Racecar driver Will Power recently failed a third attempt at a championship win. Just 55 laps into the IndyCar race, he lost control of his vehicle when it hit a seam in the lower side of the track; he was at the lower, inside part of the track because he had problems with a mechanical issue with his racecar. He was uninjured but failed to make up the lost points for the win.
The professional racecar driver stated, “I don’t know what emotion to even feel right now” in a post race interview. He said that losing yet another championship due to a car crash is depressing.
In 2011, Will Power also lost a race by five points when he brushed a wall on a turn. Drivers earn or lose points for several reasons during a race. Involvement in accidents and failure to abide by racing rules can cause drivers to lose points. In the 2012 race for the championship, Power was hit by another car in pit row. A second accident in the same race caused the death of racer Dan Wheldon during a 15-car pile-up -Power also broke his back in that accident.
Speed is obviously a dangerous component to professional racing but it is only one of many issues that can cause car crashes. Defective or broken car parts can have devastating and deadly consequences. Even the slightest brush with another car or stationary object will cause a vehicle to spin out of control. Due to the speed and congestion on the race track, accidents can easily cause disabling injuries to drivers, pit crew members and spectators.
Source: NBC Sports, “Will Power crashes in IndyCar,” Jenna Fryer, Sept. 16, 2012
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