Death at the local track

From what you were saying earlier it sounds like he ran into the end of the guardrail where there is an opening. I don't think any cage in the world would have saved him.

Because of crashes like that is why the big tracks have had the solid concrete barriers for a while now.

I was at Indy in 79 when they still had the armco guardrails with the turnoff openings. A guy on a motorcycle lost it and ran into the end of the rail at a turnoff opening. Also at the same event a nitro car blew off it's blower which went sailing way high in the air and nailed a TV cameraman on a 3 story tall scaffolding, knocking him off.

Somewhere in the 80s they started putting in concrete barriers, but still with openings, but not with blunt ends. I was at Indy in 96 when Blaine Johnson made a pass, blew his engine at the finish line which took out a rear tire and the wing so he lost control and hit the wall where the opening was.

Now they have the concrete barrier in a solid straight line from the starting line to the end of the track with maybe a heavy gate way down track.

It has been said over the years that rulebooks are written in blood......