Robert Daley wrote a wonderful book on Formula 1 titled, “The Cruel Sport” and a more appropriate description of motor sports has never been written. We love the speed and grace of racing cars, marvel at the skill of the drivers and mythologize their exploits. And sometimes we are shocked by the violence and cruelty that can befall a person for the simplest mistake on a racetrack. Sadly, this past weekend was one of those times.

I spent this Saturday at Mosport Raceway near Toronto, Canada watching the 29th annual VARAC Vintage Festival. I have become very fond of vintage racing the past couple of years because it’s so accessible and it’s so fantastic to see, hear and touch some legendary cars. This year was no exception and a “Can-Am” theme brought out a number of cars from that famous series.

Near the end of a day of snapping photos track side and wandering the pits and admiring the machinery I met up with Toronto Star columnist, Norris MacDonald. While chatting, we got onto the subject of the ‘old days’ and what is missing from modern racing. We spoke briefly about how the safety of the cars has removed much of the sense of danger from the publics perception of motor sport.

The irony of that conversation left me numb today as I learned of the death of driver Dino Crescentini who was killed Sunday at the wheel of a vintage Walter Wolf Racing sportscar. Only a day earlier I had seen Dino chatting with fans who no doubt shared his passion for racing. My thoughts go out to his family, friends and the racing community.

We’ve seen some devastating accidents in Formula 1, NASCAR and Indy Cars in recent years. Drivers have not only survived but often joke on TV only hours later about their crash. Modern safety standards have sheltered us from a very important fact: racing is dangerous and it will never be completely safe.

Like every race driver, Dino absolutely knew the risks and drove with the knowledge that any moment could be his last.

Mario Andretti remarked after the death of his friend and teammate, Ronnie Peterson, “This also is motor racing.”

It’s a lesson we have too casually forgotten from the safety and comfort of our living rooms.

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