IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard yesterday said that the “best way to honor Dan Wheldon is finding a way to prevent another fatal accident,” according to Jenna Fryer of the AP. Bernard, in his first comments since announcing Wheldon's death Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, said, "We've got a lot to do, and we don't have any time to mess around. We need answers." But Bernard “stressed the investigation must help IndyCar ensure there will not be another accident like Sunday's.” Bernard said, "This was a tragic accident, and IndyCar needs to understand everything possible about it.” Bernard yesterday declined to “discuss the safety questions surrounding Las Vegas, saying he preferred to keep the focus on Wheldon this week.” Bernard: "The first thing we have to do is take care of the Wheldon family and make sure we are there to help them anyway we can." Fryer noted there has been “very little public comment from IndyCar's stars since the accident” (AP, 10/19). SCENE DAILY’s Bob Pockrass noted LVMS “doesn’t plan any immediate changes to the track in the wake of Dan Wheldon’s fatal crash but will evaluate its fencing system if the IndyCar Series recommends changes.” LVMS President Chris Powell yesterday said, “We’re going to listen to the people at IndyCar when they come away from their investigation.” Powell: “If there are any improvements that need to be made or any alterations that need to be made, it certainly is something we would give consideration to.” Pockrass noted the accident “tore up parts of the racing surface in addition to damaging the catch fence.” Powell said that there is “plenty of time for repairs before the March 10-11 NASCAR weekend when Nationwide and Sprint Cup races will be held at the track” (SCENEDAILY.com, 10/19).
ISSUING A WARNING: In London, Kevin Eason notes former FIA President Max Mosley has “warned IndyCar authorities investigating the death of Dan Wheldon that they could be 20 years behind the times.” Mosley also warned that racing on oval circuits “was fundamentally flawed and dated back to the start of the previous century.” Mosley: “IndyCars should not race on ovals. It is a great American tradition but it comes from an old concept that to get up to any sort of speed you needed to climb up banking. That is just not necessary now.” He added, “The problem is that IndyCar has not really kept up.” Mosley “advised IndyCar to throw the chequebook at the FIA if necessary to soak up its knowledge if America’s top open-wheel series is to go through the same transformation” as F1 (LONDON TIMES, 10/20).
CLEARING THINGS UP: NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson yesterday clarified comments he made earlier in the week when he indicated that he “didn’t think the IndyCar Series should run on ovals.” Johnson said that he “should have been clear that he meant high-banked ovals such as Las Vegas Motor Speedway.” He said yesterday that “while he did talk about flat tracks, the discussion with reporters Monday ... started with talking about the Las Vegas situation and that was the context for his comments about IndyCar racing on ovals.” Johnson: “If I had used the words ‘high-banked’ ovals when I spoke to (the media) on Monday, that probably would have alleviated a lot of the discussion and the misunderstanding, I guess.” He added, “By no means did I ever want to take a bad position against IndyCar racing because I’m a huge fan of it. … That was my dream as a kid. So through all of this, I just want people to know my support of that series and my support for the safety of those drivers” (SCENEDAILY.com, 10/19). Meanwhile, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon said that racing at Talladega Superspeedway, where the Sprint Cup series is headed this weekend, “is not comparable to the IndyCar race at Las Vegas.” Gordon: “I wouldn't compare an IndyCar at Las Vegas to Talladega with a stock car -- they're completely different, polar opposites. Looking at the aerodynamics, the weight of our cars, the fact that there are full fenders, NASCAR has implemented some incredible safety features for our cars over the years to allow us to go to Talladega” (SCENEDAILY.com, 10/19).
IS IT THE TRACK OR THE TALENT? YAHOO SPORTS’ Jay Hart writes the “most difficult issue the series faces going forward is this: Is every driver on the track skilled enough to be there?” A “not-so-secret secret in racing is that drivers can buy their way into a race,” as sponsor dollars “often trump talent.” Former drivers Mario Andretti and Rick Mears both “insist the depth of talent in the IndyCar Series is just as deep as it was in their day, and Andretti notes that every driver has to be licensed before granted entry into a race.” Still, Andretti said some drivers could “slip through the cracks.” Hart writes, “Let’s not overlook the fact that IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, in an effort to boost slumping TV ratings, offered a $5 million bonus to any non-regular driver who won the finale.” He even “openly lobbied for ‘a Travis Pastrana,’ the X-Games star who has never competed in a single open-wheel event, to participate in the challenge” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/20).
DOCTOR'S NOTE: F1 Circuit of the Americas Dir of Medical Services Dr. Stephen Olvey “expressed confidence” that the F1 track being built in Austin “will be safe for both F1 and MotoGP competitors.” Olvey said safety “has been paramount” in the design of the 3.4-mile track (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 10/20).
