Auto Racing Tragedies: Fans want to feel safe and secure at track

By MIKE HARRIS

AP Motorsports Writer

Any race fan or potential spectator who read the stories or saw the pictures of the deadly accident at Michigan Speedway has to have second thoughts about visiting a track.

In a seemingly routine crash - one of four Sunday in CART's U.S. 500 - a wheel tore off the front of Adrian Fernandez's car, flew over 15 feet of wall and fencing and landed in the stands. Three people were killed and six more hurt by the wheel and flying debris.

It was a major tragedy in a sport that prides itself on its ever-improving safety record.

The picture of the Michigan grandstand, empty except for the tarps covering the bodies of people who came to the speedway for an afternoon of fun and entertainment, is a horrifying reminder of what can happen.

But, should such a scene be the deciding factor in whether someone attends a race in the future?

The answer is a resounding no.

In 1955, a Mercedes sports car ran off the track during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, killing dozens. It was the deadliest accident in auto racing history.

Mercedes pulled out of racing for 40 years, but the event in France has continued without another mishap of its kind or even another spectator injury. People still flock to Le Mans each summer.

Nothing on the scale of that tragedy has happened on a U.S. oval or road course. But there have been other spectator deaths over the years, most in drag racing and short-track competition.

But they are rare.

Mike Helton, vice president of competition for NASCAR, was as horrified as anyone about what happened in Michigan. He makes his living from the sport, and he cares about the safety of everyone involved. But he also understands that tragedy - even for those in the stands - is but an unlucky bounce away.

"It's not possible to cover every scenario that can cause tragedies," Helton said. "Every now and then, a weird set of circumstances comes together and something like this can happen.

"What you can do is learn from that and make any changes that can keep it from happening again."

Millions of people attend auto racing in North America and around the world each year. There are no statistics available, but a person certainly is at greater risk of being struck while crossing a street than of being injured or worse while watching a race.

If it's possible to make it even safer for the customers who fill the seats, racing's sanctioning organizations will do what is required.

"We are absolutely committed to keeping our fans as safe at our venues as they are any place they go," said CART president CEO Andrew Craig.

Fans shouldn't have to give a thought to their safety at a race track and, for the most part, they don't.

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