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

Saw a tweet with a Dario quote calling LVMS "unsuitable," and as a relative neophyte to the physics/mechanics side of things, my question is why? Vegas has less banking than places like Atlanta and Texas where they've raced many times and is shorter. I would have thought length and banking were more important variables, but I'm curious to hear what was in play here.

 

Track has more grip, therefore cars can stick to the track and don't give each other enough room.

The track also isn't very wide. Texas is higher-banked, but I believe it's wider, as is Atlanta. Kentucky has similar banking, but the cars slide around all over the place there, so guys give each other more room.

 

One thing about the car count limits: how much of that is strictly based on safety, and how much of that is a pit size/facility limitation issue? I know on Curt Cavin's Q&A blog he is always being asked about car counts for various races, and his answer frequently is tied to the number of cars that can fit on pit row at a time, and not on a mandated track safety limit.

 

Begs the question, since this year was the first since the first couple after the split where it was an issue -- when was the last time an Indy/CART/CC race actually had bumping (Indy excepted, of course). It seems like they've been so desperate for entries, they've not turned anybody away ... except, of course, at Indy. This year was really the first in which the car counts were high enough to make that a possibility.

 

Just watched the video of the crash and have to say it's a miracle we didn't lose Will Power as well. I don't know how far apart the light fixtures are on the Vegas backstretch, but I'd think at least 30 feet. Using that as a measure, Power was airborne for 270 feet, and twisting sideways as he went. But his angle didn't propel him toward the wall, and he landed on the track. Wheldon, who was low on the track but ran into was launched over a four-car pileup, went into the fence head first, then hit the SAFER, then hit the track, with the car on fire much of the way. Absolutely awful.

 

Excellent post, especially that last part. Danger is inherent in racing, especially open-wheel racing on a fast oval. But Bernard and Barnhart were playing with fire and got justly burned. The sad thing is a fine young man and father of two young sons had to pay the price.
Everything was in place for absolute disaster, much like the aero package NASCAR had for the 2001 Daytona 500. Giving away free tickets, having a driver go for $5 million bonus and everything else that went with it? I applaud Bernard and crew for the promotion. But it happened at the wrong track with too many cars traveling too fast and too close together. It was beyond stupid. It was fatally stupid.
Randy Bernard and Brian Barnhart, I give you a Will Power double barrel salute. If Barnhart doesn't get fired, I'm done watching IndyCar. Done.

 

Barnhart is an epic cocksucker, but this one falls on Bernard, in my mind, more than Barnhart.

Not that Barnhart doesn't deserve to get iced. He should've been cashiered on the spot after that ridiculous New Hampshire restart.

Power was also lucky not to be skulled by the tire that seemed to land about two centimeters away from his helmet. A lot of drivers were lucky not to be wounded by the debris off the cars. There was so much of it you could easily have had a Felipe Massa-type deal.

 

So much happened so quickly, as it always does in an accident, but this time so much happened at almost the same time. Four cars in the air, first Hildebrand, then three at one time, including Wheldon and Power, plus a white car immediately to the right of and a few feet back of Wheldon's. I don't know for sure who that was. Fire everywhere. Stuff flying everywhere. I wondered if there were enough safety crew people to deal with it all, and find the worst cases quickly enough. It was absolute chaos.

 

Higher grip (surface + slightly lower banking), relatively narrow & a Charlotte like configuration (semi-angled front stretch. adding 2 additional left "turns") made it impossible to cram that many cars onto that track. They were cranking 220+ with NO room for any error at all. After the 1st lap, I was just shaking my head. No way that wasn't going to happen, in some form.

 

I understand what you're trying to say, and indeed we should mourn Wheldon, but I think it's irresponsible to not be asking these questions now. A father of two young boys is dead, because of needless nonsense.

I think the Hulmans are in over their head with this series and have been since Day 1. I guess Antonio being gone is a good thing, but it seems like Bernard didn't have the respect for the speeds and danger that come with racing at a place like LVMS. The whole setup was negligent. I know waivers and the like are signed, but I have a hard time believing this will not see some expensive litigation in the end. These folks make Brian France look like Big Bill.

 

WSJ says F1 is coming to Weekhawken, NJ

http://online.wSportsJournalists.com/article/SB10001424052970204618704576645651553992120.html

 

Pretty cool if this comes through, and the announcement is a big, big step. I assume that means the agreements are signed, and there will be a big cancellation fee if it falls through, so it should be a go.

The layout:



I assume this means another race bites the dust by 2013. C'mon, Valencia!