Racing won't slow down, even for death

Paul Dana, an Indy Car Driver, died from from multiple trauma injuries, which is a technical term for "speed kills". In any other sport, it would be a tragedy, but in auto racing, death is merely an assumption of risk. Going around tight gripping turns at fast breath-taking speeds, I guess you could say only someone with a death wish would choose this career. The Indy Racing League's decision to "honor" Paul Dana with a moment of silence before the Toyota Indy 300 on Sunday, came as no surprise. Canceling the race would have been the honorable thing to do, but there were fans to entertain, advertising dollars to earn, and sponsors to satisfy. They couldn't let a little thing like death stop them. "It is very difficult to race under these circumstances," Dan Wheldon, the eventual winner, said afterward. "It's a job, and it can be pretty vicious at times." It is always hard to deal with death no matter what the circumstances, but the fact that little responsibility was taken by the Indy Racing League shows that green is mean.