Briton Dan Wheldon dies in IndyCar race in Las Vegas

[denphone]

British driver Dan Wheldon has died following a massive accident at the Las Vegas Indy 300. Buckinghamshire-born Wheldon, 33, was one of 15 drivers involved in a crash at the second corner on lap 13 of the series' season-ending race.
Wheldon, who began IndyCar racing in 2002, was series champion in 2005 and won the Indy 500 in 2005 and 2011.




How very sad to hear this news.



RIP Dan






http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/15330202.stm

[Derek]

Horrific crash, amazed there was only one fatality.

RIP

[Kingofthedead4]

Originally Posted by Derek

Horrific crash, amazed there was only one fatality.

RIP

Agreed

I don't follow IndyCar but it seems absurdly dangerous from the little I have learned thus far. They go really fast, as you would do Formula 1, but all the turns are wide and gradual allowing the drivers to maintain that speed throughout the race. The side of the track has a gating and barrier so there is no where to 'run off' in the event you go too wide, allowing a car to crash into the barrier and then, worse, remain on the track in the path of others.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Damien

I don't follow IndyCar but it seems absurdly dangerous from the little I have learned thus far. They go really fast, as you would do Formula 1, but all the turns are wide and gradual allowing the drivers to maintain that speed throughout the race. The side of the track has a gating and barrier so there is no where to 'run off' in the event you go too wide, allowing a car to crash into the barrier and then, worse, remain on the track in the path of others.

l watch it sometimes and they go much faster in IndyCar then they do in Formula 1 and while also in F1 there are quite a lot of turns and corners which will slow their speed down as they do their laps but in IndyCar they go faster and maintain that speed and while emotions are always high after a tragedy l feel they will have to be seen to do something in regards to safety and perhaps limiting the speed they go.

[Mick Fisher]

A terrible crash resulting in a sad loss

RIP Dan Wheldon.


I really don't get open wheeled Oval Racing. It's desperately boring to watch (probably to drive?) and horrifically dangerous when things go wrong.

IMO leave the Ovals for the slower Stock cars which with full integral roll cages are inherently a bit safer.

[thenry]

I agree Mike but the guys doing it wont. There is skilled required to do it although pointless and boring as you say.

RIP

[adzii_nufc]

R.I.P

Wasn't just the speed that was an issue here it was the stupid amount of cars allowed to race that day and the poor amount of space on track.

Absolute joke when you think a man's life was lost when it could have been so much different with fewer cars.

Again. I think they need space for people that misjudge a corner not to hit the barriers at 200mph, it's rare in formula 1 to have a closed off corner.

[devilincarnate]

RIP Dan, My condolence's go out to His family

There is also this as well?

Jody Scheckter wants son to quit IndyCar after Dan Wheldon's death.

Former Formula 1 world champion Jody Scheckter wants his son to quit IndyCar racing following the death of Briton Dan Wheldon.

Scheckter was a spectator at Sunday's Las Vegas Indy 300 and had an anxious wait before discovering son Tomas had escaped unharmed from the 15-car crash.

"I've wanted him to give up for a while," said Scheckter.

"Hopefully this will knock some sense into him and realise there is more to life. It really isn't worth it."

Former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver Mark Blundell said the Las Vegas track was unsuitable for cars of the power and speed used in Indy 300.

"It was inevitable in many ways," the Briton said of Sunday's accident. "It was a recipe for disaster. These type of cars shouldn't be on these type of circuits.

"Fifteen cars wiped out - 40% of the grid - and we've had a fatality. That's not acceptable."

Scottish IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti, who clinched his fourth IndyCar series title after the cancelled event, also had concerns about the race.

"I could see within five laps people were starting to do crazy stuff," he said.

"I love hard racing but that to me is not really what it's about, one small mistake from somebody.

"Right now I'm numb and speechless. One minute you're joking around and the next he's gone.

"He was six years old when I first met him. He was this little kid and the next thing you know he was my team-mate.

"We put so much pressure on ourselves to win races and championships and today it doesn't matter."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/15335428.stm

[Media Boy UK]

RIP Dan Wheldon.

When it happen on Sunday night I started to think about the song called ''Tell Laura I love her.''