Maybe it was symbolic, Marco Andretti driving an Indy car intended for Justin Wilson, leading a small pack of his peers across the Golden Gate Bridge on Thursday afternoon.
It wasn't supposed to be a tribute to Wilson, who died Monday after he was struck by flying debris from another driver's crash while racing in a Verizon IndyCar Series race Sunday at Pocono Raceway. It was originally planned as a simple photo op featuring IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe delivering the Astor Cup, in the backseat of the IndyCar Racing Experience racecar
Wilson passed away earlier this week after being struck in the head by a carbon-fiber nosecone from a crash ahead of him during the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.
Full gallery at http://www.indycar.com/Photos/gallery?g=2808
looks to me like a missing man formation
For an IndyCar community still shell-shocked by Wilson's death, the sound of turbocharged engines Thursday was a welcome diversion -- even if Andretti & Co. did their best to keep near the posted 45 mph speed limit on the bridge.
Andretti was joined in the drive across the bridge by cars driven by Rahal, Josef Newgarden and defending IndyCar Series champion Will Power -- as well as Hinchcliffe, who drove the IndyCar two-seater to deliver the Astor Cup, as originally planned.
http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/13531405/indycar-series-drivers-honor-justin-wilson-golden-gate-bridge-thankful-weekend-sonoma-race
Tradition is all well and good, but more needs to be done to protect the drivers of these open cockpit cars.
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