INDIANAPOLIS — They don’t know his mind, and they don’t need to know. When Max Chilton announced that he would no longer participate in oval events, fellow veterans inside the IndyCar paddock understood he was making a decision that was best for him and for his family.

That’s it. No judgment passed or questions asked. Nothing but respect and admiration for a friend and fellow competitor who looked in the mirror and told himself the truth: The rewards no longer outweighed the risks.

“I respect his decision greatly because it’s not an easy decision to be mulling over and think of the potential blowback or criticism or whatever,” James Hinchcliffie said. “At the end of the day, if that’s your mindset behind the wheel of a certain type of track, I think it takes a pretty big person to acknowledge that. To not lie to yourself. Then actually do something about it. If it’s not his cup of tea, then I totally respect that. I have a lot of respect that he was able to make that decision.”

Chilton declined to be interviewed for this story, but it’s safe to say that after participating in 18 oval races in his four-year IndyCar career, including the one at Pocono last year that Robert Wickens departed in a medivac, he undoubtedly comprehends the risks involved in oval racing. Only a driver can truly understand the courage one must summon to strap him or herself into an open-wheel cockpit that will blister around a track at 230-plus mph. It’s madness, and he and his friends are cheating death every time they climb out of the car.

Sadly, that’s not always what happens.

Despite the strides motorsports have made to enhance safety over the years, devastation still lurks around every turn. That memories are all we have of Justin Wilson and Dan Wheldon is a painful reminder of the cost racing gods will demand.

And yet, these drivers, they kept racing. Even after some of them had stared death in the face.

After Hinchcliffe nearly died on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first thing he did when we woke up was scribble on a piece of paper: “When can I drive again?”

Two years later, after Sebastien Bourdais suffered one of the most horrific crashes in recent memory during Indianapolis 500 qualifying, he told team owner Dale Coyne the next day he’d back in an IndyCar cockpit by the season finale.

He returned even sooner.

They like to say they’re “wired differently.” Perhaps that’s true. Hinchcliffe wondered aloud one time after watching the Academy Award-winning documentary “Free Solo” — about a man who attempts to become the first person to ascend El Capitan without climbing equipment — if like him, race car drivers don’t register or experience fear in the same way most humans do. Maybe that’s the key ingredient in allowing them to do what so few others can.

But what’s the point of stifling fear like that? What’s the reward?

Fun? Adrenaline? A paycheck? Maybe it’s something else or some combination of all of them.

It’s different for everyone.

Whatever it was for Chilton that made him roll those particular dice during his career wasn’t worth it anymore. The reward stopped outweighing the risks. And that’s when he called it quits.

“I think it takes a lot of courage to make a decision like that among this peer group,” said Ed Carpenter, a driver who only competes on ovals. “We all heard some of the speculation coming into the season that might be something he was thinking about. Max is a talented driver. And he has driven with one of the best drivers in the world with Scott (Dixon), so he knows what the commitment is for all circuits. I don’t know what he’s thinking. I’m not in his head. I just know he made the decision that’s best for him, and that’s admirable.”

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“It’s a personal decision,” added Bourdais. “Everyone has different perspectives. If you feel like you don’t want to take those chances anymore, then there’s no one who should judge.

"For me, it’s my job. It’s my life, so it’s different. I don’t think Max needs that. I know he was bothered by what happened to Robert. He was really troubled after the accident. So I don’t know that he needs to be taking those chances in his life and whatever his status is. Everyone has a different stakes in the game and different perspectives. So no one should judge.”

Follow IndyStar Motorsports Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @jimayello.