Safety always top of mind at Utah raceway


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TOOELE — The man who runs Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele says a crash like the one that killed Indy car driver Dan Wheldon Sunday grabs the attention of everyone in the sport.

It's a reminder of how dangerous the sport can be and why safety measures are always a priority, and always changing.

Student racers hit 100 miles per hour Tuesday in the straightaways in the Ford Racing Driving School, and that's less than half the speed Wheldon was racing when he crashed.

"Certainly, the allure of racing is some of the danger involved,' said Dan McKeever, director of track operations at Miller Motorsports Park.

McKeever was born into racing. His father and mother both raced, and he was behind the wheel as soon as the rules allowed. He once even survived a fiery crash.

Drivers Dan Wheldon, front, and Will Power crash during a wreck that involved 15 cars during the IndyCar Series' auto race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. Wheldon died following the crash. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jessica Ebelhar)
Drivers Dan Wheldon, front, and Will Power crash during a wreck that involved 15 cars during the IndyCar Series' auto race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. Wheldon died following the crash. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jessica Ebelhar)

McKeever says Sunday was a sad day for the sport; and whenever there's a crash of that magnitude, they ask themselves what they can do better.

"We are always striving for safety. It's just a tough job when inherently the sport is dangerous," McKeever said.

Racers drive a fine line between safety and risk. But McKeever says the frequency and severity of crashes has dropped off in recent years. That's because track operators often make safety adjustments at their tracks, such as barriers and catch fences, he said.

"And you combined that with the way they design cars to absorb impacts and have a capsule around the driver, it's really changed things in the last few years," McKeever said.

While the sport and the tracks are continuously trying to improve their safety, there's no way to eliminate all of the risks in this sport.

"We, as track operators, the car builders, the drivers themselves, all put tons of safety into what they do," McKeever said. "If you're going to strap into a race car, you know what the risks are."

As officials sort through the fatal crash, McKeever anticipates changes. "It will be looked into, and I'm certain something will come of it for sure," he said.

Email: jboal@ksl.com

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