Is Danika Patrick endangering NASCAR drivers with Indy car habit of releasing th

1. 59

   MrsSusanEstesposted 13 years ago

   Is Danika Patrick endangering NASCAR drivers with Indy car habit of releasing the wheel in a crash?
   
   NASCAR drivers control through their crashes while Indy car drivers release the steering wheel. In open wheel driving this is safer, but should Danika continue this practice, allowing her car to careen freely amid the other cars going 200 mph on the NASCAR track?

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2. 59

   Juliek958posted 13 years ago

   The announcers discussed this very thing during Daytona last night...those last 40 laps gave them plenty of time to discuss all aspects of a crash.  They also showed Kasey Kahne releasing the wheel and said that more and more drivers are learning this as a safer way to handle a crash.  Generally, NASCAR races average around 140 mph while CART push the 200 mph envelope.  So no, DaniCa is not endangering NASCAR drivers and as discussed last night, more and more drivers are adopting this practice. 
   
   Personally, I think the "tapping" and going three wide is far more dangerous for drivers then having Danica Patrick on the track.

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3. 62

   Powerful Pierreposted 13 years ago

   For some reason that probably she knows it's her personal preference, and having seen her last two "careens" would it really have mattered. Obviously NASCAR has not said anything to curb it as far as I know. Personally I 'd hang on for my life but I'm not her conscience.

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4. 59

   MrsSusanEstesposted 13 years ago

   Me, I'd hang on too, having lost my brakes going down a hill into a blind intersection, all I wanted to do was get my car back under control. Granted, I wasn't going 150+ mph at the time but it was enough speed to be too much for no control. (No one was coming into the intersection when I went through it, and I ended on the lawn of the house trailer at the bottom of the hill with a few dents.)

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5. 0

   Old Empresarioposted 13 years ago

   I was entertained...and that's what it's about and why they get paid the big bucks.

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6. 61

   nightwork4posted 13 years ago

   i think it's a bad idea myself. nothing against her personally, but i don't think Nascar is where she should be.

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7. 61

   proudtobeadadposted 13 years ago

   If you watch the in car tape of Jimmie Johnson's crash at Daytona you will see when the car is totally out of control he puts his hands across his chest.  I think it is a common practice.

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8. 74

   adjkp25posted 13 years ago

   I don't think she is unnecessarily endangering anyone else by letting go of the wheel.
   
   As we learned, when the 42 crashed into the track dryer, the cars do not always respond to the wheel anyway.  How many times have cars gone back up the track into oncoming traffic during a wreck?  I'm sure the driver was trying to keep the car on the infield and it just wouldn't listen.
   
   Sometimes the driver is just along for the ride anyway, letting go of the wheel might not change anything.

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