I wanted to come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the time I was 5 years old.

Finally, in 1982, I was allowed to accompany my dad, uncles, and cousins on their annual trip to time trials.

I saw speed records fall, and got to hang out in the infield with several thousand people.

I also was there to see a driver die.

His name was Gordon Smiley, and he was killed in one of the worst accidents in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history.

The next day, the Indianapolis newspaper had a photo sequence of Smiley’s accident, under the banner, “With Speed, Death Is Always Near”.

That made a big impression on me, especially as a little kid.

I always have wondered what it was like to be a racing fan in the 1950’s and 60’s, and extremely gruesome time in my favorite sport, where drivers were losing their lives almost on a weekly basis.

In fact, on one particularly dark day 58 years ago this month, THREE different Indianapolis 500 drivers were killed on the same day.

Cecil Green, Bill Mackey, and Walt Brown, all were killed on what has appropriately been named “Black Sunday”.

Imagine three Indy 500 drivers dying on the same day in this era. Luckily with safety advances, we don’t have to deal with this aspect of the sport much anymore.

But despite the advances, the sport will always be dangerous.

And Sunday, just like when we lost the wonderful Adam Petty, the dark side of auto racing has stolen another son of a famous father.

18-year old Henry Surtees was killed in a Formula 2 race at famous Brands Hatch in England.

Surtees was the son of the great John Surtees, the only man to win world titles on two wheels, and four.

The 1964 World Champion’s son died in a crash not of his making. Jack Clarke lost control and hit a barrier, losing a wheel, which hit Surtees in the head, knocking  him unconscious.

We’re lucky that this sort of thing doesn’t happen much any more, but the tragic loss of Henry Surtees should remind every racing fan just what these drivers risk in their quest for speed.

My condolences to the Surtees family, on a life cut so short.