: The risk of motor racing, as an adult you have to be able to assess
: it. especially it is severe when a 15-year-old boy has to die
: -> ADAC motorbike Cup in Oschersleben Sunday, 08.23.2015 ,
: weather this boy had been able to assess it, I do not
: believe...do not want to mention the parents.....

I agree with this with reservations. I was very near the place where Peter Lenz, who was 13 years old at the time, crashed, was run over and died on his 125cc motorcycle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was a gruesome scene. I thought about it for a long time. There was a lot of talk about his parents and their responsibility.

I will just say this...If it were not for young racers there would be no old racers. All of your F1 and other pilots started out at 6 or 7 years old in go carts. I never had to make this decision for my son, although my wife refused to let him play American football. However, I can tell you this. Racecar drivers are a different breed of cat. While it is difficult to generalize, I believe that they all have something in them that is different. They have the ability to block out fear and use the energy and focus they save to deal with the race. A friend of mine just wrote a beautiful little piece about Justin Wilson which focused on the change that would come over him as he stepped over the pit wall. I knew immediately what he was talking about. I see the transformation that takes place. To be a driver you either have to be the savant all of the time or you need to be able to switch it on as you step over the wall.

I am not saying it is OK or not but perhaps some parents have this lack of acceptance of fear too. Perhaps in some there is something else going on. I don't know. All I know is that it is a very dangerous sport for young and old...but if we did not have young racers we would not have any old racers.

JohnCote