IndyCar CEO focuses on Wheldon’s memory

Associated Press

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said the best way to honor Dan Wheldon is finding a way to prevent another fatal accident.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed Sunday in a fiery 15-car accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. IndyCar has launched a formal investigation that Bernard hopes will lead to improved safety measures.

“We’ve got a lot to do, and we don’t have any time to mess around,” Bernard said. “We need answers.”

IndyCar initially said Formula One’s governing body and the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States were involved in the investigation. IndyCar clarified that neither organization has a formal role in the investigation.

But Bernard, in his first comments since announcing Wheldon’s death, stressed the investigation must help IndyCar ensure there will not be another accident like Sunday’s.

“We must continue to move forward with a thorough investigation; fortunately, that has already begun, and we have the protocols in place to get this done,” Bernard said. “This was a tragic accident, and IndyCar needs to understand everything possible about it.”

There’s been very little public comment from IndyCar’s stars since the accident. The top drivers have been largely silent except for an occasional Twitter post.

Bernard said the industry has banded together this week to focus on supporting Wheldon’s family and preparing for his memorial service. Funeral arrangements are Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla., and a public memorial service is scheduled for Sunday in Indianapolis.

“This has been a very difficult time, but we have to stay focused more than ever right now,” Bernard said. “The first thing we have to do is take care of the Wheldon family and make sure we are there to help them anyway we can.”

IndyCar has helped launch a memorial website for Wheldon, established a trust fund and organized the public service at Conseco Field.

“Those were the things that were very important for us to get done as quickly as possible,” Bernard said.

Wheldon’s death was the first fatal accident in IndyCar since Paul Dana was killed in 2006, but safety concerns have been raised about the wisdom of racing at the high-banked Las Vegas track.

Because of the open-wheel design of the IndyCar, the cars cannot race side-by-side on the progressive banking at Las Vegas and wide open through the turns without creating substantial risk. Contact between two cars can trigger a massive accident, which is exactly what happened Sunday.