Dan Wheldon Crash Video: Is Oval Track Really to Blame for Fatal Crash?

Dan Wheldon's tragic passing has everyone wondering what could have been done to prevent the fatal crash from happening in the first place. There will certainly be changes to make IndyCar racing safer, but Jimmie Johnson's suggestion to have IndyCar to stop racing on ovals is the best preventative step IndyCar could hope to take.

IndyCar is not NASCAR. That isn't to say it cannot be exciting and taking away the oval course wouldn't dumb the sport down. A road course is just as enjoyable as the oval course and if it helps promote safety and can save someone's life, ridding the sport of ovals is a no brainer.

Johnson had this to say on the topic,

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"I wouldn't run them on ovals. There's just no need to. Those cars are fantastic for street circuits, for road courses. I hate, hate, hate that this tragedy took place. But hopefully they can learn from it and make those cars safer on ovals somehow."

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Everyone hate, hate, hates that the tragedy took place. It seems like just yesterday we were watching Wheldon kiss the bricks with his son Sebastian right alongside him. Wheldon was a family man, a great racer, and a beloved member of the racing community.

This tragedy could not have happened to a more undeserving person. It makes a racing death that much worse, and like many deaths in sports, it is going to cause some major changes in the rules and safety precautions that are taken.

In watching the video of the crash, it's clear this was not an equipment issue. Changing the cars or trying to add more safety measures within the car are clearly not the answer.

This was a course issue, and it's not just Las Vegas Motor Speedway that presents danger to the drivers. Johnson's right. Do away with the ovals and IndyCar might be able to save lives in the future.