Will we see drivers retire now?

[jasonjessica09]

I wonder if what happened at Las Vegas will prompt drivers to retire from IndyCar? Already I think there are hints from Thomas Scheckter, Paul Tracy, and Dario Franchitti.

[gttouring]

well tracy is of openwheel retirement age already. so he might go to sportscars or give it up altogether.
Scheckter has been looking for a way out it seems anyway after 10 years and 2 wins his sport isn't indycar i would argue he should try something else...Franchitti? what else does he have to do? he is an Indy car legend already when you look at it all a real fixture in the history.
these guys can retire but dario's racecraft has kept hime out of bad accidents- even with its controversy he has a few great years in him left and if he wants to bolt now go for it, he will be missed but someone new will show up.
IndyCar might disappear or drivers but something will fill the void and it will come back again, as will new champs and heroes.

[davyboy]

The series was already very fragile before last Sunday's tragedy. Given what's happened and the potential consequences of it, one would have to question whether it's strong enough to survive at all.

[Paradise City]

Ashley may apply some pressure in the same manner as Scheckter Sr. I think Indycar will be resilent if a few drivers do retire - even the champ.

What I would be watching for is whether the teams and sponsors run scared. That's a very threatening, very possible scenario for the series particularily if the media storm continues and has a visible target to attack in the form of Bernard. You'll find sponsors of Indycar quiting if the media continues with this for any length at all.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

What I would be watching for is whether the teams and sponsors run scared. That's a very threatening, very possible scenario for the series particularily if the media storm continues and has a visible target to attack in the form of Bernard. You'll find sponsors of Indycar quiting if the media continues with this for any length at all.

Yep... it's all about the money. A weak economy, falling TV ratings, falling track attendances and now this. The attractiveness of Indycar as a promotional opportunity was already questionable. The risk of having your name written on the side of a car that's just killed a young driver may just be too much for corporate America. That risk was always there... but the fact that it's been crystalized, it's actually happened, makes all the difference. As you rightly say, the coming weeks and months will be very telling.

[Matt]

sounded like kanaan was thinking about it as well

[gttouring]

who quit when earnhardt died? or when Adam Petty did? or Renna or Moore or Senna?
i don't think this fits into the long term for many guys, it is scary now, but all media seemingly has just stopped airing anything about Dan now. Next week less, and less so next month and next year a quiet memorial maybe.
The Racing world is carrying this memory and tragedy on its shirtsleeves, and for great reason, but the national affiliates and cable newsies aren't doing it anymore.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Tomas Scheckter has asserted he is not going anywhere.

Tony Kanaan did not sound like he was going to retire in his most recent interviews. He just needs some time right now.

Paul Tracy candidly said his wife wants him to retire, and he has to think about it.

Will Power said he is taking time off to evaluate if he wants to continue in Indy racing.

Dario Franchitti hasn't said much.

The only one really talking about leaving the sport?

Not a driver, but an owner. Sam Schmidt. It's quite possible the team is done. He said so himself.

[davyboy]

I'm sure that this tragedy will precipitate the end of some drivers' Indycar careers and it will likely be a combination of economic and personal pressures that does it.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by gttouring

who quit when earnhardt died? or when Adam Petty did? or Renna or Moore or Senna?
i don't think this fits into the long term for many guys, it is scary now, but all media seemingly has just stopped airing anything about Dan now. Next week less, and less so next month and next year a quiet memorial maybe.
The Racing world is carrying this memory and tragedy on its shirtsleeves, and for great reason, but the national affiliates and cable newsies aren't doing it anymore.

No its not news anymore. A big fanfare for a few days and something that wil get attention and people looking at their papers/channels/websites but then once its over as news value its over.

The drivers will evaluate and move on to the future, So will Sam Schmidt, but we all have to live with risk. How we measure risk is something personal because in the end we all decide how much risk is acceptable to us.

When I was younger I skydived for several years. I had a friend die but not while I was at the drop zone. I evaluated the incident and reasons and carried on in my chosen sport.
One day in California a guy on the same plane but in a previous pass died. I found out about it after our pass reached the ground. I didn't know him so their was less personal connection.
But did I stop for ever?
No.
Did I stop for the day?
No.
I repacked and went straight back up.
Its not callous.
You just live in your own little space and mentally adjust and rationalize. I didn't know him. The reasons were clear and I felt it was an acceptable risk. I had done 400 dives already and I was trained to cope so it wasn't an issue for me.

As observers of a motorsport we feel close to the drivers much more intimately even if we don't personally know them so a tragedy has a personal element. But if we watch a news bulletin and 400 people are massacred in Africa we don't feel the same connection unless we are more intimately connected with them in some way.

People on this forum feel a connection with Indycar and the drivers because they are fans of the sport, and understand to some degree the implications and have some affinity with the situation.
I have less connection with Simoncelli (Moto GP) but he died in Malaysia last night.
Do we cancel or ban Moto GP? Is Sepang a dangerous circuit? Are the people who run Moto GP criminally negligent?
Are all the riders going to give up and walk away?
No.
You consider it. You look at the reasons and mitigate it to the point where its not going to affect you too much.
Then.
You get back on the bike and ride again.

Thats they way it is.
People die crossing a road but we don't all stop being pedestrians.
People drown but we don't stop swimming or ban it as an activity.
People die through medical misadventure but we don't ban surgery or stop going to the hospital.
We measure the risk and make a decision.
Then carry on living, because life involves risk, and we cannot eliminate it.

[Paradise City]

The results of the various investigations may act as a media lightning rod if not in the world then within America and it'll ignite controversy around Bernard if he survives in the job. Also when Las Vegas comes around again this question will become touchy. Those are the possible pitfalls that I foresee.

[csirl]

You are more likely to see some of the older drivers, who've had successful careers, retire because of the new car.

As the car is very different from the current one, it wont suit everyones driving style and even the experienced drivers will take time to adjust. Will shake up the pack a bit. I can see a couple of drivers deciding now is a good time because they dont want to risk not being as good in the new car.

[Down F0rce]

I can't imagine drivers wanting to look back and have Las Vegas as thier final race. They are going to want to have at least one more run at Indy before they call it a day.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by jasonjessica09

I wonder if what happened at Las Vegas will prompt drivers to retire from IndyCar? Already I think there are hints from Thomas Scheckter, Paul Tracy, and Dario Franchitti.

Hello, jasonjessica09! Welcme to Ten-Tenths! I hope that you spend a nice time here

Those three and a few others are very in retirement age (>38). Speaking only about IndyCar and not about personal lifes, I'm worried that these legends don't get beaten by younger drivers. If Dario and Tony retire without getting beaten by younger drivers like Rahal and Andretti, these wouldn't get recognition.

Schumacher gave F1 a great favour by keeping running in 2005 and 2006 and getting beaten by Alonso. That proved that the next crop of drivers was as competitive as him.

[Fan]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

No its not news anymore. A big fanfare for a few days and something that wil get attention and people looking at their papers/channels/websites but then once its over as news value its over.

The drivers will evaluate and move on to the future, So will Sam Schmidt, but we all have to live with risk. How we measure risk is something personal because in the end we all decide how much risk is acceptable to us.

When I was younger I skydived for several years. I had a friend die but not while I was at the drop zone. I evaluated the incident and reasons and carried on in my chosen sport.
One day in California a guy on the same plane but in a previous pass died. I found out about it after our pass reached the ground. I didn't know him so their was less personal connection.
But did I stop for ever?
No.
Did I stop for the day?
No.
I repacked and went straight back up.
Its not callous.
You just live in your own little space and mentally adjust and rationalize. I didn't know him. The reasons were clear and I felt it was an acceptable risk. I had done 400 dives already and I was trained to cope so it wasn't an issue for me.

As observers of a motorsport we feel close to the drivers much more intimately even if we don't personally know them so a tragedy has a personal element. But if we watch a news bulletin and 400 people are massacred in Africa we don't feel the same connection unless we are more intimately connected with them in some way.

People on this forum feel a connection with Indycar and the drivers because they are fans of the sport, and understand to some degree the implications and have some affinity with the situation.
I have less connection with Simoncelli (Moto GP) but he died in Malaysia last night.
Do we cancel or ban Moto GP? Is Sepang a dangerous circuit? Are the people who run Moto GP criminally negligent?
Are all the riders going to give up and walk away?
No.
You consider it. You look at the reasons and mitigate it to the point where its not going to affect you too much.
Then.
You get back on the bike and ride again.

Thats they way it is.
People die crossing a road but we don't all stop being pedestrians.
People drown but we don't stop swimming or ban it as an activity.
People die through medical misadventure but we don't ban surgery or stop going to the hospital.
We measure the risk and make a decision.
Then carry on living, because life involves risk, and we cannot eliminate it.

Great post Teretonga, couldn't have said it better.