Before you say what could IndyCar ever possibly have to do with Wall Stadium, the 1/3 mile high-banked oval that doesn't even have a NASCAR Modified Tour race on it's schedule, let me refresh your memory, and maybe even shock you.
IndyCars have actually been on the track. It happened many years ago when IndyCar team owner Roger Penske, a NJ native, was looking for a place to shake-down his two entries in the Meadsowlands Grand Prix. The cars took laps around the track just to make sure everything was tight, and there were no leaks.
All this aside, what got me thinking about IndyCar while at Wall this Saturday for the first annual "Halloween Spooky Spectacular", was one of the worst crashes I have ever seen at the speedway. The accident was a one car incident when a TQ Midget touched the apron, the driver overcorrected, and ended up on his side.
The car slide up the banking, at a high rate of speed, toward the wall. It impacted the wall, between turns 3 and 4, top of the roll cage first, with only it's top-wing to cushion the blow.
Seeing it happen I expected the worse. I thought the driver, at the very least, was seriously injured. Much to my surprise, the driver climbed from the car, and walked to the ambulance. Once I saw he was alright, my thoughts immediately went to IndyCar, and their recent loss of Dan Wheldon to head trauma as a result of an accident.
Why doesn't IndyCar put a roll cage above their driver's head? While I don't think for a minute a roll cage would have saved Wheldon, it certainly couldn't hurt. The cars would still be nothing like the NASCAR machines, but perhaps just a bit safer.
Nothing will ever make racing totally safe, however, maybe, just maybe, IndyCar could learn a little something from a little track in New Jersey. Afterall, it has been the launching post for some of motorsports biggest names, like Evernham, and Truex. Why not a safety innovation?
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