Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Racing, in the air and on the ground, is a dangerous sport. Our thoughts go with the family and friends of Paul Dana.

Blue Skies...

[Victor Archer]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Sad news I just read about it....

[T. Adams]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Yes, a sad day. Read this commentary here, http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/22748/

Robin Miller is getting blasted on the SPEEDTV message boards, but while the timing may not be great, everything he writes is true, this guy was in way over his head.

[Pick]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Paul's wife Tonya.....apparently she wasn't in Homestead with him this weekend.

As for Robin Miller, if it was the first time he'd made an error of judgement.....or shown such a lack of class........I might be inclined to overlook it.........but it is far from the first time.

Even though I happen to agree with much of what Robin said in this particular article, I still can't believe that he penned it, or more importantly, published it this soon.

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Why is it that every time someone screws up they talk about what a huge talent they WERE. Yet seem to avoid what they did wrong that cost them thier life. Nobody learns from that!!! If I ever passed two riders (yes I have ALOT of track time) slowing my first thought was to figure out what is going on(especially during practice). Yes things happen fast at that speed, but the fact is that the report says that he basicly flew past two already slowed drivers and continued to pin it. Sorry to be so harsh, but this trend is GROWING. Because it's not PC to discuss this kind of thing anymore, and people have a knack to not take responsibility for their actions it will just get worse. Protecting a name(image) is more important I guess. If that would have been Danica Patrick I bet they would say "see a woman has no place here". Sorry but it's just the double standards that we have put in place. I think that Robin was out to uncover the truth before the rest of the media buried what happened. I those cases timing is everything. I got a PM from a VERY respectable guy on this board awhile back about people who don't listen other knew they were in over their head. He added that most of them were dead.

[MRussell]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Indeed, and sadly, from the on-board footage of Scott Sharp's Futaba car (they were side by side), I counted 7 seconds from the moment Sharp hit the brakes to Dana's impact. That's an eternity.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Tough call, but I wouldn't be to quick to judgment on Robin Miller. He said what he felt needed to be said and maybe, it'll save some lives. If the current situation in IRL is as he says it is, they need to step back, take a good long look at themselves and go from there..

That said, I guess it's no different than when someone bites it in aviation and I get my feathers ruffled by open comments of blame..

Feelings might get hurt by reading this stuff in the open but I'm coming around to the thought that if someone screws the pooch, it needs to be discussed.. THE NEXT DAY!

IF it makes safer drivers and pilots, then it's good and I think it IS good...

Wayne

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Tough call, but I wouldn't be to quick to judgment on Robin Miller. He said what he felt needed to be said and maybe, it'll save some lives. If the current situation in IRL is as he says it is, they need to step back, take a good long look at themselves and go from there..

That said, I guess it's no different than when someone bites it in aviation and I get my feathers ruffled by open comments of blame..

Feelings might get hurt by reading this stuff in the open but I'm coming around to the thought that if someone screws the pooch, it needs to be discussed.. THE NEXT DAY!

IF it makes safer drivers and pilots, then it's good and I think it IS good...

Wayne

I buried almost a friend a year when racing motorcycles with my father. Many of them you could see it coming along way out. You just hoped that they saw the light before they got hurt. Many did not. I did and quit while I was ahead. It came with a loooooong stay in the hospital first! I was lucky, but many friends died, were paralized, or became Carl the Carrot.
Cleveland died because of a pilot way in over his head. Lets not forget that!

[Race 29]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

I agree with Mike. And Wayne, I'm glad you see how discussing it can help. Not in every case, but it just might be that one life. In 2005, I'd been to 6 funerals before May, of friends who knew well the dangers of racing and accepted them. Most of them, I did see it coming in a way, but that doesn't make it any easier for the families that are left behind or for me to accept. This year I've been to two funerals, and the season hasn't even started yet. I'm getting tired of losing friends and competitors. I'm getting tired if asking myself "Why didn't I tell them that they were way out of control"? I don't agree with any garbage talk, but we do need to ask some hard questions sometimes, and sometimes we might not like the conclusions. If it wakes someone up, it's worth it.

Race 29

[matt]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

If the current situation in IRL is as he says it is, they need to step back, take a good long look at themselves and go from there..

wayne, i do NOT mean to bash you in any way because i know you touched on this but who are we (the air racing community) to talk? i mean we've lost what twenty race pilots (on and off the course) in as many years, in all classes? what is it gonna take to make air racing safer? who has to bite it to make not just a few of us, but all of us stand back and say "ok, wait a minute we have a serious problem we need to deal with"?

i do not apologize if i stir someones pot because there are a LOT of things that need to happen in air racing to not make it safe, but safer than it is. i'm not talking about e-seats or anything like that, i'm talking regular maintenance and good annual inspections (those of you who do a good job of that know who you are) and an attitude consistent with dealing with not just one but many peoples' lives.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Cleveland died because of a pilot way in over his head. Lets not forget that!

Point well taken FNG..

[matt]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Point well taken FNG..

something's wrong mike, you're being taken seriously...

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

something's wrong mike, you're being taken seriously...

Kinda like when I climbed out of the left seat at Classics. "Oh you you know how to fly too".

[MRussell]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Not that anyone asked, but IMO racing will always be dangerous. If racing gets completely safe, it's not racing... kind of like some of us view NASCAR and their restrictor plate "racing".

Regarding Mr. Miller: I agree with what everyone said about his column, but let me ask this: would it hurt for him to have waited one simple week before publishing it? IMO, publishing such a scathing column "while the body was still warm" (excuse the expression) only makes him look bad as an author. He states you must have either driving talent or marketing ability to go racing, but publishing such a speculative, biting article so soon after the accident only makes him look jealous of a dead guy. As a codriver of mine put it... it appears Mr. Miller was neither a good driver nor a good marketer.

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Bad News For IRL - Paul Dana Lost at Homestead FL.

Not that anyone asked, but IMO racing will always be dangerous. If racing gets completely safe, it's not racing... kind of like some of us view NASCAR and their restrictor plate "racing".

Regarding Mr. Miller: I agree with what everyone said about his column, but let me ask this: would it hurt for him to have waited one simple week before publishing it? IMO, publishing such a scathing column "while the body was still warm" (excuse the expression) only makes him look bad as an author. He states you must have either driving talent or marketing ability to go racing, but publishing such a speculative, biting article so soon after the accident only makes him look jealous of a dead guy. As a codriver of mine put it... it appears Mr. Miller was neither a good driver nor a good marketer.

I have been racing my entire life. I see two differences. In the U.S. money buys almost anything these days including rides in a race cars. In europe that is far less common. You start as a child and work your way up. Not so much in this country because we don't offer many of those kinds of programs to our youth. If a driver in Europe peaks out in a certain class he will more than likely stay there. Kinda like Ron B's thing with the FAA last year. Here is a guy who OWNS a Bearcat that he flys quite often for a warbird, and to top it off nothing he owns is easy to fly by any means and they deny him flying the Bear. I have now flown with the man, he's never cocky, knows his limits, and he is a CRAFTSMAN in an airplane. I think that has saved his a** a few times already! Politics and money have alway been a part of racing, but it think it's starting to overshadow rule#1 SAFETY. Many people saw Dana unfit to race an IRL car, and his ego went out to prove them wrong. He could have killed that other driver in the process. Indy car racing has had a long history of of unskilled drivers buying rides, and I think that was what Mr. Miller was TRYING to say. I support what he did.



I have lost many friends because they cut their margins too close- Bob Hoover