MI Speedway officials said they will "wait several days
while they assist the families of the three fans who were
killed during Sunday's U.S. 500 before addressing safety
issues" at the two-mile oval, according to Angelique
Chengelis of the DETROIT NEWS. MI Speedway President Gene
Haskett said that it "is too early to say whether there will
be changes to the safety fence or to any aspect of the
track" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/28). Haskett said, "Our focus right
now is the individuals who were killed. Even though we have
a race coming up in three weeks, our focus has to be on the
victims and their families" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/28).
CAN IT HAPPEN AGAIN? In Toronto, Mike Harris reports
that in interviews yesterday, "racing officials underscored
the safety of their tracks and stressed how unusual the
accident was" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 7/28). IMS Publicity
Dir Fred Nation: "There is an element of risk in anything we
do. I think the fans know the risks." NASCAR Dir of
Operations Kevin Triplett: "What happened yesterday, while
it was a tragic situation, it is rare" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/28).
LEGAL PROTECTION? In Detroit, Drew Sharp writes the
incident "begs the question of how much race tracks,
stadiums and the teams that use them are liable for
accidents to spectators." MI Speedway Legal Consultant
Steve Galbraith: "Legally, that remains a very gray area.
Many believe there's an automatically implied waiver of
responsibility when someone purchases a ticket to an event,
but that's subject to legal interpretation in each
individual circumstance" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/28).
TV TIME: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir reports that the ABC
crew "did not know the extent of the injuries" in Sunday's
race until after it had ended. Sandomir: "Only one distant
camera showed the carnage." ABC Dir of Media Relations Mark
Mandel: "If we had a more graphic look, we probably wouldn't
have shown it, out of decency" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27).
