October 19, 2005

By Rebecca Gladden

As I sat down at my computer to write this week's column, thoughts and images of three seemingly disparate events swirled through my mind - each one having been a topic of discussion in the NASCAR world over the past few days. They eventually coalesced into a cohesive topic, held together by themes common to the high-speed, high-risk world of stock car racing.

In the forefront of thought was Saturday's bizarre Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, in which a variety of factors combined to produce a 4-hour long crashfest marred by repetitive images of blown tires, wrecked race cars and distraught drivers.

Tony Stewart inquired nervously about the status of his life insurance policy during the race and afterwards described it as "the most screwed up night I've even scene."

Jamie McMurray likened it to a game of Russian roulette.

Kyle Busch admitted that he was "scared to death" after seeing what other drivers were experiencing on the track.

Kevin Harvick said the race was "terrible" and "the biggest joke in racing that I've ever seen." When asked if anything could have been done to improve conditions, Harvick replied bluntly, "Yeah - throw the checkered flag and get the hell out of here."

Perhaps the most surprising quote, however, came from NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter, who admitted that, "there was serious discussion about stopping the race," - a move that would have been unprecedented, had it taken place. Eventually, NASCAR officials decided to - in the words of NASCAR President Mike Helton - "finish this event as correctly as it could"; no doubt uttering a silent prayer that the decision would not come back to haunt them.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in any of the tire-related crashes that sent several drivers barreling hard into the wall. Dale Earnhardt Jr. reported that he had no warning the tire was about to fail: "It just went 'bam!' when it blew out, and 'bam!' when I hit the wall. It was loud - it sounded like a shotgun going off."

Along with driver complaints, NASCAR received harsh criticism from members of the media who variously described the Lowe's race as a debacle, a farce, an embarrassment, madness, and a "black eye" for the sport. Decisions made over the course of several months were called into question by the pundits, including track president Humpy Wheeler's grinding of the track surface twice this year, and NASCAR's choice to see the race through to the end despite the perilous conditions.

With the Saturday night race still fresh in my mind, I tuned in on Sunday to watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN present, "NASCAR, Driven to Extremes," an hour-long special about the physiologic demands of racing at the Cup level.

One of Dr. Gupta's topics was the 2003 accident involving driver Jerry Nadeau, who survived the hardest impact ever recorded by NASCAR. Nadeau's car hit the wall at Richmond Raceway - prior to the installation of safer barriers - flush on the driver's side. A "black box" recording device inside the car measured the force of gravity at the moment of impact at 128 G's; astronauts in a space shuttle launch experience about 3 G's. "It's mind-boggling he even survived that crash," Dr. Gupta stated. Nadeau was in a coma for 20 days and faced months of grueling rehabilitation to relearn basic skills. He will probably never race at the Cup level again, and now serves as a consultant to upcoming drivers.

Richmond has safer barriers now, as does Lowe's.

Some have suggested that it is already time to put the Charlotte race behind us and look ahead to this Sunday's event at Martinsville, the sixth of 10 races in the Chase for the Championship.

But this weekend's race in Martinsville marks the one-year anniversary of another senseless tragedy. It was at Martinsville last year when a plane carrying 10 employees and family members of NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick crashed into the side of Bull Mountain in inclement weather, killing all aboard.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board cited pilot error as the likely cause of the crash. Published reports stated that at least 27 other planes headed to the Blue Ridge Airport near Martinsville had chosen to divert to other facilities nearby, including the Danville Regional and Greensboro Airports. However, visibility at Blue Ridge, while reduced, was well within FAA safety guidelines, according to sources at the time.

There will probably be tributes and remembrances this weekend to mark the anniversary of the plane crash, just as there were in April when the series returned to the track for the first time since the tragedy. Jeff Gordon's emotional victory last spring provided a much-needed lift for the mourning Hendrick organization.

In the weeks following the plane crash, I heard many fans stating that they were "tired" of the story, and insisting that it was time to "get over it" and move on. But as the Lowe's race, Nadeau's accident, and the Hendrick plane crash all serve to illustrate, risk is an inherent part of life, heightened by the dangers in a sport as hazardous as racing.

Human fallibility is an inevitable factor of the decision-making process. Fortunately, most decisions do not result in tragedy, but some do. Perhaps the bigger danger lies in failing to learn from past mistakes. As they say, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Track owners and NASCAR officials have done an admirable job of improving safety in the past few years, particularly following the death of Dale Earnhardt. The installation of safer barriers and the use of mandatory head and neck restraints are just two of many safety improvements that have saved lives.

Focusing on safety is a mandate that can never be taken for granted when lives are on the line. Danger, decisions and death are part of racing and part of life, but every attempt should be made to minimize the risk, including carrying the lessons of the past forward into the future.

As regards the Charlotte race, neither hysterical criticism of NASCAR, nor insisting that everyone "get over it," is an acceptable response. A reasoned review of the decisions that were made, along with a comprehensive plan to prevent similar occurrences, is the only way to ensure driver safety in the future.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.