Kyle Larson Daytona Nationwide Crash

[Maelochs]

I second JHamilton’s post #17.

It is by the sheerest luck only that many fans have not been killed at many tracks in all disciplines of motor racing (and what about that airshow crash a while back?) Racing is a dangerous sport.

Hey, people sustain crippling injuries playing football all the time—many which don’t even show up until post-career, we now learn—and people are killed in the boxing ring every year. Racing has been incredibly lucky for quite a few years, but it is never going to be safe.

Fans know what they are paying to see, and they seem to be eager to pay. NASCAR fans—and drivers—understand the risks, the format, the expectations, and still all of them choose to participate.

Maybe instead of calling for everyone else to live the way we want—or the way we want in moments of extreme emotion—we should instead accept the fact that everyone dies, and everyone should have choices about how to live. If fans want to sit in the corners at NASCAR Superspeedway races, that’s their option. Who am I to tell them how to live?

Make the fences stronger if that can be done, but by and large, let the people have their fun. They obviously want to—they pay enough money for the privilege.

Life is invariably fatal—live while you can. Enjoy it.

The only thing I see here that I might change is something not even the worst of the worry-warts have mentioned—allowing children into the corner seats. The kids can’t really understand the risks. On the other hand, I bet they are the most eager to get up close and feel the cars go by. It’s a tough call.

On the other hand, I grew up in a time where it was considered normal to let six- and eight-year-olds go riding off all day on their bikes or to go out after lunch playing and not come back until dark. I really don’t know how the human race survived those benighted times.

[johntt]

As fun as it is to watch, plate racing has to go. Reduce the banking to 24 degrees on the corners, reduce the banking by a proportional amount in the tri-oval and take the plates off and let them race properly.

As I said on twitter motorsport, as a whole, cannot risk anything like Le Mans 1955 happening again. That nearly killed motorsport at the time. Such a thing happening now would have an unthinkable impact on motorsport globally, especially when news can travel so fast and videos can be on Youtube within seconds of them being filmed.

I don't anything will happen though - from what I understand the press conference consisted of 'Move along, nothing to see here, speak to the hospitals for injury reports and we not saying anything until we speak to our lawyers' - which pretty much sums up Nascar as a sanctioning body.

Nascar has had a lot of wake up calls recently on this and they've made the same mistake as Indycar. I hope we don't have a Dan Wheldon moment before something gets done.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

I agree with chernaudi, pack racing is a major safety risk and should be minimized. I see another problem, the car took flight, a racing car airborne is nearly unstoppable, they´ll have to review again the flaps to reduce the flight chances.

flaps would have done nothing anyway, that car was hit into that roll.

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by Beetle

But maybe quit them for Nationwide... that's where all of these mindless, idiotic wrecks happen because of rookie mistakes.

No, the problem is much deeper than that... Yesterday's last lap wreck was caused by an incident between two experienced Cup drivers, Brad Keselowski and Regan Smith.

[gomick]

Maybe the fans need to sit further back, up in the level 2 stands?

I did notice that Kyle Larsen thanked all his sponsors straight after the race - rookie interview!

[Peat]

Originally Posted by johntt

As fun as it is to watch, plate racing has to go.

I'm actually inclined to agree.

I mean, i love watching plate races, i love racing them (in sims) because the tension literally makes me quiver. But when Larson got up in the fence last night, the excitement and giddiness just disappeared in an instant. It was horrific.

That sort of insanity smacks of Death Race 2000. I don't see how it can continue for much longer.

[JimW]

Originally Posted by HJJ

I'm watching speed's coverage and I'm alarmed that local police are not taking control of the situation and letting Nascar go about fixing things. Shouldn't it be treated like an accident scene?

I was just thinking the reverse and how much more sensible the US handling of the incident seemed to be than we would manage over here.

Jim

[flyingmonkey]

I have a friend who was sitting just a few rows away and got sprayed with all kinds of material. She alluded to being a little hesitant to go back to the same seats tomorrow, despite being a hardcore NASCAR fan. I honestly don't get why those seats are attractive, the thrill of the cars going by wears off after 100 laps and you can't see anything. I guess we'll see if the France family makes changes, as major renovations to the grandstand are planned for the next year or so.

As for me I have cheap seats on the backstraight, but I also have a 12 pack of yuengling.

On another note I found it morally appalling when I saw the photo from the AP of the fan posing in front of the smoldering engine next to the injured fans: http://www.kansas.com/2013/02/23/268...-last-lap.html its the guy with the camo backpack.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by flyingmonkey

As for me I have cheap seats on the backstraight, but I also have a 12 pack of yuengling.

What are you going to drink in the second half of the race?

Enjoy!

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Racing is dangerous and spectating has its inherent risk. Accidents happen in all forms of motorsport and this won't be the last.

Several have been killed or injured at IRL races over the years, McNish narrowly missed the crowd at Le Mans a couple years ago, and Sharps wreck at PLM a few years ago send all kinds of debris into the infield. All you can do is try to make facilities safer, but frankly living is dangerous. This was no ones fault.

Social media puts all this under renewed scrutiny. A media storm can be generated very quickly on facebook and twitter..etc than was the case before social media blossomed circa 2005. All this kind of thing will be much less tolerated in future IMO whether this particular incident is the watershed for that, I don't know.

If an incident did hit a high death toll numerically on par with one of those shootings, it'd be a national big deal. That could've happened on Saturday.

[Bell_End]

http://deadspin.com/5986464/todays-n...d-torn-in-half

bunch of pics and vids,

had to laugh at this comment tho

Not a NASCAR follower, so do you get to keep the engine if you catch it in the stands? Or, like basketball, do you have to give it back?

[Purist]

The latest I've seen is that the tally is up to 28-30 injured, with expectations that it will climb still higher. Thankfully, there have been no confirmed additions to the list of critically injured.

Hey, Monkey, glad to hear you're in reasonably good spirits (in more ways than one it would seem).

[HJJ]

So Tony Stewart comes out like a good little soldier and says that this can happen in any sport. Baseball and hockey were mentioned.

When's the last time 28 people were injured at a baseball or hockey game, you idiot?

[HJJ]

Nascar exceeding at playing the role of big brother.

http://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-fan-...ll-o-413242730

[PointDSM]

Actually the number of people hurt by baseballs and hockey pucks during a season is significantly higher than 30 people, and thats just for one team! You must remember that the "injured" tally likely includes some injuries that are merely a cut on the arm.

Sorry for being cynical but thats reality.

[paddy]

Originally Posted by JimW

I was just thinking the reverse and how much more sensible the US handling of the incident seemed to be than we would manage over here.

Jim

This could still end up being a fatal accident and in my opinion should be subject to a proper investigation. By allowing Nascar to reinstate the barriers and fences I hope that vital evidence has not been lost. I'm pretty sure that if it was my child fighting for it's life I would expect that everything was above board. I accept motor sport is dangerous and I have attended many events with my family over the years. We all recognise that our safety is our responsibilty and that by spectating we're taking a risk, but I also expect that the venue is doing it's job and that event organisers and competitors are doing theirs as well.

[fieldodreams79]

This is a thread much like American media; don't pay any attention until something bad happens and jump on it like flies to crap or a bunch of ambulance chasers.

[Purist]

As much as anything, it is a statement of how desensitized people have become. Also, let's face it, news outlets here HAVE TO make money. If it doesn't sell, it generally doesn't get covered very well, if at all.

Honestly, I didn't care for the pack racing BEFORE this incident happened. Of course, if you bring it up for no apparent reason (like when there hasn't been an incident to draw attention to the situation), you just get shot down/not taken seriously, and said discussion simply goes NOWHERE.

[paddy]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

This is a thread much like American media; don't pay any attention until something bad happens and jump on it like flies to crap or a bunch of ambulance chasers.

If you're referring to my post then I will say I've posted on here before about Nascar and it's big accidents and drivers intentionally taking each other out and the possible consequences if a car, or cars, flew into the crowd. I'm certainly no ambulance chaser and accept the dangers of motorsport, but that doesn't mean some parts of the sport don't need to address certain issues. Nascar is about the show and certain elements like the stage managed finishes and big super speedway crashes. They even accept drivers putting each other into the wall to sort out their differences and ultimately, in my view, people will pay a very big price for this.
I hope everyone recovers from this, but I do think changes need to be made in one or two areas anyway.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by PointDSM

Actually the number of people hurt by baseballs and hockey pucks during a season is significantly higher than 30 people, and thats just for one team! You must remember that the "injured" tally likely includes some injuries that are merely a cut on the arm.

Sorry for being cynical but thats reality.

There have been a number of hockey and baseball fans killed by balls and pucks as well as in baseball fans diving for a fly ball and going over the edge of the grandstand. Also players have been killed as well.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by paddy

If you're referring to my post

Not yours in particular, and no detriment towards you/your post intended; poor timing on my part perhaps, just a general feel.

[Paradise City]

A sober assessment of the casualty stats between NASCAR and hockey maybe favourable.

But sober assessment is not the way the mass-mind works. Lurid images of engines blocs hurtling into the air, showers of body-work raining down and wheels flying at a high arc into a fan enclosure - if there's casualties from that, that's going to have severe repercussions on all fronts.

[Clive Brown]

Just wait until the leeches of the American legal system really get their hooks into this.... this one will run and run and run....

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

Just wait until the leeches of the American legal system really get their hooks into this.... this one will run and run and run....

Not really. The people that need to get paid will get paid and that will be that.

[flyingmonkey]

Originally Posted by Purist

The latest I've seen is that the tally is up to 28-30 injured, with expectations that it will climb still higher. Thankfully, there have been no confirmed additions to the list of critically injured.

Hey, Monkey, glad to hear you're in reasonably good spirits (in more ways than one it would seem).

All is well. Got your messages but phone is acting up (not charging).

Impressions from my first NASCAR/Oval race: As long as the guy next to you isn't a complete DB and you have lots of beer, its all pretty cool.