Simona Talks About The Fire

Simona De Silvestro talks to WISH TV 8 in Indy about the fire. Check out the helmet.

Comments

[Brian McKay]

I don't know why people say and write that 'it' was 38 or 39 seconds before Simona was extracted. Versus showed HVM's car ablaze for 58 seconds before her feet were free of the car. I had hoped that Simona would tell why she couldn't emerge quicker.

[pressdog]

That's an excellent question, Brian, that someone should ask -- why couldn't you pull the pins and get out?

[Jenna]

It's scary when you see how badly damaged Simona's helmet is. It also really sucks that HVM can't afford to replace the current car and will have to use the "less competitive" backup:(

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=12608821

[gary p]

"It also really sucks that HVM can't afford to replace the current car and will have to use the "less competitive" backup:( "

Jenna, that's bad news indeed. I hope this doesn't derail her career, but unfortunately it's a real possibility.

[Randy]

Pressdog,

On Don Kay's show tonight, Simona said that HVM taped the horse collar headrest into place in the car. I'm not sure why they do this, as it does impede extraction, but they probably feel that it keeps the horse collar in place better to prevent aerodynamic buffeting or provide further head protection in a hard crash. So, when the car caught fire, she was hoping the safety team would put out the flames while she tried to remove the tape and then remove the collar and exit the car. However, when they didn't put the fire out quickly and the sidepod was engulfed in flames, she had to get out sideways and her foot was caught. That was why it took so long for Mike Yates to pull her out.

Hopefully, HVM will be able to continue to run in the IICS this year. I know Robin Miller in his Speed column, at http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-cool-under-fire/, said that HVM needs further sponsorship to afford a replacement lighter tub. Until they can get this, they are forced to use the heavier, older tub which will limit their performance, as we have seen from Sarah Fisher and her old car at Indy and Texas. Losing the current Indy Rookie of the Year would be nearly as bad as losing Hunter-Reay in regards to the health of the series and further fodder for the haters. Fortunately, Simona still seems to be interested in running Indycars and racing on ovals based on her responses to Don Kay and Robin Miller. So, she will probably be working with the team to get further sponsorship and continue running this year.

[Brian McKay]

I WANTED to listen to the recording of the show, but I've been preoccupied with schoolwork. How 'bout if teams don't trap their drivers into cockpits any longer, even if they're qualifying for an Indy 500? I had also wondered why Simona seemed hung-up though her torso and hips had passed that collar. So I'll listen to the recording of Don Kay's show to hear about the trapped foot.

[pressdog]

Randy: Thanks for the Don Kay show update. Great info. They TAPED the collar in? Seriously? Did they weld the seat belt buckles together too? That was foolish and dangerous, in my opinion (as we saw on the track), and not worth the hundredths or whatever it gives you. I wonder if it's a violation of the rules? It should be. A new rule should come out of this that the collar CANNOT be taped in etc.