You have probably seen the tragic footage repeatedly played on television of last year’s fatal IndyCar crash in Las Vegas. Dan Weldon lost his life in the fiery multi-car accident involving 15 racecars. Now, drivers are coming forward about safety concerns they had before the race began. The fatal accident was IndyCar’s first fatal crash since 1996.
As reported at cbsnews.com, drivers expressed their concerns after making practice runs around the track. Some drivers said they had a bad feeling about the high banking, especially at speeds of up to 225 mph. A writer covering the race said the style of racecar added to the danger. The track’s smaller size made separation less possible, and as a result, all the cars stayed in one large group. By contrast, said the writer, a larger track allows more time for the cars to separate.
The tragic crash happened 11 laps into the race, which was supposed to last 200 laps. Others agreed that the track was much too small for that many cars at those speeds. When the crash occurred, it made it hard for the other drivers to maneuver around it.
Was this accident preventable? Alternatively, is racecar driving inherently dangerous?
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida injury attorneys