I can't explain it. You just hate to see stuff like that happen. Good question by Rusty, and one no one has the absolute answer to but racing fans appreciate all racers for doing. Racing requires a spirit about a driver and a stamina that pushes all the normal limits the average person would adhere to. Racing like any majorly challenging sport is a natural high.
Excellence is required of participants in all divisions and styles of racing.
No matter how they fare in the big picture of the sport, all those who make it to any division have an excellence about them that helps them succeed. Kenny Irwin came to Nascar successful, already ROTY in Craftsman Trucks, he became the 1998 Winston Cup ROTY, too. We'll never know if he'd have regrouped well enough to make his future even brighter, though with the combination of Sabco and Ganassi on the horizon, it would have been a wonderful journey to watch. Of course, safety will be highly scrutinized now, even more so than after Adam's accident because this is a repeat with the same result but with two different levels of experienced drivers. Even with all the safety standards in place, continual improvements enforced, and every watchful eye on the potential for disaster, everyone has to realize ultimately, death is not within our control.