Race Car Driver Says Las Vegas Track Was Too Dangerous

INSIDE EDITION talks to one race car driver who declined to participate in the IndyCar race where Dan Wheldon was killed because he believes the track was too dangerous.

Race car driver Scotty Speed says he was offered a shot at a whopping $5 million prize to race the day of that fatal 15-car pile up. But he says, he turned it down because the track was just too dangerous for high-speed IndyCars.

"You can't help but have an incident at a track like that, I believe," said Speed.

INSIDE EDITION's Paul Boyd asked Speed, "Even before the race, you believed that the track and those condition were just too dangerous?"

"It's a very, very dangerous situation to be in. One of the most dangerous situations that I would have put myself in in a race car to this point in my life," said Speed.

A virtual video shows just how potentially trecherous the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is, even for the best drivers in the world. On the video the narrator says, "The drivers will stay low, stay off the brakes, and try to carry as much speed as possible."

The track is very small in comparison to others. It can actually fit inside the Indianapolis 500 race track. Which means the turns come fast and are scary tight, especially at the terrifying speed of 220 miles an hour.

The video explains, "The best places to pass on this course are the exits of turns 2 and 4."

Turn 2 is exactly where that fatal 15-car pile up happened. 34 Indy cars were crammed onto the one-and-a-half mile track that day. Speed says it it was a recipe for disaster.

"Even if you have the fastest car on the track you're not going to be able to get away from everyone. Everyone is going to maintain a very close proximity to each other and you're obviously travelling at a really high rate of speed," said Speed.

In a statement, the Las Vegas race track insisted: "Our speedway conforms to every regulation that any sanctioning body has ever held it to, and we're very proud of that."

Tributes continue to pour in for racing legend Dan Wheldon who lost his life in the firey crash. Dancing with the Stars contestant, Hope Solo, a pro soccer player, is mourning the loss of her friend.

"He was an inspiration to so many people and it's sad to see him go," said Solo.