RIP Dan Wheldon

[helosailor]

[Mach1]

Rip

[tribaltalon]

How are the other drivers doing? There were 3 drivers that went to the hospital.. and why would they airlift wheldon if he had really been decapicated? But regardless, still a very sad day and blemish for indycar, especially with F1 coming to the US next year.

[gip99gt]

Rip...

[Grape]

How are the other drivers doing? There were 3 drivers that went to the hospital.. and why would they airlift wheldon if he had really been decapicated? But regardless, still a very sad day and blemish for indycar, especially with F1 coming to the US next year.

trying to put his esophagus back together, everybody else is fine

[SS Junk]

trying to put his esophagus back together, everybody else is fine

Then they would've been trying to reconnect his spinal cord as well if his "fucking head" was cut off. No reason to go all bat shit crazy for those trying to process their morbid curiosity.

[butt86]

I don't think there really would be anything to see. As soon as his car hit the fence I'm sure it would've destroyed the camera.

They showed the on board last night on the news and that is pretty much what happend. It showed him sailing towards the fence and then just black.

[TRAXX]

RIP Dan Wheldon

So whats the difference between this track and TMS? A quick wiki search shows they are both 1.5 miles with TMS actually having higher banking, though I know there is more to a track than just those two figures. I dont recall ever hearing complaints about TMS from the drivers like there apparently were about LV. It seems like they go a good 10-15mph faster at LV.

Grape???

[Mike]

RIP Dan Wheldon

So whats the difference between this track and TMS? A quick wiki search shows they are both 1.5 miles with TMS actually having higher banking, though I know there is more to a track than just those two figures. I dont recall ever hearing complaints about TMS from the drivers like there apparently were about LV. It seems like they go a good 10-15mph faster at LV.

Grape???

Remember this?

The Firestone Firehawk 600, a CART race, was to be held on April 29, 2001. During practice and qualifying, however, 21 of 25 drivers [2] complained of dizziness and disorientation during two days of practice. Drivers experienced sustained G forces over 5 Gs, more than the typical human tolerance. With their powerful turbocharged engines and superspeedway downforce packages, the Champ Cars were averaging speeds well in excess of 230 mph. Much faster than the speeds seen regularly by Sprint Cup cars, and faster still than IRL machinery of the time.

With the possibility of drivers blacking out on the track, CART cancelled the race two hours before the scheduled start.

[tribaltalon]

H O L E Y shit.

pulling in excess of 5 G's at speeds over 230 mph? thats fucking crazy... and expecting drivers to deal with that for 600 miles. Wonder how many G's drivers were pulling at Vegas?

[Juiced4v]

Very sad!!! R.I.P

[Grape]

Indycar in their infinite wisdom decided to change the regulated aero package at kentucky and vegas. At most tracks the rules mandate a minimum amount of downforce to control speeds, they changed things just a bit for the last two races, resulting in the 10-15 mph increase. Not totally a bad idea, but with 34 cars entered, maybe not so much. we go 210-212 at texas with the previous rules package, at vegas with the previous rules it would be 205-210 at the most.

[TRAXX]

Remember this?

Mike, I do, but those CART cars were more powerful than the IRL cars. The less powerful IRL cars don’t carry the same speed to have that issue (go about 215mph at TMS if I recall correctly), though it appears the aero package also plays a part in slowing them down based on grape's explanation.

Thanks for the clarification Grape. I didn’t realize they were that aero limited on the ovals, and opened it up these last two races. (I’ll admit that I don’t follow the series that closely)

Looking through the history, IRL raced at LV back in the 90s but havent done so recently...I wonder if this was an issue in the past or if they had the more restrictive aero package back then.

[Grape]

Mike, I do, but those CART cars were more powerful than the IRL cars. The less powerful IRL cars don’t carry the same speed to have that issue (go about 215mph at TMS if I recall correctly), though it appears the aero package also plays a part in slowing them down based on grape's explanation.

Thanks for the clarification Grape. I didn’t realize they were that aero limited on the ovals, and opened it up these last two races. (I’ll admit that I don’t follow the series that closely)

Looking through the history, IRL raced at LV back in the 90s but havent done so recently...I wonder if this was an issue in the past or if they had the more restrictive aero package back then.

nascar, indycar, even F1 is constantly changing aero rules without the average fan knowing what is going on. we are so limited on drag with the rear main plain angle being a set minimum that we actually run the cars far enough off the ground that the tray and diffuser don't work........on purpose.

the engine package that is changing to turbocharged engines for 2012 is to have a variable amount of hp so the aero package can remain similiar for all tracks. the hondas now make around 630, next year on street and roadcourses i've heard 950 from the honda guys, coupled with a new chassis that is 1450 pounds instead of 1625, should be entertaining. They will of course dial this back in the high 500's for the ovals.

[TRAXX]

Just now saw what you added to your post Grape. Thanks for the clarification. So with the same aero package at TMS they might have flirted with 230, and possibly the same blackout situation CART experienced thanks to the higher banking compared to LV?