Dan Wheldon dies at vegas today..

[Imp]

Stupid fucks shouldn't be racing on 1.5 mile ovals made for Nascar. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened.

EDIT: Stupid fucks = Indy Car officials who decided they should race at these venues.

Ignoring safety, I always thought the ovals were the absolute boringest tracks for Indycar. Just go in circles at stupidly fast speeds for a couple hours, not a single interesting turn. Not a Nascar fan either (duh).

 

[BabaBooey]

Which car caused the chain reaction accident?

Watch the video,there is actually 2 crashes,the initial one and then a few seconds later another car turns in front of another,that is the once that got dan.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I was at the first CART race at Fontana and they were averaging 250mph around that track. They slowed it down with wing restrictions after that but a year or two later Greg Moore died in a horrific crash while racing there in 1999.

 

[busydude]

I can't believe how easily they caught on fire.

 

[Kaervak]

shouldn't race open wheel on ovals, period. what's the point?

bad accident. i'm wondering how much reaction time any of them had- some of them definitely look like they're trying to capitalize by taking the inside instead of braking, but maybe that's more of a gut reaction.

From what the commentators were saying, at 220mph they were traveling the length of a football field per second. Even with their reaction times being what they are, there was nothing they could do.

 

[rh71]

not much else to say other than... Will Power? Great job, mom and dad.

 

[brianmanahan]

did they stop the race?

 

[Printer Bandit]

why weren't they following the speed limit?

 

[brianmanahan]

if i died in a race car crash i bet right before i died id be like "man i wish i would have picked another job"

 

[crab]

This was terrible Was watching it today with the guys at our local small airport and we were just saying that there's going to be a bad accident. So many damn cars starting and four wide...anybody could have seen it coming.

TV hadn't yet reported his death when I had to leave, but the demeanor and actions of the crews said they knew something we didn't.

I know John Barnes who owns Panther Racing, and I got to meet Dan a couple of years ago when he drove for Panther. Sad day here in Indy

 

[sandorski]

Wow,

 

[Triumph]

saw that just after the crash, i was hoping everyone made it through ok, but looks like it wasn't meant to be. considering the severity of the crashes and number of people involved, it's amazing that only one person died.

 

[LTC8K6]

I was at the first CART race at Fontana and they were averaging 250mph around that track. They slowed it down with wing restrictions after that but a year or two later Greg Moore died in a horrific crash while racing there in 1999.

The one lap record is 241mph, but I have heard reports of very high trap speeds and timed laps. Fontana is a bigger track, though.

 

[JSt0rm]

madness

 

[cavemanmoron]

RIP Dan.

 

[sonoma1993]

RIP Dan I saw a video of the 5 lap salute to him on youtube. I thought itwas really neat and touching, it brought some tears to my eyes

 

[bruceb]

Very sad. Saw the quick replay of the pile up, could not really tell who caused it. We know for certain Dan did not. He went airborne after hitting Paul Tracy's rear wheel (if I recall correctly). News recaps did not say what killed him, but I would expect either internal injuries or maybe neck injuries. Either way, he will be missed at only 33 years old. RIP and condolences to his family and friends.

 

[Elganja]

Very sad. Saw the quick replay of the pile up, could not really tell who caused it. We know for certain Dan did not. He went airborne after hitting Paul Tracy's rear wheel (if I recall correctly). News recaps did not say what killed him, but I would expect either internal injuries or maybe neck injuries. Either way, he will be missed at only 33 years old. RIP and condolences to his family and friends.

I read somewhere that it was head trauma (which seems like the obvious)

 

[bruceb]

Very likely correct. And about the fires, that was just from the engine oil burning.

 

[rasczak]

Sad to hear about this young man's death. RIP Dan Wheldon.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Interview one day before

wow, he seemed like a really cool, down to earth guy.
:''(

 

[Krazy4Real]

Terrible.... RIP.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Very sad. He was a great talent and seemed like a nice guy. That track does not seem like an appropriate venue for Indy Car racing - too small for the speeds those cars can generate, particularly with that steep bank. It seems to make them bunch up, and pack racing is intrinsically dangerous for open-wheel cars, especially ones capable of that kind of speed. It's a testament to the integrity of those cars that he was the only one killed - several other cars were completely destroyed yet still protected their drivers.

The person I feel particularly bad for is the driver who caused the second set of collisions which ultimately killed Wheldon. I don't know my Indy cars but he was the first of two white cars driving in close proximity. He abruptly turned toward the bottom of the bank in an apparent effort to avoid the other crashed cars (which he was nowhere near hitting). This caused the chain reaction of crashes that sent Wheldon flying. In my judgment he made a mistake, and one with fatal consequences. I don't blame him - at those speeds minor errors can quickly turn disastrous - but I know if I were him I'd blame myself. That can't feel good.