 |
| Dan Wheldon and family after winning the 2011 Indianapolis 500 |
Yeah, it all goes hand in hand, doesn't it. I've had so many moms ask me why in the world would I let my 10 year old son, Hunter, race a kart. They really freak out when I tell them I'm putting my almost 5 year old daughter, Hadyn, in one, too. But, it doesn't scare me.
My dad raced Stock Cars in his younger years. My family had a European style dirt enduro motocross track and held races the 2nd Sunday of every month for 13 of my growing up years. My husband loved to ride and tinker with anything motorized as a kid.
It's in the blood. We're wired that way.
In 2001, when NASCAR suffered a tragic blow with the passing of Dale Earnhardt due to a race day crash, Scott and I were not into racing yet - Hunter was still in the womb. But we saw the impact that took on the racing community and it was not lost on us.
Yesterday, the motorsports world suffered more tragedy. Indycar driver Dan Wheldon suffered unrecoverable injuries from a horrific wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and passed away. Hunter and I sat and watched the entire thing unfold on our TV screen. It was paralyzing. We felt as though a family member had left us. And in a way, it was family.
Not to be forgotten, but also yesterday, racing lost another driver - Toyota off road racing driver Rick Huseman, his brother Jeff and their pilot were lost in a plane accident.
Davey Hamilton, an Indycar driver who suffered his own near fatal accident while racing in Texas in 2001, said in an interview yesterday, "Whenver you put a helmet and a firesuit on, it's probably pretty dangerous. And we accept that as racing drivers."
And we accept that as parents, friends, loved ones. Drivers have been given a gift. Our gift is our ability to accept that. It's just the way we're wired.
Rest In Peace, Dan and Rick Your racing family will miss you.
 |
| Toyota Off Road driver Rick Huseman |
It is so sad. And you are right about the whole racing community being family. We watch almost all racing at the house. I still remember when Eric Medlen died, from the NHRA. That broke my heart as well as this one yesterday.
ReplyDeleteHate to say it but shit happens. The drivers know it and accept it. Dan Wheldon knew it. IRL has made their cars as safe as they know how but you cant know what you dont know. You cant foretell every situation. Its a car that is pushing 650HP, goes over 230 MPH, and is an open cockpit to boot. More safety rules will spring from this Im sure. Will they institute a "restrictor plate" ala Nascar? Who knows. Its a freaking RACE CAR....Its SUPPOSED to go fast. Drivers in all motor sports are today surviving crashes that would have killed them even 5 years ago thanks to improvements built off of earlier tragedys. And in the end...thats a good thing.
ReplyDelete