All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL) racing thread

It can be fixed quickly (see also: Daytona, where they used Bondo to close up the pothole a couple of years ago).

All drivers to a meeting NOW.

 

The really highlights how bad an idea it was to try to get 5 drivers from other series to take part in this race.

Wheldon ended up as the only "outsider," and obviously he's a very experienced open-wheel driver. Imagine the shitstorm if there were non-open wheel drivers at the center of it.

 

Davey Hamilton made an excellent point that it's OK to have part-time or one-time drivers at the Indy 500, because everyone gets a month of practice. At an event like Vegas, having part-time and single-race drivers is a safety hazard. And he didn't even get into the issue of the number of cars on the track. Indy has one fewer, and it has another mile on which to spread out everybody.

 

Hamilton sounded like he might never get in a race car again after this.

 

He probably shouldn't have, after his crash in Texas in '01. Guess he's not a fast learner....

 

The extra mile, along with the rectangular shape of the track, are a HUGE factor in stretching things out at Indy. 34 cars at Vegas was just nonsense.

 

That overhead replay looks like a multiple airplane crash. If Whedon's the one doing an in-air barrel roll, he hit the pavement roll-bar first, much as Moore hit the inside wall roll-bar first. Can't be a good outcome after that. Pray.

 

Statement from IRL may be coming within minutes. I fear the worst.

 

I love this sport...have for my entire life. Sometimes, though, it breaks my heart.

 

Especially with the way certain people run it.

 

I met Dan Wheldon the day he had his first test in Indy car, at Chicagoland Speedway. You knew right away he was a racer. He's also a great guy to be around. I hope we can all be around him again, but the lack of news is telling.