Indy driver dies today

Rookie driver Paul Dana was killed in 200mph crash.
Very sad day for IRL fans, racers, and families. http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news;_ylt=ApewjDtKIO.SIyyNFGtQYqrRv7YF?slug=ap-irl-homesteadcrash&prov=ap&type=lgns He was only 30 years old.


Edited by Yoldering 2006-03-26 4:36 PM

I never have the right words when this happens. It's a risk the drivers take, but the article indicated a *big* human error somewhere.

30 years old! Wow that's young, too young. Dying while doing what he loved, sad, sad story.

If you have not seen the video of the wreck, it is just horrific.

Clearly Dana either thought he could avoid Carpenter's car (about 5 others passed Carpenter as he was spinning) or something happened to the car and he couldn't avoid it.

Telemetery is saying he hit at 176MPH and absorbed approximately 750Gs - chap probably never knew what happened.

The offical cause of death is massive head trama. For those who have seen the video, it is pretty clear the gearbox/rear suspension assembly comes into the cockpit area.

Very sad day for the IRL and racing in general.

I don't have the stomach to watch the crash. Had I been watching the race at the time it's a different thing. I won't hunt for it after the fact.

I didn't think it was possible to generate 750 g's in a crash. IIRC the highest g previously recorded was 100 or so when Fittapaldi nosed into a wall? It was a while ago.

Remember the 150mph shunt FA gave someon in Brasil two or three years back? I thought they were both dead in that crash. And Zanardi got torpedoed in Germany years ago? I don't know how he survived.

Motor racing is the most exciting sport there is, period, but not because of the crashes. I'm amazed at the safety progress all the genres have made, F1, Nascar, IRL, Cart et al. A good race is when it's a hard fought battle.

A great race is when nobody gets injured.

I never like, want, or wish to see a wreck while watching a race. Some people like that though.

Carpenter stopped spinning when Dana was coming.


S/F,
CEYA!

200mph was the first report I heard. 176mph is still very fast. I did not know much about him, but I know he was talented. It is a real wonder that Carpenter survived.

Edited by Yoldering 2006-03-26 11:48 PM

I caught the crash while flipping the channels. Ugh. Somebody didn't tell Dana to brake hard NOW, or he didn't hear his spotter.

Its always heart wrenching to see crashes like what happened. Some say that the IRL is a less challenging version of the F1, but the IRL is a much faster race isn't it? I shudder to think that the gearbox could have crushed the poor fellow..

You're right - I made a mistake on that post... What get for posting late.

It was 150Gs