Indianapolis 500 Thoughts (Spoilers)

Stevensville Mike · 5/29/23, 9:40 AM

After watching the 500, the thing that is still stuck in my mind and stopped my heart was when Kyle Kirkwood's tire went over the Turn 2 fence. Fortunately it "split the uprights" so to speak and went between the grandstand and the motel.

But had that tire been about 30-40' to the right it would have been a disaster. It was no pop fly, either. It was more of a line drive.

I can only imagine the changes that would be required to oval tracks after that. Hockey never had nets around the backs of the goal areas until a death occurred in Columbus at a Blue Jackets game. Would there be some kind of extremely high fencing added or would they go to something like you have on Interstates highways right now to prevent vehicles from crossing the median? We call them car shredders. They will work once, for the most part, but they are cheaper than armco and can be replaced easier.

Or would tracks have to re-think where seating would be? I may have to assume some risk going to a race, but we all have to learn something from this and adjust our motorsports for spectators before it pyramids into a total disaster. Fences were raised after the three deaths at MIS in the late 90s, but nothing more has become of it. Now we are back to Square 1.

The announcers never addressed the tire until later. As if it was a hot potato. Almost as if we don't talk about it it never happened. Once they realized Kirkwood was safe all attention should have been directed at the tire issue. It wasn't until much later under the red flag that it was brought up.

As for three red flags in the closing 14 laps? What a total disembowelment of a fantastic race. Sometimes you have to just "let things die" and finish under yellow. A one lap shootout finish?

badcoupe · 5/29/23, 10:43 AM

My immediate concern was the tire as well, guessing they didn’t go there until they knew everything was ok, like flo does when there’s a bad crash. The wheel tethers are mandatory but must’ve failed on that one.

mc/rider · 5/29/23, 12:02 PM

Loose wheel was punted up in the stands between turns 3 & 4 in 86 (?) and claimed the life of a Wisconsin fan.

The Old Coyote · 5/29/23, 12:12 PM

......"As for three red flags in the closing 14 laps? What a total disembowelment of a fantastic race. Sometimes you have to just "let things die" and finish under yellow......"

You are spot Mike.

The last two years have been a slap in the face to over one hundred years of tradition!

There is a crash, you go yellow. If the track is not clear on lap 200 the race is over!

This red flag BS is nothing but a NASCRAP side show.

Stevensville Mike · 5/29/23, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badcoupe

My immediate concern was the tire as well, guessing they didn’t go there until they knew everything was ok, like flo does when there’s a bad crash. The wheel tethers are mandatory but must’ve failed on that one.

You might have something there, 'coupe.

But as for the tether, the crash was at such a high speed and with so much force - one car at flat chat side swiping a stationary car... Perhaps that will be a good place to start the investigative process. The strength of the current tethers?

jdull99 · 5/29/23, 1:11 PM

One lap shoot-out in 1997 (yes, I know, USAC was fired after the next race)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUuCVDZMVeU

(min mark 13 really shows just the end...great sounding naturally aspirated, not leased but built at various shops engines...Many short trackers in the field...including Tony, and Steve Kinser. Always thankful for Tony George!)

miledirt · 5/29/23, 1:49 PM

Great race
I had a bunch of newbies watching it at a pool party
They loved the pageantry, tradition, speed and the finish
Kudos to Roger, team at IMS and all of IndyCar

dsc1600 · 5/29/23, 2:55 PM

It’s a shame IndyCar can never build momentum from the 500 because it’s awesome every year. The rest of the series looks 2nd rate in my opinion but the Indy 500 race is the pinnacle of American motorsports.

Vookie · 5/29/23, 6:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevensville Mike

But as for the tether, the crash was at such a high speed and with so much force - one car at flat chat side swiping a stationary car... Perhaps that will be a good place to start the investigative process. The strength of the current tethers?

Marshall Pruett covers this topic toward the end of this video.

Final Indy 500 Thoughts and Farewell with RACER's Marshall Pruett

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn4dXsoVvAw

https://www.wrtv.com/sports/indianap...ds-at-indy-500

Charles Nungester · 5/29/23, 8:03 PM

I seen a tweet that the tire hit a car parked out between the turn two stands and the turn two suites, Nobody in it, Nobody injured.

That's a racing thing. Shearing both the axel and the tether.

What I don't get is nascar and their fifty or sixty wheels rolling around the track the last year and this. When it does happen and a fan gets kills, Not only do they have accident, But pure negligence on fixing the problem. The proper tech for the center knock off has been around half a century or more.