Watch flying wheel almost take off IndyCar driver’s head

IndyCar does not want to put canopies over the drivers head because apparently losing Dan Wheldon wasn't reason enough. Somehow the sport thinks the word open 'wheel' means open 'cockpit' even though they are called open wheel cars not open cockpit cars. Watch Sarah Fisher hit this tire in the 2001 Davey Hamilton crash at Texas Motor Speedway. A foot over and the tire would have hit Fisher square in the head and likely killed her.

Then watch the video below that and see Henry Surtees (son of F1 star John Surtees) get hit by a flying tire in an F2 crash at Brands Hatch, which killed him instantly. Ditto for Ayrton Senna when a suspension piece came through the opening in his helmet and perforated his head like a piece of Swiss cheese.

So if another IndyCar driver gets killed by flying debris hitting their head, or a fence post, or other accident debris, please do not shed any tears, because the word open 'wheel' means open 'cockpit' hence the driver must be expendable. They know the risks, right? There are plenty of drivers looking for work, just call in the replacement and continue on.

Ok so we are being sarcastic to make a point, but we cannot overemphasize the need to protect the drivers head, and because the helmet has a large opening for the driver to see out of, the helmet offers very little protection in frontal impacts. So no tears please, everyone knows the risks and accepts them. Carry on.