Izod IndyCar World Championship in Las Vegas

jogiba · 10-16-2011, 01:43 PM

Quote:

LAS VEGAS — IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon has been seriously injured in a massive 15-car wreck has sent cars flying through the air early in Sunday’s Las Vegas Indy 300.

Paul Tracy, who was involved in the wreck, said a team of doctors were working on Wheldon, but there was no word of his injuries. A helicopter lifted off from the speedway, but there was no indication if Wheldon was onboard.

Wheldon seriously injured in massive 15-car wreck that sent cars flying Las Vegas IndyCar race - The Washington Post

jogiba · 10-16-2011, 01:58 PM

jogiba · 10-16-2011, 02:12 PM

Youtu.be

You Tube

jogiba · 10-16-2011, 02:31 PM

Quote:

All I could see was cars flying. Without a doubt the worst thing I've ever seen in my racing career. It's sad, man, sad," said Davey Hamilton, who briefly choked up. "It's been 10 years, more than 10 years, since my accident at Texas. We're all a bunch of friends here, this is my family, and I was fortunate enough to come back. As I tried to tell everybody when I got hurt, when you put on a helmet and a firesuit, it's probably pretty dangerous. We accept that as racing drivers."

Dan Wheldon Crash: Driver Injured In Massive 15-Car Crash At Las Vegas Indy 300 (VIDEO)

jogiba · 10-16-2011, 03:17 PM

Dan Wheldon: 1978 - 2011

EyeSpy · 10-16-2011, 03:45 PM

So very sad.

straightshooter · 10-16-2011, 03:53 PM

According to an Indy Car spokesman, his injuries were "unsurvivable." From the video it looks as if the car went up cockpit first into the catch fence.

Dario Franchitti said he had driven stock cars (NASCAR) on that track and that Indy Cars should have never been allowed on it. That it was too fast and allowed the cars to run too close together.

CW

jogiba · 10-16-2011, 03:57 PM

You Tube

jogiba · 10-16-2011, 05:17 PM

You Tube

deadwolfbones · 10-16-2011, 07:46 PM

Somehow I came here knowing you'd have started a thread about this.

Pretty horrible, and simply a consequence of racing open-wheeled, open-cockpit cars on a track like that one.

I'd love to see IndyCar go all road course and have the Indy 500 be a stand-alone event a la Le Mans.

straightshooter · 10-17-2011, 07:20 AM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

Pretty horrible, and simply a consequence of racing open-wheeled, open-cockpit cars on a track like that one.

I'd love to see IndyCar go all road course and have the Indy 500 be a stand-alone event a la Le Mans.

Either that or detune the engines to reduce horsepower for these 1.5 mile tri-oval tracks. Las Vegas, Chicago, Kentucky, etc. were designed for NASCAR type stock cars and a 3500 pound full bodied car flying up into the catch fence like that will suffer much less damage than composite, open cockpit car. Carl Edwards went in to the fence that way at Talladega a couple of years ago as did Brad Kesolowski at Atlanta (payback from Carl). Both walked away cussing the other. Indy cars have been too fast for several years now and something needs to be done to slow them down. I'm sure that will happen now. When Dale was killed at Daytona, the HANNS device was mandated and NASCAR began requiring tracks to install SAFER barriers. When Scott Kaletta was killed at Englishtown, NHRA went from 1/4 mile down to 1000 feet to give racers more shutdown room. Sad that it takes a death sometimes to wake up the governing bodies in car racing and from what I've heard, Barnhart has taken a lot of criticism from drivers, fans and owners lately about decisions IndyCars has made.

CW

deadwolfbones · 10-17-2011, 08:22 AM

Yeah, I'll be shocked if Barnhart isn't gone by next season (assuming IndyCar as a whole is still around at all).

straightshooter · 10-17-2011, 08:50 AM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

Yeah, I'll be shocked if Barnhart isn't gone by next season (assuming IndyCar as a whole is still around at all).

Yep, Brian doesn't have Tony George around anymore to protect him from his own stupidity. After the New Hampshire restart in the pouring rain that wrecked a bunch of cars, Will Power gave Barnhart the double middle finger salute.

CW

jogiba · 10-17-2011, 02:02 PM

The only way to stop a high speed "big one " in Indy Car is to not race on NASCAR high banked ovals. It is very rare to see cars fly like that at Indy but Mario did that back in 2003 after running over a piece from Kenny Brack's car in a test session.

You Tube

You Tube

straightshooter · 10-17-2011, 03:06 PM

If I remember correctly, that year at Atlanta was the last time they ran Indy cars here. With the use of restrictor plates at Talladega and Daytona, Atlanta is actually the fastest track on the NASCAR circuit although Charlotte and Texas will argue about that. But you are correct. You can run a Sprint Cup car at Indy and on other tracks meant for open wheeled cars but those open wheel cars have no business on high bank super speedways meant for Cup cars. This type of "big one" is expected at Dega and Daytona in NASCAR but the frame and roll cage of those Cup cars probably weighs almost as much as a complete Indy car

CW

10-16-2011, 01:43 PM	#1
jogiba Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 6,491	Izod IndyCar World Championship in Las Vegas Quote: LAS VEGAS — IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon has been seriously injured in a massive 15-car wreck has sent cars flying through the air early in Sunday’s Las Vegas Indy 300. Paul Tracy, who was involved in the wreck, said a team of doctors were working on Wheldon, but there was no word of his injuries. A helicopter lifted off from the speedway, but there was no indication if Wheldon was onboard. Wheldon seriously injured in massive 15-car wreck that sent cars flying Las Vegas IndyCar race - The Washington Post

10-16-2011, 03:17 PM	#5
jogiba Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 6,491 Original Poster	Dan Wheldon 1978-2011 Dan Wheldon: 1978 - 2011

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10-16-2011, 01:58 PM	#2
jogiba Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 6,491 Original Poster

10-16-2011, 02:31 PM	#4
jogiba Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 6,491 Original Poster	Quote: All I could see was cars flying. Without a doubt the worst thing I've ever seen in my racing career. It's sad, man, sad," said Davey Hamilton, who briefly choked up. "It's been 10 years, more than 10 years, since my accident at Texas. We're all a bunch of friends here, this is my family, and I was fortunate enough to come back. As I tried to tell everybody when I got hurt, when you put on a helmet and a firesuit, it's probably pretty dangerous. We accept that as racing drivers." Dan Wheldon Crash: Driver Injured In Massive 15-Car Crash At Las Vegas Indy 300 (VIDEO)

10-16-2011, 03:45 PM	#6
EyeSpy Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Arizona Photos: Albums Posts: 663	So very sad.

10-16-2011, 03:53 PM	#7
straightshooter Inactive Account Join Date: May 2008 Location: Forest Park, Georgia/Jacksonville, Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 633	According to an Indy Car spokesman, his injuries were "unsurvivable." From the video it looks as if the car went up cockpit first into the catch fence. Dario Franchitti said he had driven stock cars (NASCAR) on that track and that Indy Cars should have never been allowed on it. That it was too fast and allowed the cars to run too close together. CW

10-16-2011, 07:46 PM	#10
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Somehow I came here knowing you'd have started a thread about this. Pretty horrible, and simply a consequence of racing open-wheeled, open-cockpit cars on a track like that one. I'd love to see IndyCar go all road course and have the Indy 500 be a stand-alone event a la Le Mans.

10-17-2011, 07:20 AM	#11
straightshooter Inactive Account Join Date: May 2008 Location: Forest Park, Georgia/Jacksonville, Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 633	Originally posted by deadwolfbones Pretty horrible, and simply a consequence of racing open-wheeled, open-cockpit cars on a track like that one. I'd love to see IndyCar go all road course and have the Indy 500 be a stand-alone event a la Le Mans. Either that or detune the engines to reduce horsepower for these 1.5 mile tri-oval tracks. Las Vegas, Chicago, Kentucky, etc. were designed for NASCAR type stock cars and a 3500 pound full bodied car flying up into the catch fence like that will suffer much less damage than composite, open cockpit car. Carl Edwards went in to the fence that way at Talladega a couple of years ago as did Brad Kesolowski at Atlanta (payback from Carl). Both walked away cussing the other. Indy cars have been too fast for several years now and something needs to be done to slow them down. I'm sure that will happen now. When Dale was killed at Daytona, the HANNS device was mandated and NASCAR began requiring tracks to install SAFER barriers. When Scott Kaletta was killed at Englishtown, NHRA went from 1/4 mile down to 1000 feet to give racers more shutdown room. Sad that it takes a death sometimes to wake up the governing bodies in car racing and from what I've heard, Barnhart has taken a lot of criticism from drivers, fans and owners lately about decisions IndyCars has made. CW

10-17-2011, 08:22 AM	#12
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Yeah, I'll be shocked if Barnhart isn't gone by next season (assuming IndyCar as a whole is still around at all).

10-17-2011, 08:50 AM	#13
straightshooter Inactive Account Join Date: May 2008 Location: Forest Park, Georgia/Jacksonville, Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 633	Originally posted by deadwolfbones Yeah, I'll be shocked if Barnhart isn't gone by next season (assuming IndyCar as a whole is still around at all). Yep, Brian doesn't have Tony George around anymore to protect him from his own stupidity. After the New Hampshire restart in the pouring rain that wrecked a bunch of cars, Will Power gave Barnhart the double middle finger salute. CW

10-17-2011, 03:06 PM	#15
straightshooter Inactive Account Join Date: May 2008 Location: Forest Park, Georgia/Jacksonville, Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 633	If I remember correctly, that year at Atlanta was the last time they ran Indy cars here. With the use of restrictor plates at Talladega and Daytona, Atlanta is actually the fastest track on the NASCAR circuit although Charlotte and Texas will argue about that. But you are correct. You can run a Sprint Cup car at Indy and on other tracks meant for open wheeled cars but those open wheel cars have no business on high bank super speedways meant for Cup cars. This type of "big one" is expected at Dega and Daytona in NASCAR but the frame and roll cage of those Cup cars probably weighs almost as much as a complete Indy car CW