Glenn E. says:

As the item mentions. Millions of bucks, and that’s probably the tip of the iceberg of money being made off these races. LV needs the infusion of tourism, because the poor economy and unemployment, is killing the town. So maybe it wasn’t the best venue for such a race. But politics and boardroom wheeling and dealing, got this race on this kind of track. And whatever experts there might have been that objected, if they had the balls to object, were sounding ignored. And that’s the problem with these races being a big business. Safety standards are going to be a factor that’s negotiable. And cramming more cars than in safe to drive, onto a track that’s too small for those speeds. Is going to a matter of how desperate the organizers are to make money. So basically it’s a blood sport now. If it wasn’t all along. And we might as well had the ancient Roman gladiator fights, if there’s little concern for who gets killed, to make some more rich.

We have unmanned drone aircraft, battle enemies in war zones. And this reduces the fatalities if trained pilots. So why can’t race cars be remotely driven? Must lives truly be at risk, for its fans to get a thrill? Is it only about the vicarious thrill of driving in ways, its fans can’t legally drive? At speeds that would take lives in normal traffic? A letting down the hair of civility, and then it’s back to obeying the traffic laws? Why not create a little game called “Rollerball”, while we’re at it? Auto racing is a death sport, dressed up to seem like it’s not deadly. Supposedly, with enough skill and engineering, all can race safely, and live thru it. But there are too many variables to account for, that can effect the outcome. And then the big money men come along and demand more cars and faster speeds, and just any track will do. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

Somebody should be held responsible for this tragedy, but you know they never will be. They wouldn’t even admit that Dan Weldon was “killed”. They said “he passed away”. As if the racing had nothing to do with it. If a passenger train flips over, and lives are taken, the news will say “they were Killed”. But when it comes to protecting something hugely profitable from better safety regulations, being sued, or just existing at all. The fatalities are put down as “passing away”. As if to claim it was natural causes. It’s a legalized addition, involving fast and dangerous driving. The drivers are likely told they’ll race or be out of a job. Win and get a tiny percentage of what the sport makes from ticket sales, network advertising, etc. And obviously its fans are addicted to it. Because I can’t see the attraction of watching others driving in circles, really fast. I think its an air polluting dinosaur of a sport. That should have been retired long ago, to help save the environment. But apparently, these things are on the “exceptions” list, when it come to ending Global Warming. As usual.