world championship world championship final race series schedule event took place nevada october race stopped following major accident triggered drivers trying avoid light contact cars involved wreck resulted death time indianapolis winner series champion hour delay decided abandon remaining laps word death relayed drivers report background las_vegas race added schedule season replaced event final race season races homestead tracks removed schedule following previous year season returning schedule time open wheel race circuit hurricane relief car event drivers race raced circuit saw greater degree banking added circuit encourage racing race scheduled laps oval totaling million challenge ceo announced usd purse awarded driver regular circuit enter race las_vegas win starting tail end field hoping attract interest formula nascar challenge accepted indianapolis winner run additional race season agreed split purse fan went win championship battle entering race way battle team power points ahead power championship points lead second place finish kentucky weeks prior power points race despite awful finish kentucky needed finish far ahead order win championship title race honorary grand marshal gave command start engines qualifying total thirty cars qualified race driving qualified pole race shared row driving driving started 9th final start joining nascar remaining championship contenders qualified row power 17th 18th addition piloted forced start rear field received penalty qualifying driving track white line lap crash accident began field headed turn teammate driving contact drove rear car causing airborne collected service central inside outside retaining wall attempting avoid crash ahead lost control spun inward collecting attempting avoid crash rapidly slowing outside following ran car rapidly approaching went outside avoid crashing cars continued drive accident scene car driven driven power left racing surface racing miles hour came scene trying avoid collision able considerably slow car went airborne feet running went barrel rolling catch fence cockpit causing head hit poles landed racing surface having apart fence slid stop barrier power went airborne ran lloyd car struck barrier car landed sideways track rolled caused wheel assembly break tires flew power head barely missed hitting total cars involved severe injuries suffered car officially pronounced dead arrival hours later pacific daylight time official cause death given blunt force trauma head incident later taken hospital overnight observation power evaluated released day additional lap run officials red race track suitable racing addition debris left cars involved wreck asphalt surface damaged catch fencing needed repair teams waited resume racing waiting word condition word relayed track local time emergency drivers meeting called series director meeting ended met media brief statement bernard told reporters death respect drivers teams agreed continue race instead decided pay tribute fallen colleague lap salute drivers survived crash scene returned cars crew member stood pit boxes scoring position displayed remaining cars lined abreast pit road starting formation leading eighteen drivers participated respect death fielded parked car driven victory indianapolis driver day normally drove car taken pace car led cars track crew member person wall moved grass separating pit road track watch track renditions amazing grace played cars went track pace lap speed time cars passed start finish line fans remaining stretch offered applause end tribute laps starter flags end cars proceeded track time exiting pits turn death suffered driver killed race morning practice crash championship resolution race abandoned total laps reach official status consider race official reaches halfway mark points awarded series championship went default race continued reached official status series champion involvement crash resulted race stopped power car destroyed able continue racing consecutive fourth overall championship delayed official choosing instead conduct annual state speech february delayed celebration championship victory reactions time death working officials develop iconic chassis intention improving safety sport planned changes chassis include larger driver protection rear wheels prevent cars launching event collision long problem open wheel racing regardless oval road course troublesome high speed tight street circuits long straight tight turn similar style modern road courses prominent figures fraternity wider international community expressed family scheduled round championship october racing alongside friend hearing death described accident reminder dangers faced racing drivers major international event death organizers series planned series tributes place taken british driver competitor left car mark respect british drivers event paid tribute helmet drivers planned individual tributes scheduled race australia announced withdrawal event respect raced las_vegas time drivers las_vegas race best performing international driver received dan memorial trophy racing time accident admitted events prompted evaluate involvement similarly veteran drivers said considering retiring racing accident drivers good sam club weekend death special tributes cars like nascar issuing wore helmet placed cars pillars putting driver withdrew started taping days incident replaced father michael team principal december decided going return las_vegas season expressed reluctance return following death despite insistence president owns track las_vegas tracks series series honor year contract track date investigation accident ongoing holding release schedule investigation concluded series conducted investigation series continue racing high banked las_vegas texas texas staples series confirmed prior las_vegas race future high banked jeopardy pending results investigation texas eventually placed schedule series went new restrictions announced single file double file previous season criticism build race drivers expressed race vocal opponents particularly given high degree banking circuit degrees banking corners quoted saying track suitable racing championship rival power staunch critic short track oval racing described race accident waiting happen field drivers biggest series race years typical oval track race fewer drivers indianapolis normally car field senior writer wrote obviously cars presents danger wanted lot cars cause obviously season finale wanted big deal people driving event yesterday business driven track like mistake president defended race saying circuit passed series procedures deemed suitable racing went record despite media reporting concerns drivers safety event concerns raised son involved accident highly critical series organizers stating accident inevitable basically touching wheels mph bunch thirty cars small space track person makes mistake happens shouldn killed mistake madness formula driver agreed claiming las_vegas circuit unsuitable racing race champion called series leave oval racing altogether clarified statement saying open wheel type cars resurfaced track built heavier nationwide series cars bad idea champion said accident incident facilities circuit adequate racing admitted surprise drivers seriously injured cautioned called knee reactions accident calling changes sport carefully considered introduced rushed action president long time advocate increased safety agreed urging calm scientific approach proposed changes particularly asked proposed introduction closed open wheel racing cars million dollar prize subject criticism driver inexperienced driving higher risk causing crash formula driver influence prize causing accident stating racing drivers nature try win race start short track races united_states offer cash points bonus driver wins pole starts collect cash bonus winning lucas oil indianapolis night car race winner feature race started second reverse grid race driver starts winning feature starting winning second feature wins cash bonus series offer point bonus driver makes positions race days following incident learned additional drivers approached try million challenge prize previously ran open wheel formula cars raced track truck series speed interview gave inside edition october said declined offer saying track conditions dangerous cars finnish media reported splitting time nascar approached race rejected offer confident having competitive car having concerns safety investigation days accident series organizers announced race subject investigation members united_states national governing body automobile racing united_states member resources available investigation officials expected weeks members participated investigation use concord north_carolina meantime testing cancelled indefinitely planning test chassis circuit week following race results results investigation death released december report prepared crash investigators found death caused impact catch fencing circuit rejected claims banking contributed accident stating created ideal racing lines lines location cars predictable drivers time accident cars expected report revealed right pull rod suspension assembly penetrated survival cell cause injury report recommended investigation phenomenon recorded incident kind years use later model chassis retired end race pull rod suspension chassis utilised classification qualifying notes rice moved grid receiving penalty running white line agreed start race thirty fourth place grid organizers million dollar challenge scoring abandoned standings race note positions included
2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship