or worse.

Nascar Sprint Cup 2011 at Watkins Glen, GWC & Big crash - YouTube