I gotta ask the folks who are focusing on the man’s age: Do you think a 40 year old guy would have been any more able to avoid a mechanical malfunction?

I watch NASCAR, and I know that mechanical failures are not something you can predict or prepare for when you’re moving at high speeds. A steering linkage fails, it doesn’t matter if you’re a snot-nosed rookie or a grizzled vet, you’re going for a ride.