• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

14 Saturday 17th December, 2011 In this Oct. 16, 2011 file photo, Drivers crash during a wreck that involved 15 cars during the IndyCar Series’ auto race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas. Driver Dan Wheldon was airlifted to a hospital. Will Power (12), of Australia, is airborne at left. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jessica Ebelhar) la that spreads it out, makes it difficult to drive and not reliant on an engineering pro- gramme.” That’s the direction Barnhart wants to go with IndyCar, too, both with the 2012 car that Wheldon helped develop and drivers’ attitudes. “You get to a point where you don’t want to get to the limitless racing capabilities that we had at Vegas,” Barnhart said. “What we’re going to try to do is identify an aerodynamic package that makes it more challenging for the drivers. “It wasn’t a challenge to these highly talented drivers. I think what we have to create through this extensive testing is a limit. They have to know that there’s a line that they can’t cross.” Wheldon didn’t appear to have any qualms about driving at Vegas, which was spurred by a $5 million incentive. Wheldon was making just his third start of the season and chasing the incentive offered by Bernard to any non-IndyCar regular. Wheldon would have split the money with a fan selected in a random drawing. Allowing Wheldon to take the chal- lenge was a stretch — he won 14 races on ovals, including the Indy 500 earli- er in the season — but because he sat out the season, he technically quali- fied for the bonus. But Wheldon felt he was up for the challenge. He was the in-race reporter for ABC during the event and spoke with the announcers during the warm-up laps. In a brief interview, Wheldon defended his participation and the entire IndyCar Series. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I did- n’t think that I could win,” he said from his car. “Certainly I am not underestimating the talent of the other drivers in the field. I think IndyCar has got a phenomenal field right now.” Wheldon was killed minutes later when the crash began ahead as Vegas Motor Speedway’s “limit- ers’ naturally aggressive racing behav- one,” he said. “It’s the same of him at the start of the 12th lap. less” racing surface was singled out iour, but make the location of another thing NASCAR has with He had picked his way through the LThursday as a significant factor in competitor’s car on the racetrack more Daytona and Talladega, and IndyCar president Brian Barnhart talks about the report on the Oct. 16 field and gained at least 10 spots a “perfect storm” of conditions that led predictable,” the report said. when they have the big one, fatal crash of Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Thursday Dec. when he came upon the accident to the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 But when the race began at Vegas, the the consequences aren’t 15, 2011 at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. Wheldon and had nowhere to go to avoid the winner Dan Wheldon. packed 34-car field was all over the track nearly as bad as in IndyCar. was killed when his head hit a post in the fencing at Las Vegas Motor spinning cars and flying debris. Wheldon was killed Oct. 16 during the — movement series officials did not “We can’t race in a pack. Speedway, contact that created a “non-survivable injury” to the two-time The report found that although series’ season finale when his car sailed expect despite drivers’ warnings. You just can’t in open-wheel- Indianapolis 500 winner. The cause of death was revealed Thursday Wheldon stayed low on the track in 325 feet through the air into a catchfence, “The ability of the drivers to race ers. There’s no room for when IndyCar presented its findings of the Oct. 16 accident during the an attempt to avoid the cluster of cars spinning toward the top — he and his head hit a post in the fence. The from the bottom of the racetrack all the error.” Indycar season finale. (AP Photo/The Star, Greg Griffo) blow created a “non-survivable injury.” way up to the wall and run limitless is Bernard said the report had slowed from 224 mph to 165 — In the wake of the 15-car wreck, many not a condition we’ve experienced was shared with Wheldon’s his path was blocked by other cars. work criticised CEO Randy Bernard and before,” Barnhart said. “I don’t think we widow, Susie, on Wednesday His first contact with another car sent with IndyCar in hopes “the series might IndyCar for creating a deadly mix of cir- were expecting it to be any different from evening, and she spoke with both him airborne and into the catchfence. return to LVMS in the future.” cumstances — offering a jobless Wheldon what we’d experienced in the last decade Barnhart and Bernard afterward. Las Vegas is owned by Speedway “I think Las Vegas is a great city, a the chance to earn a $5 million bonus if at places like Chicagoland, Kentucky, “She talked to Brian Barnhart prima- Motor Sports Inc., and the organisation resort destination, and our fans and he could drive from the back of a 34-car Fontana and Texas. ... rily about the investigation because I felt has spent considerable money on sponsors — everyone loves the city,” field to Victory Lane on a high-banked “We were never expecting to be able to it was important for Brian to educate research into fencing. SMI owner Bruton Bernard said. “But I don’t want to go oval, where a field of mixed experience run from the top to the bottom (at Las her,” Bernard said. “My conversation Smith is adamant his fences are the back there if the conditions aren’t right, levels had enough room to race three- Vegas).” with her was about some other questions strongest and safest in the business, and if it isn’t safe, for our race cars.” wide at over 220 mph. Most ovals have one or two racing and family matters that she wanted to he makes no apologies for constructing So attention now turns to Texas Motor But IndyCar president Brian Barnhart grooves. discuss.” them with the posts inside the wiring. Speedway, a popular venue that has host- dismissed those factors and focused Drivers, however, predicted as early as Just a day shy of the two-month Barnhart said there is no indication ed IndyCar since 1997. After Wheldon’s instead on Vegas’ multi-grooved wide preseason testing that Las Vegas would anniversary of Wheldon’s death, IndyCar Wheldon would have survived had the death, there were calls for Texas to be racing surface that heightened the dan- be hairy and repeated those warnings is struggling to move forward. post been on the outside of the mesh dropped from the schedule. gers of pack racing on a high-banked during the build-up to the race. The 2012 schedule has yet to be wiring. The investigation, though, determined oval. “We knew that was the case before we released, although Bernard hoped to “It does not look like the position of every track should be judged individual- The IndyCar, with open wheels and an even started the race, because it’s been have it out by Friday. At issue was the mesh fabric would have changed the ly and a ban on all banked ovals wasn’t open cockpit, is not suited for the pack the case at (ovals) where you can run whether the IndyCar is suited for any consequences of this accident at all,” practical. Bernard said he hoped to have racing that develops on ovals. Unlike multi-grooves,” driver Will Power, who high-banked ovals. Bernard already has Barnhart said. “Sometimes the forces are an agreement with Texas completed NASCAR, where cars bump and bang on broke his back in the accident, told The bought his way out of Year 2 of the Las too great. The small fabric is not there to when he announces the schedule. every lap, any contact in an IndyCar Associated Press. Vegas contract. The third and final year retain a car. That’s the object of the post But Power wants to see changes first. results in either a crash or a slew of bro- “The biggest problem we face is it’s of the lease agreement is up for review. and the cables. The location of the fabric “If we go back there racing in a pack, I ken parts. almost like driving on the highway at full Las Vegas Motor Speedway president would not have changed the outcome at will be very disappointed,” Power said. “Racing grooves not only restrict driv- speed and you can’t get away from any- Chris Powell said track officials will all, but as we’ve said, our preference is “What IndyCar has to do is find a formu- for it to be on the inside.” (AP) Ratnasiri Challenge Trophy TT India draw tour match Tournament results cricketer to reach the historic milestone of a combined 100 hundreds in Tests or limited-overs internationals. The Ratnasiri Challenge Trophy Winner- Mihinsa De Alwis (VisakhaVidyalaya, Colombo) He will get the opportunity to push for the landmark when India faces Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Table Tennis Tournament was held (Lyceum International School, Runner-up- K.A.N.M.

Load more

  1

Copy Link