Deathat Thetrack
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PSDSRV SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2001 1 Color: Job T Revised, This year, auto racing lost a legend, Dale Earnhardt. Thirty-two more people died, Operator: ypeset, including a grandmother, a soybean farmer and others pictured below. area: CMYK date Each year, an average of 22 drivers, fans and workers never come home from races. date OUT NN and and / / Job time: time: T ypesetter: name: 11 11 / / 13 12 13 / XXXX0823 / 01 01 PDFPROOF , , ember 15 v 15 No : : 01 01 - 0001 7:59:24 1 / at: / TCP: Description: # 99 / Queue 1st at entry: the # Death track 0823 R A CING’S HUMAN TOLL RISKS IN THE STANDS By Liz Chandler UNFIT DRIVERS Staff Writer THE When someone dies in auto racing, it’s often called a freak ON THE thing or a fluke – so isolated and rare it can’t happen again. FANS But deaths aren’t as rare or isolated as the racing world be- TRACK It’s one of racing’s worst lieves. An Observer investigation found at least 260 people across The ill, the reckless and America died in auto racing since 1990. Patterns are evident; fears: A fan dies at a track. the young can race at deaths occur an average of 22 times a year. Since 1990, it’s happened Among those killed were 29 spectators, including five children. America’s tracks, which to at least 29 spectators. An additional 200 drivers and fans suffered traumatic injuries. often don’t screen drivers. In this year alone, a grandmother in a wheelchair was killed in PA G ES 4-5 PA GES 12-13 the grandstands at an Ohio track; a Florida driver was decapi- tated when he hit a guardrail; and driver Dean Roper died 10 RACING’S DEAD months after his son, Tony, was killed in a wreck in Texas. WHAT’S NEXT 260 “That is not acceptable,” said Lowe’s tracks, and, typically, 4 to 6 feet on drag SOLUTIONS, Motor Speedway President H.A. strips. Walls and guardrails have failed STORIES “Humpy” Wheeler, who like other rac- to keep cars on smaller tracks. Specta- CHANGES ing leaders guessed the death toll was tors are allowed into high-risk areas; Young and old, half of what The Observer found. “This some tracks allow children into garag- How can racing be safer? is something the industry has to deal es and pits, the least protected areas. professionals and with. We have a moral obligation.” • Potentially dangerous drivers are Drivers, safety experts, The toll also surprised former Indy allowed to race. blue-collar, these are racing champion Mario Andretti. “We Except in top divisions, drivers are racing organizations and know how to make cars go fast,” he rarely screened for experience or health the sport’s losses. said. “Now maybe we should spend problems. Since 1990, at least 32 drivers others offer their ideas. even more time and energy in making died from heart attacks while racing, PA GES 6-9 cars safer.” sometimes hurting other drivers or PA GES 14-15 Stock car racing legend Richard fans. Children too young for a driver’s Petty, whose grandson died in a racing license can race at many tracks. Drivers wreck, was surprised by the number, with revoked licenses or drunk driving SAFETY OVERSIGHT but characterized it as tolerable, given convictions are allowed to compete. TRACK DIAGRAM the 12-year span of the study. “That’s a • Head and neck injuries killed at least lot of racing,” he said. half the drivers. WHO’S No one keeps track of how many Superstar Dale Earnhardt’s death in DANGER people die in racing. Since most deaths February drew attention to the need for WATCHING are deemed freak accidents, the sport head restraints, which NASCAR in Oc- ZONES has been slow to detect patterns and tober mandated for its top-level races. Racing is under pressure make changes that might save lives. But a majority of U.S. racers don’t wear A detailed look In a study of fatal wrecks since 1990, restraints. Most track owners and rac- to be safer, but there’s The Observer found these patterns: ing groups don’t require them. at the most common • Fences and barriers fail regularly. • Medical response can be inadequate. little agreement on who In addition to the 29 spectator Emergency preparedness varies, de- trouble spots at tracks should set standards. deaths, at least 70 were injured. Track pending on a track’s size and resources. for fans and drivers. owners say car parts and debris com- In at least 18 instances, families of dead monly clear fences, which vary in and injured drivers say the rescue re- PA GES 10-11 height from about 9 to 22 feet on oval SEE INVESTIGATION |2N PA GE 16 PSDSRV [ RACING’S HUMAN TOLL ] 1 Color: Job T Revised, Operator: ypeset, area: CMYK date date OUT NN and and / / Job time: time: T ypesetter: name: 11 11 / / 13 13 / XXXX0824 / 01 01 PDFPROOF , , 15 15 : : 02 01 - 0002 / GLENN SMITH – ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO / This Daytona 500 wreck, which killed racing legend Dale Earnhardt (3) on Feb. 18, prompted NASCAR to look more closely at safety. In the months since, NASCAR has mandated head restraints and is planning a TCP: research center for safety and competitive issues. NASCAR also plans to install crash data recorders in its premier cars. Description: # DEATH AT THE TRACK Fatal accidents aren’t flukes: The average is 22 a year 99 / Queue A surprising toll: 260 dead 1st ––––––– entry: Investigation from 1N Who Died, and Where Details about those killed at sponse was inadequate. Some small racetracks since 1990. tracks provide untrained rescuers and no ambulances or firetrucks. THE DEATHS # “Racing has become so popular that • Deaths occurred in 44 states at 0824 everybody wants a piece of it...but no- 190 racetracks, drag strips, road body wants to take responsibility for courses and off-road courses. safety,” said Dr. Terry Trammell, an In- • The dead were 204 drivers, 29 dianapolis surgeon and consultant for spectators, 24 track workers and Championship Auto Racing Teams crew, and three journalists. (CART). “A few groups try to do the • At least 32 drivers have died of right thing, but the industry is so frag- heart attacks. mented that you have some terribly un- safe racing going on.” THE STATES In more than 400 interviews, plus • Florida had the most at 28; newspaper and Internet searches, The California, 27; Indiana, 15; North Observer documented 260 deaths in all Carolina was fourth at 14. South levels of U.S. auto racing – from premier Carolina had two. Winston Cup and Indy car events to • North and South Carolinians dirt-track races. The study began with killed at U.S. tracks total 25. That’s deaths in 1990, when more media and nearly 1 in 10 of all U.S. deaths. databases became available on the In- ternet. The study excluded deaths from THE DIVISIONS youth go-karts, motorcycles, monster • NASCAR had at least 36 deaths trucks, mud racing and racing schools. of drivers and fans – more than any Among the dead were 204 drivers, 29 other group. spectators, 24 track workers and crew, and three journalists. The tally is likely THE TRACKS low because some deaths receive little, • More died at Lowe’s Motor if any, media attention. Speedway than at any other U.S. The study shows, on average, 14 driv- track: four drivers and three fans. ers die in crashes yearly; three others • Major raceways – which make die of health problems on the track. up 4 percent of America’s 1,300 For comparison, in football, four play- JEFF SINER – STAFF PHOTO tracks – accounted for 20 percent ers die from injuries playing the sport Blaise Alexander Jr. moved to the Charlotte area to take advantage of its status in the racing industry. He died Oct. 4 at of deaths. each year, and nine from health prob- Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Above, in his hometown of Montoursville, Pa., pallbearers walk away from his hearse. lems, such as heatstroke, on the field. But more people play football than race. About 1.8 million play football line – and it’s a tough line to walk. Except for a few elite racing groups, They collect detailed information on safety to the track owners. Track own- each year, from sandlot to pro leagues. You’ve got to have some danger or it most of the 200 race organizers conduct every accident within their divisions, ers tend to rely on insurance companies Estimates of drivers range from 50,000 gets boring and nobody wants to little – if any – accident analysis, which which they say helps identify patterns to tell them what’s safe. to 400,000. Using the highest number, watch.” could more quickly identify patterns or and reduce injuries. Since 1990, CART Insurance companies say they’re not which results in the most conservative Leaders say racing is safer than it risky conditions. When safety improve- has had two drivers die in the United safety experts either. They sell insur- estimate, racing’s rate of death is more once was because they constantly eval- ments are made, they aren’t adopted in- States. IRL has not had a driver death. ance based on risks. than five times that of football’s. uate and improve safety. But even racing dustrywide. And safety information Both groups, however, have had acci- “Just because a track is insured Dangerous, with a growing appeal insiders call it a reactive industry with isn’t routinely shared among groups, dents that resulted in fan deaths.