The IRL is "planning to connect its cars' wheels to the
tubs with a special tethering device" in an effort to
improve racing safety, according to Curt Cavin of the
INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS. The cable, made of "bulletproof
Kevlar, should help keep wheels from leaving the vicinity of
the race car in an accident." Such a system will "likely"
be used for the Indianapolis 500 (INDY STAR-NEWS, 5/15).
WHAT ABOUT THE SAFETY MEASURES? In Charlotte, Foon Rhee
took an extensive look at fan safety at auto racing events
in a front-page feature. Rhee writes, "There's no consensus
what to do. The ideas are largely untested and could be
costly. There's no outside group or oversight agency to
force any changes" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 5/16).
SHOULD SI HAVE SHOWN RESTRAINT? In Charlotte, Scott
Fowler wrote on SI's use of a photo of three dead spectators
at the VisionAire 500 in its May 10 issue, with the right
leg of one of the victims, 21-year-old Randy Pyatte,
sticking out from under a sheet. Fowler: "It is a picture
that makes you cringe. .... In the constant journalistic
struggle between reporting the news vs. respect for grieving
families, Sports Illustrated came down on the wrong side
this time." Roger Pyatte, the father of Randy: "It's
heartbreaking for us to see a picture like that.
Heartbreaking" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 5/16).
SPEEDVISION RESPONSE: In Pittsburgh, Steve Sampsell
wrote that Speedvision "did not aggressively seek
information from the stands" after the tragic accident, and
the net "waited for speedway officials to make an
announcement about the situation." But Sampsell wrote that
while "that approach might have bothered some viewers, the
channel made the right call." Speedvision Exec Producer Bob
Scanlon: "You have to be careful and realize there's a place
for dignity and respect. You do not want to alarm people.
... The worst thing would be to provide the wrong
information" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 5/16).
