RIP Dan Wheldon

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Beans** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:37 am

Preezy wrote:
Beans wrote:
Preezy wrote:Some people just can't handle Vegas.

So how strawberry floated up did you get in Vegas Preezy?

Jumped-off-a-building-fucked-up, that's how much

Also won $10 at the slots yeah

#highroller

When I went last year, I won about $80 on my first 25 cents I put in. 8-)

PostRIP Dan Wheldon by **Albert** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:30 pm

Went to school with the guy, havent seen him in 15 years and had no idea he was indy racing.

Fb is full of sympathetic messages at the moment, was always a nice guy at school. Feel for the family, it's easy to forget how dangerous motor racing is.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Poser** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:45 pm

I don't follow Indy Car at all - F1 all the way for me - is it always that manic?!

Regardless of how skilled the drivers are, surely that many cars, so tightly packed, on a banked circuit, is an accident waiting to happen.

Now doubt it would make for an amazing spectacle if the races are constantly driven that frenetically, but I can't see how the hell they ever manage not to collide.

PostRe: Re: RIP Dan Wheldon by **jamcc** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:53 pm

Albear wrote:Went to school with the guy, havent seen him in 15 years and had no idea he was indy racing.

Wait, what? Which school are you talking about as he went to the same school as me too.

Bedford.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **abcd** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:00 pm

Private school buckinghamshire....?

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Neo Cortex** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:12 pm

The most tragic part of this seems to be all the religious zealots having arguments over the youtube comments box. They could at least show a bit of respect there :fp:

Such a horrific crash too, sadly though that is a risk with all types of motor racing, not just Indy cars, I remember seeing Dale Earnhardt killed in Nascar a few years back too, sad scenes indeed.

That five lap tribute too...

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Prototype** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:18 pm

R I P

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **captain red dog** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:21 pm

Neo Cortex wrote:Such a horrific crash too, sadly though that is a risk with all types of motor racing, not just Indy cars, I remember seeing Dale Earnhardt killed in Nascar a few years back too, sad scenes indeed.

That five lap tribute too...

There are risks, but much more so in Indy racing compared to F1. F1 has one of the best safety records of any racing series which is incredibly impressive, especially when the last few seasons have been as exciting as Indy gets. That is down mostly to the massive effort that was put into F1 in 1994 after Senna and Ratzenburger were killed in one weekend. Sadly the states have never really had the spotlight put on Indy racing in the same way that it was on F1. Credit where it is due to the drivers in 1994, they united and held strong and along with Max Mosely (don't like to credit him but here it is due) they revolutionised how F1 dealt with safety.

I hope Indycar can take things seriously after this incident, but my head tells me they have a culture over there of just accepting the risks and that the drivers won't be as united as they were in F1. 30 odd open wheel cars on one short circuit doing over 200mph is a recipe for disaster especially when there are no run off areas.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **PCCD** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:28 pm

The cars themselves are pretty good at protecting the drivers but the old style oval tracks with the high banked corners are far more dangerous than they should be these days. Dunno why Indycar still uses ovals these days.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **abcd** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:36 pm

Do we know how he died?

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **satriales** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:38 pm

Stu wrote:Do we know how he died?

Car crash.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **abcd** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:39 pm

I see

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Poser** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:43 pm

PCCD wrote:The cars themselves are pretty good at protecting the drivers but the old style oval tracks with the high banked corners are far more dangerous than they should be these days. Dunno why Indycar still uses ovals these days.

This. Formula One works within the parameters of a flat track (occasional camber notwithstanding), so the car's stability and suspension are tuned thus. The laws of physics are firmly obeyed and the limits are determined by what the cars can do whilst staying on the track.

Banked corners take a lot of the influence that sideways g-force has totally out of the equation, and they enable too much speed to be maintained. Also, it looks like, on that track in Vegas, racing line isn't such an issue.

It's a crazy combination and it strikes me as a more immature sport (not immature in the pejorative sense) - if admittedly a more thrilling one to watch. Maybe this crash will force it to do a bit of growing up.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Lotus** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:02 pm

To be honest I'd never heard of him before last night - still a real shame though, especially as there's a wife and children involved.

Having not really seen IndyCar before, the first thing that strikes me is the lack of safety barriers, tyres, and the number of cars on the track. 34 cars all going 200mph + on an oval circuit?

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Denster** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:05 pm

Don't know the guy or have any interest in the sport - but that's a pretty awful way to die. RIP mate.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Minto** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:15 pm

I guess he thought it was a drive-thru.

RIP

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **emilythestrange** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:28 pm

It often seems to take a horrific accident for a thorough look and change at the safety of racing cars

Blistering speeds and packed so closely together, I watched the first minute of that video, with so many cars going so fast it really only looked like one slip up from a vehicle ahead that caused absolute carnage.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **floydfreak** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:10 pm

The racing before the crash and the actual crash looks like something out of a computer game, the cars are going too quick, The track was orginally designed for Nascar where the speeds are 60-70 mph slower. Too many cars on a track not suited or built for indycars no wonder most of the drivers were anxious prior the race. As they knew something bad could happen.

Intresting video though the caller that called in is a moron twat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt0K0HT1 ... ture=feedu

PostRe: Re: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Albert** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:12 pm

jamcc wrote:
Albear wrote:Went to school with the guy, havent seen him in 15 years and had no idea he was indy racing.

Wait, what? Which school are you talking about as he went to the same school as me too.

Bedford School.

Did my GCSE's with the guy. Like I say, havent spoken to him since, but nice guy, and tis a shame.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Delusibeta** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 10:44 pm

poser wrote:I don't follow Indy Car at all - F1 all the way for me - is it always that manic?!

Regardless of how skilled the drivers are, surely that many cars, so tightly packed, on a banked circuit, is an accident waiting to happen.

Now doubt it would make for an amazing spectacle if the races are constantly driven that frenetically, but I can't see how the hell they ever manage not to collide.

AFAIK the winner of the race would have pocketed $5 million, and so there were (one) more entries than the Indianapolis 500 on a far smaller circuit.

American motor racing, ladies and gentlemen.

RIP Dan Wheldon

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