Tony K and Helio crash

[Scott]

Wow - scary moment for both. 

But the true insanity is at 1:01 of the video.  What the heck is that guy doing on the wrong side of the wall?  Indy needs to seriously look at their marshall procedures and add a bit of training in there.  I don't care if that guy couldn't see well enough behind the protection of the wall - he had no right to be there.

http://www.youtube.com/indycarseries#p/u/0/5hNZmxHcCq0

[Jericoke]

I think the angle made the marshall's position look dangerous.  The wall was still between him and the action.  Certainly a borderline safety issue though.

As for the crash itself, I know that I've seen enough modern race car crashes to know that (serious) injury is relatively rare.  The cars are well built, and safety really is a top priority.

[Dare]

Tony in a interview said Heilo saved him from serious injury and
brakes should never fail on a racecar.I think Indy cars are not quite as
safe as F1 cars so perhaps Heilo did indeed save his life

[Scott]

I think the angle made the marshall's position look dangerous.  The wall was still between him and the action.  Certainly a borderline safety issue though.

As for the crash itself, I know that I've seen enough modern race car crashes to know that (serious) injury is relatively rare.  The cars are well built, and safety really is a top priority.

Sorry Jeri, but had Helio's car been pushed a couple meters to the left at the wrong moment, that Marshall would have been a smudge on the wall.  Marshals should not be exposed at all unless the car is going BACKWARDS on the course.

[John S]

Yeah you are right Scot, the guy at the trackside is clearly exposed and is the wrongside of the wall, phew he's lucky not to have had a new hair parting.
Jeri I think what you are mentioning is a view of a different man ducking back at the otherside of the gap (at 1.11 to 1.13 on vid), this second man appears to be holding a furled green flag but the first man has nothing in his hands.

These boys will no doubt learn to stay back from now on even though the snatch gap is beyond the corner and is therefore not really directly onto the track. Trying to get a better view of the action if you are a marshall can put you in harms way.

Looks a bit like the incident when Webber used a Lotus as a launch pad, the big difference is that something clearly failed and pulled Tony sharp left onto Helio's right rear wheel. without Helio being there Tony may have taken a very big hit on the side wall or tyre barriers. Seems lady luck was shining bright for everyone in this incident at Baltimore.

 

[lkjohnson1950]

Kanaan says he it C-N deliberately and it saved his life.

[urlhttp://www.indystar.com/article/20110905/SPORTS0107/109050331/Scary-crash-turns-out-OK-Baltimore-Grand-Prix?odyssey=nav|head][/url]

Imagine knowing you're going to crash and picking which side gives you the best chance to survive! 

[lkjohnson1950]

nice bit of video:

http://www.speedtv.com//video/newest/indycar-baltimore-recap-2011-1143322213001/1#_vtop

[Scott]

...if they weren't so anal about international rights.   

[Scott]

Luckily they don't haven't figured how to get it off YouTube:

[PG_Gabriel]

And at turn 1 of the first lap there is a safety vehicle still on track  . He's booking it to get off (and thankfully does). In the video posted above you can see it for a split second, but during the race there was a replay from an on-board shot that gives a great view

[markfarrell9572]

TK was a luck boy to emerge from that

[Jericoke]

I think the angle made the marshall's position look dangerous.  The wall was still between him and the action.  Certainly a borderline safety issue though.

As for the crash itself, I know that I've seen enough modern race car crashes to know that (serious) injury is relatively rare.  The cars are well built, and safety really is a top priority.

Sorry Jeri, but had Helio's car been pushed a couple meters to the left at the wrong moment, that Marshall would have been a smudge on the wall.  Marshals should not be exposed at all unless the car is going BACKWARDS on the course.

Yeah, I saw the wrong guy.  My apologies.

Yes, the one you're talking about was ridiculous.

[Canada Darrell™]

What the hell.....this series is just as Mickey Mouse as I remember it from 10 years ago. I hope that track marshall was fired. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, he should not have been there.

And PG_Gabriel called it. There was clearly a safety truck ON THE TRACK when the green flag dropped. In that split second it it visible just after turn 1 the lead cars could EASILY have collided with it. TV time slot, or fuel loads be damned, those cars should have had to go around another lap before the green was thrown.

Just sheer nonsense!

[markfarrell9572]

Just watched it again and you really have to ask how race control let a marshall onto that side of the wall?  Does Brian Bernhart need to watch a replay of Tom Pryce's death to see what happens when race car and marshall collide.  Indycar really need to replace Bernhart.