It was as though her emotional armour was shattered. She was not alone in this. The drivers' faces were pale, empty, grimaced. Most wouldn't talk to reporters, who didn't want to talk about the tragedy either, but were required to pursue the subject. His death, hitting like a hammer in the 28th minute of a 75-minute practice session, exposed the frailty of many other lives.
Outsiders think of racing as a sport in which people get killed.
The risk is acknowledged but, noting that it is greatly reduced from earlier decades, none ever expect death to come calling any time soon. In all his years of racing, Roger Penske had lost only one other driver in one of his entries, his friend Mark Donohue. In 42 years of racing at Laguna Seca, nobody had ever died during a pro event. Otherwise, we couldn't perform. That was the extent of his explanation, but then he added another thought.