RIP Dan Wheldon

Hard-Driver · Oct 16, 2011

Dan Wheldon was killed today in an Indycar race at Las Vegas.

I was a big CART fan back in the day and it is a shame that American open wheel racing was destroyed by the greed of one man, Tony George. The result has been a disaster for racing, including the use of unsafe cars and the creation of pack racing on high banking, which is extremely dangerous in open wheel cars. The price was paid today by a great driver.

Dan Wheldon was a 2 time Indy 500 Champion and IRL Champion. He is survived by his wife and two young sons.

RIP Dan.

CherryWood · Oct 16, 2011

Hard-Driver said: ↑

Dan Wheldon was killed today in an Indycar race at Las Vegas.

I was a big CART fan back in the day and it is a shame that American open wheel racing was destroyed by the greed of one man, Tony George. The result has been a disaster for racing, including the use of unsafe cars and the creation of pack racing on high banking, which is extremely dangerous in open wheel cars. The price was paid today by a great driver.

Dan Wheldon was a 2 time Indy 500 Champion and IRL Champion. He is survived by his wife and two young sons.

RIP Dan.
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I saw that, too. RIP Dan Wheldon. Very tragic and my best wishes to the family.

waltky · Oct 18, 2011

Wrong race on track meant for NASCAR events...

Dan Wheldon IndyCar crash: Were racers driving recklessly?
October 17, 2011 - Dan Weldon's death in a fiery 15-car crash on Sunday has left the motor sports world in shock. Could the crash have been avoided?

British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon has died after a horrific 15-car crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday which left the motor sports world in shock. The two-time winner of the Indy 500 was involved in a multi-car accident 13 laps into the Las Vegas Indy 300 which sent his vehicle flying and left wreckage and debris across the track. Wheldon's car flew over another and caught part of the catch fence just past the apex of turn two. The incident left Townsend Bell's car upside down and smoldering cars strewn along the track. Wheldon, who lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, was flown by helicopter to University Medical Center in Las Vegas for treatment before his death was announced two hours later.

"IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries," IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today." The race was canceled and drivers returned later for a moving and tearful five-lap tribute. A popular figure, Wheldon was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion and he won the Indy500 race that year and also in 2011 -- the 100th anniversary of the event. When the drivers returned to the track, Wheldon's fellow British driver, Scotsman Dario Franchitti, was sobbing uncontrollably as he was strapped back into his car.

"Crazy stuff"

"I could see within five laps people were starting to do crazy stuff," said Franchitti, who avoided the incident and with the cancellation of the race won his third straight series title. "I love hard racing but that to me is not really what it's about. One small mistake from somebody... "Right now I'm numb and speechless," he said. "One minute you're joking around in driver intros and the next he's gone. "He was six-years-old when I first met him. He was this little kid and the next thing you know he was my team mate," said Franchitti, who raced together with Wheldon at Andretti Green Racing. "We put so much pressure on ourselves to win races and championships and today it doesn't matter."

Crews lined up along the pit lane and fans in the stands stood silently as the drivers paid tribute to the popular Wheldon. The cancelling of the race meant that Franchitti won his third straight series title. Wheldon, who did not have a regular ride this season, could have won a $5 million prize which was on offer at the Vegas event for a non-full-time winner of the season finale. The Englishman had not raced since winning the most recent Indy 500 in May. While not a household name like Formula One drivers in Britain, Wheldon could certainly count himself as among the most successful British drivers in world motor sports.

After winning eight British national titles in karting and then finishing third in the 1998 Formula Ford championship in Britain, Wheldon moved to the United States in pursuit of better opportunities. He clinched the F2000 Championship Series in 1999 with six victories and then moved into IndyCar where he won rookie of the year honours in 2003. Wheldon claimed the 2005 series thanks to six wins for Andretti Green Racing. The Englishman later raced for Panther Racing and his final team Bryan Herta Autosport. Wheldon leaves his wife Susie and their two young sons.

Source
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Dan Wheldon: Death of IndyCar driver rattles 'fearless' racing culture
October 17, 2011 - While IndyCar already plans to introduce a safer car next year, the death of Dan Wheldon is spurring calls for other safety measures, including some introspection on the part of drivers.

Before Dan Wheldon's open-wheeled race car went airborne and crashed into the track fence during a 15-car pileup at an IndyCar Circuit race in Las Vegas Sunday night, the scrappy, popular two-time Indianapolis 500 winner had been chasing a $5 million bonus, payable if he won. The horrific crash, which killed Mr. Wheldon, shook the motorsport world and is likely to spark safety enhancements over and above those already planned for next year's IndyCar circuit, which includes a completely rebuilt racing car with more safety padding. Sunday night's race was the finale for the the 2011 circuit.

Long before Sunday's crash, IndyCar had helped pioneer major safety improvements that have dramatically reduced the number of deaths in the major motorsports over the past decade, including new, more forgiving track barriers, new head restraints, and, starting next year, a new car, largely tested by Wheldon, with more safety padding and a device to prevent the open-seated cars from going airborne much in the manner of Sunday's brutal crash. But for many people around the sport, and beyond, Wheldon's death said less about safety mechanics than it did about the nature of open-wheeled racing at the international level, where machismo, bravado, and desperation to win a purse still reign as cars jockey for position with minimal margin for error.

Right before the race, drivers had raised concerns about the extreme speeds being recorded at the Las Vegas track, which has high banks that allow racers to maintain speeds gained on the flats, especially with 34 cars packed onto the oval track. IndyCar Series races are held both on ovals and on streets. Driver A.J. Allmendinger, who did not race Sunday, told Fox Sports that the accident will likely force a new discussion within IndyCar about safety measures that can be instituted beyond changes to equipment and tracks. That, he said, should mean fewer cars being allowed to race, and some tracks including the Las Vegas short oval being scrapped.

"Hopefully, we learn something from this," he said. "First, Dan needs to be remembered before everybody jumps on IndyCar, then there needs to be action. There doesnt need to be 34 cars; its a ticking time bomb. Obviously, with the new car coming in, it needs to be safer, but there are tracks that they dont need to race at. The crash came in Turn 2 on Lap 13, as the field of drivers were gunning their cars in close quarters, in front of what was considered a small crowd of 25,000.

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RIP Dan Wheldon

Hard-Driver Well-Known Member Past Donor

CherryWood New Member

waltky Well-Known Member

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RIP Dan Wheldon

Hard-Driver Well-Known Member Past Donor

CherryWood New Member

waltky Well-Known Member

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