How many drivers have we lost in 10 years in Indy Car?

[Ranger]

Interesting you bring that up thrust.

This was uncomfortably similar ro Dan's crash, and is even more amazing that he is with us and racing today.

Ryan Briscoe, Chicagoland 2005:

Ryan Briscoe Chicago 2005 Crash - YouTube

[Phoenixent]

Interesting you bring that up thrust.

This was uncomfortably similar ro Dan's crash, and is even more amazing that he is with us and racing today.

Ryan Briscoe, Chicagoland 2005:

Ryan Briscoe Chicago 2005 Crash - YouTube

I just looked at Hi-Res photos of this wreck and there is one thing that stands out to me. The fence poles and cables are on the otherside of the fence eliminating the shot traps which is completely opposite of the fence at LVMS or any other SMI tracks.

[Phoenixent]

If Greg Moore's father sued Penske, and Fontana due to the stupid idea of having grass on the track infield than the Wheldon family should go after SMI and Burton Smith for having a known faulty fence design since the 2003 Kenny Brack crash at TMS....

[Phoenixent]

Sad thing is Starter that even Lexan at the hockey rink sometimes gives way to the hockey puck. A girl died in 2002 after being hit by a puck that crashed through the lexan at a Blue Jacket game. Like you said that we as fans must realize that it's a dangerous sport. I have been a fan since 1970 and have seen many drivers pass and it's truly sad but I know that it's a dangerous sport they are in and I pass that knowledge down to my children as my father passed to me. They know that a driver they like might be killed in a race and they like me will mourn but the sport continues on with out the over reaction that are going on with Dan Wheldon's passing.

[Anubis]

And the lots of penalties F1 is giving to drivers for the most stupid things?

Which differs from Indycar how exactly?!

[Anubis]

Additional thought on the "motorsport is dangerous" discussion and the fatality rate in different series. How does top tier NHRA (TF/AAFC) compare to Indycar over the last decade?

[Jag_Warrior]

So you do like all the brand new Tilke circuits and their stupid run off areas?

No, I didn't say that. But do I prefer certain Tilke circuits over certain IRL or Indy Car circuits? As one of my favorite people says, "you betcha!" I'll even throw in one of these to honor her:

And the lots of penalties F1 is giving to drivers for the most stupid things?

I haven't agreed with some of the penalties, or that certain drivers (Schumacher, for instance) have received lighter penalties than others for the same/similar offense. But I would take the FIA stewards over the truly horrible job that Brian Barnhart has done this year. Completely ignoring rough driving by some and calling others to the carpet? Restarting an oval race in the rain? Really? Having safety trucks running backwards on a track at the start? Really? That the drivers still seem to have an overly difficult time exiting cars after crashes, while F1 drivers pop the padding out and out they go. A safety crew almost tearing a driver in half while yanking and pulling her from a burning car?

I know you didn't say that, but I think IndyCar is way better then Formula Parade... Racing has it's risks and we have to accept them.

"Better", in this case, is a purely subjective conclusion. I am "better" than George Clooney. My girlfriend recently said so... right after I gave her the iPad2 that she'd been dreaming of. But just as most racing fans would (and do) choose Formula One over the IRL, I'm relatively certain that most women would go for Clooney over me. That, I accept.

Sure, racing has its risks. But in most of life's endeavors, we seek to minimize risks, not necessarily eliminate them.

F1 is overreacting, simple as that. Of course you may have your opinion (otherwise this world would be boring anyway), and I accept it, but I don't think the US is waiting for two races which are exactly the same (boring.....) Vettel gets pole, Vettel wins and maybe 3 or 4 overtakes in the whole race, that's what it's gonna be.

Last I checked, F1 was doing just fine. The best drivers in the world still want to go there. Other than NASCAR in the U.S., the only other series that has cities, states and nations trying to lure a series with promises of big money and purpose built circuits is Formula One. People keep complaining that this tracks or that track aren't meant for "modern Indy cars". OK, then why doesn't someone build a track that is??? Hmm? I've been watching F1 and American formula cars since the 70's and there have always been periods of domination in both series. But if you're claiming that F1 races have averaged only 3-4 overtakes the entire race, that tells me that you don't actually watch F1 races. I'd say Kamui has that many all by himself most race weekends. The DRS is a great idea, IMO - and it's greatly improved "the show". So no, I have no idea what you're talking about in regard to F1 being ruined by (recent) safety innovations. The fans have voted with their eyeballs and ticket stubs, and F1 seems to be leading by (at least) a couple of laps. Same with circuits and TV contracts.

But here's my bottom line, since I think it's a waste of time to compare F1 and the IRL (in its present state): safety should be a paramount concern to any sporting body. And as far as I know, no one has suggested doing anything to the IRL cars or tracks which would detract from the concept of "sport". What has detracted from the concept of "sport" are Brian Barnhart's favoritism and idiotic decisions over the past ten plus years, having "no name" drivers, who aren't qualified to be in GP3, on track with rather polished veterans, not knowing when it's raining, changing results AFTER the race, using gimmicks to cover up the fact that a better, long term plan is not in place, having a safety crew that continues to have issues, etc.

Accidents happen... but they should only happen once under a given set of circumstances. If people continue to get hurt under the same circumstances, week after week or race after race, that is (IMO) negligence. What happened here was horrible. But I accept that it was an accident. But the IRL has to learn from it. It cannot happen again, under similar circumstances.