IndyCar has revealed the results of the independently supervised investigation into Dan Wheldon’s fatal accident.
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard and President of Operations Brian Barnhart relayed the findings at a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thursday morning that was streamed live on indycar.com.
Wheldon died during a fifteen-car pileup during the IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16.
The fatal accident was the result of a “perfect storm” of conditions, said Bernard; “… none of them can be singled out as the sole cause of the accident.”
Certainly the car itself was safe, said Bernard: “Nearly 2 million miles had been driven in the IR3 Dallara with this being the first fatality. There was nothing found in the performance of the any of the racecars participating that would was a factor in causing this racing incident.”
The investigation used video and photos, as well as team telemetry and data from the cars’ onboard data recorders, timing and scoring data, and interviews with all the involved personnel, from drivers and safety crew to medical staff.
Size of the field, experience of the teams and drivers, and condition of the track were all considered and ruled out as causes.
According to Barnhart, “The impact with the fence that resulted in Dan’s non-survivable injuries involved circumstances of location, direction, and orientation that were the chance result of the previous interactions.”
Wheldon’s car caromed off other cars which themselves bounced off other cars. Essentially, it was just bad racing luck in an inherently dangerous sport.
IndyCar is committed to safety,“ Bernard concluded. ”This report is an interim step to IndyCar’s on-going efforts to improve motorsports safety. This accident and its consequences are reminders of the risks associated with racing, regardless of efforts to make it safer.
“Dan Wheldon was instrumental in the testing and development of the new car and the safety innovations that it represents. The thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences of IndyCar and the open-wheel racing community go out to Dan’s family.”
Not all High-Banked Ovals Equal
Many critics had complained that pack racing, where cars line up side-by-side two or three rows wide, has always been unnecessarily dangerous and that all high-banked ovals, where pack racing is common, are not safe for IndyCars.
Barnhart insisted that pack racing is not necessarily dangerous, and that the particular conditions of the Las Vegas track were the dangerous factor.
“IndyCar, CART and Champcar have successfully conducted many races over numerous years on courses that meet the definition of high-banked ovals,” he said, quoting the report.
“Examination of the video of the October 16th event demonstrates normal ”pack racing” that is common of high-banked ovals. However, what was also witnessed was nearly unlimited movement on the track surface under race conditions.
“This capability of relative free movement on the track without the restraints of natural racing grooves must be attributed to track geometry beyond banking. The combination of track geometry factors allowed for relatively unrestricted movement within the racing pack not previously experienced.
“This movement not only allowed for increased probability for car-to-car contact but made it more difficult for drivers to predict the movement of other drivers. As a result, the opportunity for this incident was increased.”
While bad news for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this is good news for many IndyCar fans who feared that the series would stop running some of its traditional 1.5-mile ovals like Chicagoland or Texas. Apparently, only Las Vegas is off the list, and only until sufficient testing can be done to find a safe set-up.
Barnhart said that the goal of testing would be to “identify an aerodynamic package that makes it more challenging for the drivers.”
The layout of Las Vegas—the degree and progression of its banking, the rate of transition from flat straight to banked curve, and the traction the track offered—made it possible for drivers to race flat-out all the way around the track from the bottom to the wall.
Optimally, IndyCar would find a combination of power and downforce which would make drivers have to hit the brakes approaching the corners, and also prevent them from finding equal speed anywhere on the track.
Barnhart also said that IndyCar will be increasing track testing. Currently tracks are tested by a pair of drivers, which cannot replicate the conditions seen in a race. IndyCar officials had no idea that drivers would be able to race all over the track.
In future the league wants to test with many cars at a time to determine the aerodynamic and technical set-up which will provide both safe and exciting racing.
