IndyCar drivers organizing to fight for safety changes
Following Dan Wheldon's death at the IndyCar race in Las Vegas on Sunday, his fellow drivers mourned the loss of their friend — then began to talk openly over Twitter about organizing themselves to push for safety changes.
Tomas Scheckter, the son of 1979 Formula 1 World Champion Jody Scheckter, was the first to tweet on Monday that IndyCar drivers needed to speak together if changes were to come:
Time for drivers to get together and start working as union. We need a voice before the voices we love to hear are not around anymore.
Things are going to change. I won't forget what I saw. I won't sit down and wait till it happens again.
When Nascar driver Jimmie Johnson spoke out to say Indy cars shouldn't run on banked ovals — a complaint now getting a public airing — many of his fans pushed back. But the IndyCar drivers understood:
I hate some of you don't understand my opinion of Indy Cars not running on ovals… I don't want to see my friends hurt or another tragedy.
@JimmieJohnson I think there needs to be a clear ballistic plexi sheet on the fence to stop cars getting tangled up in it
@JimmieJohnson right now IndyCars and nascars get caught in the fence and it rips the cars apart , if it could slide along it would
@JimmieJohnson be much safer
Other drivers were also thinking about more radical changes.
I'd like to see future IndyCar / Openwheelers with closed cockpits one day, like modern LeMans LMP1 cars have today.
And following Scheckter's lead, Alex Tagliani also pushed drivers to work together, an idea endorsed by Will Power among others.
Thx to all the great support towards Dan, we need to learn, Improve and make drastic changes to our cars, for safety. No holding back.
@TonyKanaan we need to get together @dariofranchitti @scottdixon9 @h3lio @12WillPower @MarcoAndretti @RyanHunterReay push drastic changes
@RyanHunterReay we take a lot of downforce off and make tough to go flat, change the body front nose and side wheel protection just for oval
Don't worry I am not going anywhere. I don't quit and I don't walk away. I do fight back for what I believe in. #timetobeheard