I have had a few days to process the events that transpired on Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  I have had time to read all the tweets, see the replays, and answer questions from friends and family that knew I was at the track.  Maybe I can say what I feel like saying in the right way.

I had discussed the dangers and fear of a horrific accident with John Bisci, Las Vegas Motor Speedway PR Manager, on Saturday during the Camping World Truck Series event.  Sunday morning before the race I replayed the Kenny Brack accident at Texas Motor Speedway from 2003 to Edward Ochoa, Queers4Gears photographer, while expressing my nervousness over the possibility of such an accident during the race.  My fears unfortunately came true.  The truth is, the danger of racing is present whether it is NASCAR at Martinsville, Indycar at Indianapolis, or Hill Climbing at Pikes Peak.  Drivers understand that, they have to, and I understand that as a fan.  I know the history of racing and how quickly it can take someone’s life.  But, because of the increases in safety, we forget how unforgiving and dangerous it really is.

I’ve read comments by other drivers like Jimmie Johnson stating that Indycars should not run on ovals because it is too dangerous.  I find that absurd to be honest.  While I respect his opinion, the inherit danger that exists in racing makes it a risk no matter where you are racing or what you are driving.  Yes, the level of danger is greater in an open cockpit at 220mph, but we forget that drivers like Adam Petty were killed at speeds far less in cars with “more protection”.  A crash doesn’t have to be fast nor look violent to take a life.  I recall seeing a YouTube video of a European driver in an F1 development series getting hit in the head with a loose tire from a car that crashed.  The impact to the head killed the driver.   That is all it takes.

One thing that I must comment on is we should commend the much maligned Dallara chassis for protecting drivers as it did.  15 cars were involved in the accident with 3 of them becoming airborne.  Despite a broken and burned finger sustained by Pippa Mann and JR Hildebrand’s bruised sternum, it is amazing and commendable that there were no other serious injuries given the severity of wreck.  I for one consider what happened to Dan to be a freak incident.  The car hit the fencing in the worst possible way.  It was the intersection of multiple worst-case scenarios and unpredictable events.

It was heartbreaking to see a series and sport that I love in so much pain during a weekend that was supposed to be full of joy, champions, and the turning of a new page.  The event had been a huge hit with the fans the entire weekend and the stage was set to end a season wrought with controversy on a high note.  But, that wasn’t to be.  The last sentences in this chapter of Indycar history were underlined with tragedy.

Indycar has spent years as the red-headed stepchild of the racing world receiving little respect.  It is unfortunate it may have taken Dan’s death to bring it to light, but the drivers and the series demand respect.  The extreme speed, quality of drivers, and close competition has been overlooked far too long.  I’ve said it before but Danica, Simona, Ana, and Pippa all have balls bigger than mine for doing what they do.  It is part of the reason why I love Indycar.  It is regular people doing things I can only dream about.

I’ll admit, I have been in a funk since the accident.  I can’t really convey the surreal feeling of sitting in the media center, looking at pictures, hearing the whispers, and listening to the TV while fearing the worst possible news.  I don’t know how to express the sadness in a room of tears while Randy Bernard announced Dan’s death.  It was like being part of a bad movie.  It was a feeling I won’t soon forget and a feeling I don’t want to experience again.

While Indycar may not have gained any new fans, and it surely has gained a host of critics, one thing is for certain:  the fans stand more united than ever.  It was amazing to see strangers sharing a love of a sport coming together in tragedy.  This was evident for me as I sat in the Tropicana on Sunday night sharing a drink and stories with fellow fans…a dad and son from California, a husband and wife from Indy, and a young man that came all the way from the UK to see the event.  I want to thank Pat Caporali (@PCaporali on Twitter) for helping bring together fans at the track.  If it wasn’t for her “tweetups” I wouldn’t have met as many wonderful people over the weekend as I did.

I also want to extend my thoughts and prayers not only to Dan’s widow and children, but to Randy Bernard.  I know there are many people that do not know the series that are pointing fingers trying to lay blame on someone.  I am sure there is no one that has the best interest of the drivers in mind more than Randy.  His dedication to the sport and its success is evident.  I know he must feel the weight of the world on his shoulders, but we as fans should help shoulder the weight by supporting him and the series at a time when both need it the most.

So, with all that rambling, I want to move past this past weekend.  I don’t want to forget about Dan, but I want to forget the feeling and the images.  I hope we all use this as an experience to learn and grow and to make Indycar safer and to make positive change.  I also want to make it clear that what happened was not the fault of anyone or anything.  It wasn’t Randy’s fault for staging the race or the $5million dollar challenge.  It wasn’t the drivers that initially spun out.  It wasn’t the tracks fault.  It wasn’t because of an unsafe car.  It was simply a freak racing accident.  So, let’s remember Dan and keep him in our hearts and look towards a better day.

There’s a song by Dolly Parton called “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”.  It always makes me feel better when things look the worst.  Have a listen.  Hopefully it will make you feel a little better as well.

Ross (@driverswanted07)