Deja Vu

This isn’t necessarily IndyCar news, but it’s worth mentioning if only because it's so darn creepy. Seventeen-time NCRA 360-cubic-inch sprint car feature winner Steve King, 33, was killed Thursday when a mechanical failure in his sprint car sent him hurtling into the fence at the Knoxville Nationals.

King’s sponsor for his #88: Ethanol.

"I was in Homestead this year when (IRL driver) Paul Dana was killed in the ethanol car, and last night, (King) was driving an ethanol car, wasn't he?" said PJ Chesson. "I feel really bad for his family, I feel really bad for everyone at ethanol.”

I’m not really hip to superstition, but even I can see this is one heck of a coincidence. When Jeff Simmons was struggling earlier this season, I jokingly suggested his car might be cursed. (Note I have since recanted my criticism of Simmons.) At no time did I actually believe in this curse anymore than I believe in an Andretti/Indy curse - despite the years of coincidental evidence.

The real issue though is the effect this could have on the presence of Ethanol in racing. Considering the entire Indy Racing League will be running on Ethanol next year, let's hope this is the end of not only the race-related fatalities but also the bad news for the alternative fuel sponsor.