IndyCar drivers to talk safety at Monday meeting

Something needs to be done. I hated watching Dan Wheldon die and I couldn't do anything to help. They should start with making the roll hoop stronger, much stronger. That's what contributed to Dan's death. If it hadn't failed, he would still be with us. Next, they should do something about these tires touching. Because every time those things touch, the toucher takes off like a jet and flies in to something. Also we should do something about these out of date catch fences. When an IndyCar get's into it, drivers are always hurt. ALWAYS! If these issues are addressed, maybe things can improve. But then, there will be a freak accident like with Henry Surtees in Formula 2(he was hit in the head by a flying tire in a straight-a-way and it snapped his neck and his car slammed the wall at high speed), and then we'd have to do something about closing the cockpit. It's sad that changes only come after something catastrophic happens. PS: Let's not forget the most unusual racing fatality ever: Marco Campos. His car went upside down, and while upside down, his car went over a concrete retaining wall and his helmet clipped the wall, snapping his neck and nearly decapitating him(watch on youtube).

If these guys want a "safe" profession they should have become chess players.

Close the cockpits, enclose the wheels. Leave the ovals and run only on road courses. (Ovals are great for TV and spectators, not so good for actual racing.)

The one positive to be taken from the loss of Dan Wheldon - every time a prominent driver dies (in any of the forms of motorsport), the survivors and the organizers take a long, hard look at safety and work to improve the cars and the facilities. It's happened in NASCAR, in drag racing, and in Formula 1.

There are going to be some pretty raw emotions at this meeting, meaning that some people with opinions are going to make sure they're heard. This is a good thing.

If these guys want a "safe" profession they should have become chess players.

Tatanka, they're not asking for a "safe" profession. They're asking for a safeer profession.

Close the cockpits, enclose the wheels. Leave the ovals and run only on road courses. (Ovals are great for TV and spectators, not so good for actual racing.)

And then don't forget the final step--change the name of the series to NASCAR. And then try to compete with that other racing series that fields cars eerily similar to your new design. These are open cockpit, open wheel cars by definition--Dan Wheldon would be appalled at the idea of throwing out the very basic idea of this kind of racing. Sure, don't race at the 1.5-mile high-banked ovals that can accommodate the heavier, slower NASCARs but not the lighter, faster IndyCars, but that doesn't mean you stop racing on ovals, period.