> Dale was a racer..he knew the deal every time he
> belted into a race car..he will be missed by many,
> myself included.
> Head restraints are not necessarrly part of the
> picture in some instances..a snap crash at speeds in
> excess of 175 MPH would tax any restraint..
> I recall, with a tear in my eye, when Rich
> Vogler, a dirt track driver had his last crash..no
> amount of protection would have saved his head when
> his sprint car ran atop the retaining wall for some
> hundred yards or so..
> Let us remember these brave men for their involvement
> in the sport they loved.
> yours, Howard Gentry
Thanks for mentioning Vogler, Howard. I saw him drive a few times and he was
GOOD! I needed that reminder.
I have to agree that you can't prepare for every possible eventuality and
not all crashes are survivable; and that the drivers know the odds.
Interestingly enough, the Chicago Tribune had an article on the 14th by Ed
Hinton talking about the HANS system, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi,
Ayrton Senna, and Adam Petty.
http://chicagotribune.com/sports/main/article/0,2669,SAV-0102140182,FF.html
""young Emerson Fittipaldi would glance around the starting grid at the
Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco each spring and see 21 other drivers.
"We all knew the odds," he says. "Three of us would not survive the season."
During the 35 years Richard Petty raced in NASCAR, he often would admonish
his wife, Lynda.
"If I get killed, if you ever sue anybody over it, I will haunt you," he
told her. "I know the risk. I take all the responsibility.""
That said, I miss Senna, I will miss Earnhardt, and I am glad that King
Richard and Mario have survived.
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