Three people were killed and six injured Sunday "when
an Indy-style car racing at more than 200 mph slammed into
the wall" at CART's U.S. 500 held at MI Speedway, "rocketing
a wheel and suspension parts over a 15-foot barrier and into
the crowd," according to Chengelis, Frank & Hurt of the
DETROIT NEWS. The accident, which occurred in front of a
crowd of 65,000, marked the first time a spectator has been
killed at MI Speedway since 1969. It occurred around 3:15pm
CT as Adrian Fernandez's car hit the wall 175 laps into the
250-lap race. The incident "put speedway officials on the
defensive about the nature of their sport and the safety of
their racetracks." CART President & CEO Andrew Craig: "We
inspect every track every year. This is one of the best
motor racing facilities in America" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/27).
In N.Y., Tarik El-Bashir reports that it was the "first time
in more than a decade," since the '87 Indy 500, "that
spectators were killed at a major auto race." CART's Craig:
"I can only express the deep sorrow felt by everyone within
the CART community" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27).
DEATHS MAR CLOSE RACE: USA TODAY's Kevin Allen: "The
deaths brought a somber tone to what drivers called one of
the most exciting races in CART history" (USA TODAY, 7/27).
In Chicago, Skip Myslenski writes the tragedies "made a
spectacular day of racing only a footnote" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
7/27). In Indianapolis, Robin Miller writes, "In all the
years I've watched and covered motorsports, I've never seen
a race with so many breathtaking moves, so many swarms of
leaders and so many changes at the top" (STAR-NEWS, 7/27).
TV COVERAGE: In Toronto, Rob Longley writes that with
yesterday's tragic accident, "TV is put in a tricky spot."
Longley: "To repeatedly show highlights is insensitive, to
ignore the incident is irresponsible. ABC probably found
the right mix, mentioning that people were seriously injured
through the remainder of the telecast" (TORONTO SUN, 7/27).
BIG PAY DAY: CART announced Sunday that its season-
ending Marlboro 500 on November 1 in CA, will have a
winner's purse of $1M and another $1M available to "a fan
through a commercial promotion that will start pumping the
event in September." Craig: "We're trying to bring more of
a climax to the end of our season." CART also plans to
introduce two more events with rewards "far larger" than the
$100,000 that "traditionally" goes to the race winner.
Sites have not been determined (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/27).
