The incredibly tragic death of Kevin Ward last Saturday night is just the latest evidence that racing is not a sport that could be construed as a Sunday walk in the park. Over the decades, drivers, both obscure and – perhaps more often, of note – have lost their lives in the pursuit of speed. Now, I don’t wish to engage in a debate over who was the most to blame in Saturday’s tragedy, Ward or Tony Stewart, but I’m wondering if, with the technology available today, is racing far more dangerous than it could be? It seems as though, despite the efforts of sanctioning bodies to require equipment that provides a modicum of safety, deaths still occur. One of the most tragic being that of Dale Earnhardt whose shunt into the wall caused a life-ending trauma, despite NASCAR’s adoption of neck braces, helmet lanyards, and in-car cages. Racing isn’t the only sport where safety is under scrutiny, football too has entered the national debate regarding players’ head safety and the risk of playing with a potential concussion. The era of playing through the pain is over, and when it comes to racing – whether car or bike – the question arises, are we doing enough to keep racers safe? Would additional sanctioning body regulations improve safety while not rendering the sport impotent? Are additional regs even needed? What do you think, is racing presently too dangerous? Image: nydailynews