Speed & Greed Doomed Brayton
By Mark Lockwood

©1996 SpeedCenter Internet Publishing, Inc.

Exclusive to SpeedCenter

As a racing fan, you are surely as saddened as I am at the death of Scott Brayton, the polesitter for this year's Indianapolis 500. Perhaps you aren't as angry as I am, however. Let me explain.

Tony George started the IRL with two supposed ideas in mind: Make it less expensive to run Indy cars, and make them slower, and therefore safer. However, Scott's death accentuates the real reason Mr. George started the IRL.

If you are a fan of the 500, like I have been for the majority of my life, you have seen dozens of people wreck in much the same way Scott did Friday, and you've also watched them toss out their steering wheel and get out of the car.

Why was Brayton's accident so different? Why was the car, which looked like it did it's job of breaking apart on impact, unable to protect Scott?

The answer is speed. Scott Brayton hit the wall at approximately 235 miles per hour. From what I've heard and read, that's the fastest anyone has ever hit the wall at Indy.

Yes, Scott spun around and hit on the left side of the car, but many, many people have done the exact same spin-and-hit over the years.

If you recall, Rick Mears did the same thing in 1992, but his car even flipped on impact. He walked away, was checked out at the infield hospital, and was in a different car the same day. Rick was traveling approximately 218 miles per hour when he hit the wall.

Tony George, while crowing about how he planned to lower speeds, resurfaced the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the race this year. In addition he removed the rumble strips which were intended to keep drivers honest, and reduce the angle of the car against the wall, if a crash should occur.

The Speedway, et. al. also continued to allow the Menard engines (which Brayton was driving) way more boost than Tony's nemesis, the racing league known as CART.

Championship Auto Racing Teams is only allowing 40 inches of boost at their fastest track where the U.S. 500 will be held this Sunday. In the past the "normal" turbo-boost for an Indy car has been 45 inches. There are reports of upwards of 65 inches of boost at Indy this year.

Boost turns into horsepower, which turns into speed. So what message is Tony George sending? Does he really want the cars to slow down? Or does he want to prove a point to the CART boys that he doesn't need them by allowing speeds to increase and a new track record to be set?

Why don't we let Mr. George speak for himself.

In a very recent Indianapolis Business Journal, Tony George, while promoting his race (The Indy 500), brags "We're going to set a new speed record this year!". Does this sound like a man who wants to really slow cars down for safety, or does this sound like a man who wants to insure that he, and his racetrack, receive the media attention, and therefore money, instead of the CART teams and races?

I think that question answers itself. And now, the polesitter, a great human being, Scott Brayton, is dead.

Who do I blame it on? I blame Scott Brayton's death on Tony George, and Tony George's ego and greed.

Scott cut a tire. Something that is done every single May. Speed killed Scott, and the sole reason speed at that level existed this May was Tony George.

I wholeheartedly encourage every racing fan to back the CART teams in their current war with the IRL/Tony George.

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind, after the death of Scott Brayton, of who has the drivers' best interests in mind.