29 March 2006

AN OBSERVATION: COMBAT VS. RACING

An interesting interview on IndyCar.com included this comment from Rahal/Letterman team driver Danica Patricks discussing the death of her teammate Paul Dana last weekend.

I mention this because it seems applicable to the job combat troops have. I’m not comparing the occupations (or the remuneration!), just the “head” involved. There’s a certain combination of fatality and ego in combat troops and it seems as if race drivers have it as well.

You know you “could” die, but you also “know” it’s going to happen to someone else. Anyway, BS philosophy aside, here’s Patrick’s take on racing.

“I’m OK. I’m not more scared that I’m going to die. It’s just [the] underlying thing that everybody knows. Everybody knows that we’re sort of tempting it with what we do … That’s my job, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

For those interested, a memorial fund has been set up in honor of Paul Dana. Donations can be sent to:

The Paul Dana Memorial Fund For Renewable Energy
c/o National Bank of Indianapolis
107 N. Pennsylvania St., Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN, 46204

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