A note from Bruce Mabrito

[NickHolt]

As soon as I saw the IndyCar Pocono video in slow motion, showing the hit that Justin Wilson took, I knew he was as good as dead. You also could easily tell, because all you got were distant views by telephoto lenses, and you could tell on the faces of the competitors.

 

I went out after the event and mowed the grass and thought about the deaths I have seen at race tracks over the years, and I came up with about 10 sad deaths. In 1969 I watched a terrible Formula 5000 accident at Continental Divide Raceway, with pouring rain and one of the cars aquaplaned into weighted barrels. He died quickly.

I was racing Mini Stocks at Pan American Speedway in a Chevy Vega and a driver was killed in 1977 in our race (he backed up into the oncoming traffic and was T-Boned by Robin McCall—later Robin Dallenbach). He was an active U.S. Army staff member just back from Korea. He was driving a car with exhaust tubing that made up the roll-cage (driving a death sentence!). Absolutely one of the most sad situations, especially considering his family.

There have been many others.

Motor racing is dangerous. It is MUCH LESS DANGEROUS TODAY than in past years, but it is still quite dangerous.

It would be folly to try and make cockpit changes with protective hoods, etc.

IndyCar has plenty of problems already, and that would add just one more....

Justin Wilson said it best himself, after he returned from some serious accidents in 2012. He was quoted as saying the following. “I’ve had the conversation with (my wife) Julia—this is what we do and you try to make the best plans if that ever happens. You’ve got to know the risks and work out if those risks are acceptable. To me, it’s acceptable. But I’m not going to stop trying to improve it (the safety aspects). All the drivers, in this IndyCar series, we’re always trying to make it safer, but at the end of the day, it’s a race car. We’re racing hard, we’re racing IndyCars and it’s fast. When it goes wrong, it can get messy.”

He spoke the truth.

 

Bruce Mabrito

[top_shelf_12]

Well said.

[TerryBarden]

My wife and I have the very same talks before and after I got hurt at SAS. Racing cars, from go-carts to the Indy cars, is a very dangerous sport. As drivers we do it because we love the speed and the excitement of competing with other drivers that share your love for the sport. I told my wife every night at the races that I loved her and my kids, before the races ever started because we never knew what might happen. We both understood nobody was forcing me to get in that car every Saturday night. I did it because that what I wanted to do.

 

All the different forms of racing, I believe are doing everything possible to make it as safe as they can, but every drivers knows what can happen when they strap into one. I too have seen to many people die from racing, but I believe that died doing what they loved.

 

R. I. P. Justin Wilson and may GOD be with all of you that are going to compete this weekend.

[HiTech]

When Joshua decided he wanted to race his mom came to me with her input .she did not want him racing though we have been doing so with me and her for many many years .it is a dangerous sport and she was afraid of him getting hurt . she has been there when I have gone through some bad wrecks and seen her share of other racers ...her question to me was he only wants to race cuz of you and jesse wanting him to ...I stood aback by that question for a few seconds and said ,now dear did Joshua start playing baseball at five cuz of you no.. cuz he wanted too seeing I had no chance of my input into that decision ..I said go ask him why he wants to race .she was just an avenue as I was in him doing both ......then I explained I feel Joshua was safer in that race car than the years he stood on that pitcher mound he was hit many times just lucky he wasn't hurt like he should or could have ..both sports are dangerous .we all understand the danger we face and have to except the fact you can loose your life in doing so .some have said racers are on a suicide mission nothing can be further from the truth ,,I say racers are living a dream know what they are doing and don't dwell on the dangerous aspects, besides sitting at home getting fat and think you are safe is just an allusion ,if its my time to go I want it to be having fun .wilsons death though tragic came at a time where he was living a dream ....