Yesterday was not only a sad day for IndyCar Racing, but for all sports fans. You never want to see an athlete (and yes, race car drives can be considered athletes) lose his life doing something he loves.
Alas, when you’re going 200-225 miles per hour, the chance of dying is much higher than running onto a basketball court or soccer field. Yesterday afternoon, reigning Indy-500 champion, Dan Wheldon of England, died after being involved in a 15-car pileup that sent him flying off an extremely fast-running racetrack. According to reports the injuries that he sustained were “unsurvivable.”
Changes to the Sport?
With the news of Wheldon’s death, questions obviously began to surface about whether or not the problem is linked to the track, the rules, or even the drivers themselves.
It should come as no surprise that NASCAR and Indy drivers are pushing the limits of their sport much like extreme sports athletes are. The faster you go, the better chance you’ll have of crossing the finish line first – its as simple as that.
But how much is too much? Drivers obviously know of the risks involved with their sport, but are they or their sport’s ruling heads putting them at too grave of risks?
Its an issue that I don’t know enough about to have an educated opinion, but it seems that restrictions can be made on tracks and top speeds to reduce the possibility of deadly accidents occurring without hindering the skill of drivers and excitement of the sport.
Great Tribute
On a side note, the 5-lap tribute ran by the rest of the drivers in the field was very touching and spoke volumes about how they felt towards Wheldon. The tribute laps were ran after the race had been canceled and after the drivers had learned about Wheldon’s death.
On top of the tribute laps, countless tweets flowed in from NASCAR drivers, F-1 drives, and celebrities who offered their condolences to Wheldon’s family and friends.
Wheldon was obviously very well respected among his racing peers, and probably for good reason. He seemed like a good character, with a level head and temper (unlike many race car drivers), and was most importantly a family man as well.
Sadly, Wheldon leaves behind a wife, a two-year old son, and a six-month old son as well.
The racing and sports world will most certainly miss Dan Wheldon. We hope all the best on his family during this tragic ordeal that they must go through.