[Healeys] Welch's death

[editorgary at aol.com]

 I don't mean to seem to be jumping to conclusions. The main points I wanted
to make are first, that death is no longer acceptable in racing, no matter
what it says on the back of the ticket, on the program, or on the entry form.
I can't remember the last death that occurred as a result of vintage racing in
the U.S.  (Yes, there have been several heart attacks in the midst of racing,
and at least one testing accident death, but not due to racing circumstances,
as this one apparently was). Second, much of the reason for the good record is
that vintage racing organizations in the U.S. umbrella organization make a
point of investigating and reporting on every injury accident occurring during
a vintage race, and have adopted rules that require the best available driver
and car safety equipment, while keeping cars' performance reasonably close to
their historic capabilities.Third, with the singular exception of the PVGP,
where the organizers stress the circumstances of racing on what may be the
most dangerous road course in the country, the race tracks today are as safe
as design and equipment can make them, and b only fourth and though it's
only my perception b the vintage racing I've observed in England and Europe
is carried out under very different rules, attitudes, and circumstances than
is true in the United States

My point exactly was to inquire as to the
circumstances of this accident, and to express my hope that U.S. organizations
are looking at it, to determine whether an accident of this nature could have
occurred in the U.S. under our rules, attitudes, and conditions, and if so, is
there anything more that needs to be done to prevent such an occurrence.

Gary
Gary Anderson
Editor-in-Chief, The Star Magazine
Mercedes-Benz Club of America
Editor at Large, 
Austin-Healey Magazine