IndyCar CEO says series proactive on safety measures
FONTANA, Calif. — The CEO of the company that oversees the Verizon IndyCar Series said Saturday that "there's evidence that things worked fairly well" Friday night in a crash that injured one of its drivers, but the series needs to continue to be proactive in its approach to safety.
Rookie Mikhail Aleshin was hospitalized Friday after a violent crash during the final practice session before Saturday's season finale at Auto Club Speedway.
He was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where his condition was upgraded to stable Saturday afternoon after surgery for an undisclosed chest injury. He also suffered a concussion, broken right shoulder and broken ribs.
"Given the energy of that crash, there's evidence that things worked fairly well," Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Company, the parent company of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, told USA TODAY Sports just before the green flag Saturday night.
"We're sorry that there was an injury, but the energy was absorbed. It (the car) didn't get out through the fence. The chassis basically absorbed that energy and the pod pretty much protected him."
The chassis — the Dallara DW12 — was developed in part by the late Dan Wheldon and has been in use in IndyCar since 2012.
Aleshin's car soared airborne after colliding with Charlie Kimball's car. Aleshin's car then tore into the catch fence, pirouetted several times and landed upright on the track. Debris flew everywhere and drivers had to take measures to avoid it while slowing from speeds close to 220 mph while approaching the crash site in Turn 4.
A huge hole was ripped into the catchfence. Safety workers repaired it overnight for Saturday's event. There is no seating behind that area of fencing.
"I don't mean in any way to declare victory," Miles said. "To me, this is a constant development process. We don't want to be in a position of waiting until there's some sort of crisis and then reacting to it."
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Kimball, a member of IndyCar's safety committee, said "it's a reminder of how far safety has come in the fact that the injuries Mikhail sustained weren't more serious. Not to mention the fact that I'm getting ready to race tonight in a backup car. The cars did their job. That's how far safety has come."
Miles said he expects safety to be further emphasized and improved when the series introduces aero kits for the 2015 season. The kits, which include body parts designed by manufacturers Honda and Chevrolet and built by Dallara, are expected to help the cars improve aerodynamics and speed.
"Racing is inherently dangerous, but making it safer is part of our job," Miles said. "Maybe SAFER barriers were more reactive, but we're trying to be proactive (with the kits). Especially as our cars are going to be going faster, we want to make sure we do everything possible to make sure they're as safe as possible."
Kimball also credited Wheldon for his developmental work on the Dallara DW12 chassis.
Wheldon was killed in a 15-car crash when his car flew into a catchfence during a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October 2011. Wheldon died of blunt force trauma.
"You can't ignore Dan's input, and you can't ignore Dan's testing of the car," Kimball said. "Some of the data from the safety committee shows that the car is performing as they had planned and intended. They know that they can still make it better, and there are ways they want to make it better. For me as a driver, knowing that they're continuing to work forward and make it better is the biggest thing."
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