Indy Japan - The Final - Race Thread

[00steven]

She is going but she has legit reason to be concerned.

Just trying to grab more attention as her Indycar future comes to an end.

[harvick#1]

She is going but she has legit reason to be concerned.

I've heard no other drivers concerned about it

[Mark in Oshawa]

I've heard no other drivers concerned about it

They drive race cars for a living...they know it is dangerous. I guess Danica doesn't see the irony...

[bblocker68]

Wow, this is like the DanicaFan countdown!

And hey, she still stinks!

[Anubis]

Really? Oh come on!!! My Bull**** detector just redlined when I saw Danica at a NASCAR press conference (remember where she is going to be next year) bad mouthing the whole idea over radiation concerns. Radiation matters if you are racing around the reactors. Fukashima is not next door to the track. It also emitted all its radiation 6 months ago. The people of Japan, who lost half their east coast on the big island of Honshu are reassembling what is left of their lives and the princess is worried about being there for 5 days? Lady drives a race car, that is more dangerous than any radiation she may get. I guess she better quit flying too, because every time you fly you are exposed to radiation since you are above a lot of the Earth's protective atmosphere.....good lord...Danica, take some Iodine pills and drive the damn race car. I bet if the oval was still in use, she wouldn't be spouting this crap....

She's undoubtedly at considerably more of a direct health risk from exposure to cumulative exhaust emissions and particulates over any given race weekend. Added up over an entire racing career, I'm sure that puts any driver statistically more likely to get any number of medical issues, from respiritory disease through to various cancers. In fact, she's probably more exposed to dangerous substances merely by being in and around airports on a regular basis. A few of the MotoGP guys have been voicing concerns about Fukushima, also completely overlooking the radiation doses they receive every time they have an x-ray, which being MotoGP riders, will be quite often.

[DBell]

I was hoping we wouldn't have any IndyCar drivers follow in the path of the Moto GP whiners about Japan. But leave it to Danica.....

The info about radiation and earthquakes by independent monitors is out there if they really cared to investigate. Funny you don't hear the fears about earthquakes when they are going to Sonoma, Laguna Seca. Long Beach and, next year, Fontana. Big quakes could happen there at any time.

[heliocastroneves#3]

That's why she goes to NASCAR... The 2012 Indycar is probably way too fast for her. :

[Anubis]

Given her move to NASCAR means a much more concentrated race program entirely within the US, she should probably be more concerned about radon. I don't have the time or indeed inclination to map measured radon levels to track geography and then work out her potential exposure, but the data exist if someone really wanted to.

A Citizen's Guide to Radon | Radon | US EPA
Radon level averages across the US

In addition, any races in or near heavy coal mining regions are going to be a concern due to soot particles. Then there's tracks near coal fired power stations, which will be exposed to much higher levels of mercury. Never mind NOT flying to Japan, she should be thinking about flying AWAY FROM the US if health is her main concern!

[anthonyvop]

Virtual lap of Twin Ring Motegi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYFIc43lO3A

[Civic]

The Dome-Mugen F105i did a lap in about 1:36. I believe the car is built to 1997 rules, so it would be interesting to see what the laptime discrepancy between the F105i and a Dallara-Honda is at the Twin Ring Motegi road course.

Fast forward to 2:50 of the following YouTube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFQngxGacZg