Sunday, March 26, 2006
A somber reminder
"Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead. "-Scottish Proverb
Indy Racing League rookie Paul Dana died today in an accident at Homestead Speedway in Miami. While not as well known as his pulchritudinous teammate Danica Patrick, Dana was a grassroots favorite with the media. Educated at Northwestern University, Dana was a motorsports journalist who had been bitten by the racing bug. When he landed a ride with the high profile team of Rahal Letterman Racing for the 2006 season, it looked like Dana was actually going to make his dream of a full time racing career a reality. Until today.
Many in the news media have compared today's events to the untimely death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, however, this reminds me of something different.
It was October 9, 2002. I was in Charlotte for the weekend for the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. I emerged from our hotel to hear the sweet sound of those Chevrolets, Dodges, and Fords roaring around the track during morning ARCA practice. We had planned to attend a charity event in Sherrills Ford that Michael Waltrip was hosting, so that sound in the distance was as close as I was going to get to the track. However, as I would learn later, I should be grateful I was in Sherrills Ford on that day.
Midway through ARCA practice, Eric Martin, a driver from Hixson, Tennessee, made contact with the outside wall and had slid down the track. When his car came to a stop at the bottom of the track, Deborah Renshaw came off of four and broadsided Martin's car. He was killed instantly.
Since Martin's death, the sanctioning body now requires spotters to be in the spotter's stands above the track during practices, an important safety change that was desperately needed.
It is not lost on me how horrible it was for a 33 year old married father of two young children to lose his life so tragically. But the thing is that Eric Martin died doing what he loved, and there has to be a certain respect for that.
Fate is a cruel mistress, and sometimes she reminds us that we must live our lives as though we are on our last day. Paul Dana was pursuing his dream, and died doing what he loved. That, my friends, is truly living.
Our heartfelt condolences to the Dana family and Rahal Letterman Racing.
