Wednesday, June 25, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.
Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-4089.
While there seemingly has been an increase in racing accidents in the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series this year, Al Unser Jr. said he doesn't believe it is a result of drivers being less cautious.
"I think that everybody out there is a clean driver -- and that's what I truly believe," Unser, a part-time Henderson resident, said. "What is going on this year is that we've seen very, very competitive (racing). And when you start pushing the envelope to its max, racing accidents happen.
"What we've seen this year, it's been the closest, (most) competitive racing that the IRL has ever seen. And with that, when you start pushing that envelope, comes little mistakes. And every driver out there is a clean driver and respects the other driver's space and all that but, like I said, when you start pushing that envelope and you start getting out-prided a little bit, then it gets real competitive."
That trend doesn't figure to reverse itself this weekend when the IndyCar Series visits the 3/4-mile Richmond International Raceway for Saturday night's SunTrust Indy Challenge.
Although Richmond is the smallest track on which the series races, Unser said it also is the most enjoyable because of the close racing.
"Richmond is a little bullring," Unser said. "It is the smallest oval that we race on in the series, and it's got some banking to it and so it's an enjoyable racetrack. The cars run fast there, they run extremely close, and (the race) being on a Saturday night, it truly is a Saturday-night fight because of how small it is and you end up rubbing wheels with people."
Unser, who won earlier this month at Texas Motor Speedway, is coming off a disappointing 14th-place finish at Pikes Peak International Raceway and is tied for third in the IRL standings, 50 points behind series leader Tony Kanaan.
Ryan Hunter-Reay complained that Tracy hampered his attempt at a pole-winning lap by slowing down during Hunter-Reay's final lap and several other drivers were critical of Tracy's tactics during qualifying. Tracy sat on the pole for the race and finished second.
"I've got one thing to say to all these would-be racecar drivers: Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, and those with glass jaws should watch their mouths," Tracy said of his critics.
Whitcomb, 35, suffered severe head injuries when his car flipped over and was struck in the roll cage by another car at the start of the second 358 Sprint Car qualifying race. He was transported to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., and was pronounced dead at 12:08 a.m. Monday.
Kinser also earned victories last week at Brandon, S.D., and Joplin, Mo., and has a series-leading 15 wins going into this weekend's Eagle Nationals at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska.
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