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As a person who is old enough to recall the huge surge in interest in auto racing as the Baby Boom generation entered its teens, and the near-disastrous increase in both accidents and fatalities, across all forms of racing, during the 1964 and 1965 seasons, I'm linking the article fellow without further comment, for the present.
As a person who is old enough to recall the huge surge in interest in auto racing as the Baby Boom generation entered its teens, and the near-disastrous increase in both accidents and fatalities, across all forms of racing, during the 1964 and 1965 seasons, I'm linking the article fellow without further comment, for the present.
I don't think you're gonna find many arguments with that.
NASCAR with their fairly well protected drivers pretty much has determined that 200MPH is about the limit for providing both driver and spectator safety.
Honestly NASCAR has gotten lucky. The Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson crashes could have easily killed them and/or fans in the stands had either car hit at a slightly different height or angle. If NASCAR continues on their current trajectory with pack racing at Daytona and Talladega someone is going to get killed. It's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when.
As a person who is old enough to recall the huge surge in interest in auto racing as the Baby Boom generation entered its teens, and the near-disastrous increase in both accidents and fatalities, across all forms of racing, during the 1964 and 1965 seasons, I'm linking the article fellow without further comment, for the present.
Depends how you look at it.. They list 6 deaths since 1996.. NASCAR has had 10.
John Nemechek, Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper, Dale Earnhardt, John Baker, Marcelo Nunez, Tom Baldwin, John Blewett and Carlos Pardo.
Everyone likely knows the first 5 offhand.. The last 5 were in NASCAR sanctioned races, but not the 'big three' series... Corona Series for 2 of them and Whelen and Featherlite modified tours for the other two.. And.. Tom Baldwin is something of a.. Not entirely fair to include him in the list. He had a heart attack during a race.
You take the 'lucky to be alive'.. Jerry Nadeau. Carl Edwards. Michael McDowell. Steve Park. Geoffrey Bodine (Remember the Daytona truck race?).. And, of course, Ernie Irvan. Park, Nadeau and Irvan were certainly 'maimed'..
You can die in a passenger car at 40mph.. There's always risk.
though, I do agree that places like Daytona and Talladega need to look at moving the stands farther back from the fence.
auto racing is not 'safe'. Whether it's Indycar, F1, NASCAR.. There's risk involved.
But how many more races did NASCAR run in the same time period? 3,4,10 times as many?
Poor analogy.
Closed cockpit is definately safer than open cockpit. Not even debatable.
Ah.. So you're saying death is a percentage.
Again, all depends on how you look at it. Every series should be looking at it from the standpoint of one being too many. The goal is zero, whether you run one race a year or a thousand.
Are you more likely to die racing in the Indy series? Yes. Have there been more deaths in NASCAR series? Yes.
And, we could bring Sprint cars into the equation as well.. I don't particularly consider them open or closed cockpits.. They're more "enclosed" cockpits.
Regardless of the cockpit, the series, whatever.. The safest type of racing to be in is one that continually learns when things do happen, and are proactive. NASCAR sat on their butts for a number of years.. Remember that roof flaps were not something NASCAR developed. That was Jack Roush. Those were pretty much the only safety innovation in the 90's that NASCAR mandated that I can remember. NASCAR became reactionary, which is very, very dangerous.
Go back to the sheet metal coffins that were IndyCars in the 60s. (Hell, drivers didn't even wear helmets) Then look at the development of safer cars that break apart to disperse energy.The switch from gasoline to methanol and now PC ethanol (Total Bull S**t) Then look at extending the front of the cars to protect feet and legs. Composite cockpits that were more protection to the drivers. Tethered wheels. Look at Hans devises. All came about in response to accidents, injuries and deaths.
Trackside, look at Safer Barriers. Now we have to see better catch fences.
If IndyCar survives, and I hope they do, something will be done in the way of partial or full canopies.
Least I forget, a great medical team that travels with the series.
In my opinion, Indy Car should be looking at the Super Modified series, for how to better protect drivers, in the fastest open wheel series that is not Indy Cars. The ISMA series has a stellar safety record, and they are very similar in design, and speed. ISMA cars, with or without wings, are safe to drive.
Part of the problem with the current crapwagon is that it was never tested in any significant manner. Then they hung all the junk on it like a cheap Wal-Mart Christmas tree without doing much testing, and the whole thing has been a disaster. The fans don't embrace it, the parts have injured folks in the stands right off the bat, then we get upside down flying cars at Indy and a complete change of the rules between qualifying and the race, then a death from a piece whacking someone in the head. It just doesn't get any worse for the series in terms of reputation, and hence fans, suppliers, sponsors and promoters want to have nothing to do with them.
Maybe we get the series sold, some new management inserted, and people who understand how to present a safe product with fan appeal.
Maybe.
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