Dan Wheldon 1978-2011

Dan Wheldon with his elder son kissing the bricks at the finish line of Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year


British motorsports fans often forget about Dan Wheldon. When it comes to car racing it is all about Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton but for the last few years he and Bathgate's Dario Franchitti have been two of the leading lights in the IRL Indycar series.

Wheldon actually won the title in 2005, before Dario won the first of his three titles prior to the one he won as a result of the crash that took Wheldon's life today. He has also won the Indianapolis 500 twice in that 2005 season and again this, therefore matching Frachetti's success as the only two time British winners of that race.

Wheldon was born in Emberton, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. In his early career racing open wheeled formula he had a great rivalry with Formula One World Championship winning driver Jenson Button. However in 1999 their paths took a different track with Wheldon heading to America because his family could not fund him in the UK and European formula that are the normal route to F1.

He progressed through the lower American open wheel series U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series. Until in 2002 he got the call from Andretti Green Racing to replace Michael Andretti who was retiring from racing. He was to win the rookie of the year title.

In 2004 at Twin Win Motegi in Japan he won his first Indycar race, and gathered two more wins that season to finish second in the championship to his team mate Sam Hornish Jr.

The folowing season he became the first Brit since Graham Hill, Damon's father, to win the Indianapolis 500. With five wins, a record under the IRL sanction, he won his only Indycar championship.

At the end of 2005 he announced that he was moving to Chip Ganassi Racing, but he won the 24 Hours of Daytona along with Scott Dixon and Casey Mears. At the end of the 2006 Indycar season he was equal on points with his former team mate Sam Hornish Jr., but the American's not liking two winners had a tiebreak of the most wins which was 4-2 for Hornish and he was therefore declared the champion.

In September 2008 he was released from Chip Ganassi to be replace by Dario Franchitti, who had won the title in 2007. In 2009 he raced for Panther Racing, giving them a second spot in the Indianapolis 500 a feat he would repeat in 2010, when he remained more competitive through the whole season. However, he failed to win a race with Panther and was replaced by J.R. Hildebrand.

He hadn't secured a regular drive for the 2011 season but driving for Bryan Herta Motorsport he took the honours once again in the Indianapolis 500 a race win he dedicated to his mother who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers.

He had started on the back of the 34 car grid and had already made up 10 places in the first 12 laps when the crash happened at the Las Vegas Indy 300. He would have shared a $5 million special one off prize with one lucky fan if he had won the race.

At about 23:00 UK time the drivers and officials came out of a briefing session at the track. Twitter was alive with people reporting on the looks of the drivers faces as they came out not looking good. Shortly after a very short press conference (see below) announced the news that Dan Wheldon had indeed died as a result of the crash at the age of 33. The drivers still in shock decided to honour Dan with a five lap salute, his care number 77 was the only one that was displayed on the position boards at the track as they went around in his honour.



Here is footage of the five lap salute and you can hear a bagpiper playing Amazing Graze probably a CD or some such over the PA but a nice touch. With his pit crew standing out at the point his car came to rest.



Thoughts and prayers go to his wife Suzie Behm, and sons Sebastian 2 and Oliver not yet 7 months old, his mother and his father, who started him on the road to a career in racing, at this difficult time.

Dan Wheldon 22 June 1978 - 16 October 2011Source URL: https://free-wallpapers-2.blogspot.com/search/label/motorsport
Visit Free Wallpapers | Wallpapers 2012 for daily updated images of art collection

Dan Wheldon 1978-2011

Dan Wheldon with his elder son kissing the bricks at the finish line of Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year


British motorsports fans often forget about Dan Wheldon. When it comes to car racing it is all about Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton but for the last few years he and Bathgate's Dario Franchitti have been two of the leading lights in the IRL Indycar series.

Wheldon actually won the title in 2005, before Dario won the first of his three titles prior to the one he won as a result of the crash that took Wheldon's life today. He has also won the Indianapolis 500 twice in that 2005 season and again this, therefore matching Frachetti's success as the only two time British winners of that race.

Wheldon was born in Emberton, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. In his early career racing open wheeled formula he had a great rivalry with Formula One World Championship winning driver Jenson Button. However in 1999 their paths took a different track with Wheldon heading to America because his family could not fund him in the UK and European formula that are the normal route to F1.

He progressed through the lower American open wheel series U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series. Until in 2002 he got the call from Andretti Green Racing to replace Michael Andretti who was retiring from racing. He was to win the rookie of the year title.

In 2004 at Twin Win Motegi in Japan he won his first Indycar race, and gathered two more wins that season to finish second in the championship to his team mate Sam Hornish Jr.

The folowing season he became the first Brit since Graham Hill, Damon's father, to win the Indianapolis 500. With five wins, a record under the IRL sanction, he won his only Indycar championship.

At the end of 2005 he announced that he was moving to Chip Ganassi Racing, but he won the 24 Hours of Daytona along with Scott Dixon and Casey Mears. At the end of the 2006 Indycar season he was equal on points with his former team mate Sam Hornish Jr., but the American's not liking two winners had a tiebreak of the most wins which was 4-2 for Hornish and he was therefore declared the champion.

In September 2008 he was released from Chip Ganassi to be replace by Dario Franchitti, who had won the title in 2007. In 2009 he raced for Panther Racing, giving them a second spot in the Indianapolis 500 a feat he would repeat in 2010, when he remained more competitive through the whole season. However, he failed to win a race with Panther and was replaced by J.R. Hildebrand.

He hadn't secured a regular drive for the 2011 season but driving for Bryan Herta Motorsport he took the honours once again in the Indianapolis 500 a race win he dedicated to his mother who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers.

He had started on the back of the 34 car grid and had already made up 10 places in the first 12 laps when the crash happened at the Las Vegas Indy 300. He would have shared a $5 million special one off prize with one lucky fan if he had won the race.

At about 23:00 UK time the drivers and officials came out of a briefing session at the track. Twitter was alive with people reporting on the looks of the drivers faces as they came out not looking good. Shortly after a very short press conference (see below) announced the news that Dan Wheldon had indeed died as a result of the crash at the age of 33. The drivers still in shock decided to honour Dan with a five lap salute, his care number 77 was the only one that was displayed on the position boards at the track as they went around in his honour.



Here is footage of the five lap salute and you can hear a bagpiper playing Amazing Graze probably a CD or some such over the PA but a nice touch. With his pit crew standing out at the point his car came to rest.



Thoughts and prayers go to his wife Suzie Behm, and sons Sebastian 2 and Oliver not yet 7 months old, his mother and his father, who started him on the road to a career in racing, at this difficult time.

Dan Wheldon 22 June 1978 - 16 October 2011Source URL: https://free-wallpapers-2.blogspot.com/search/label/motorsport
Visit Free Wallpapers | Wallpapers 2012 for daily updated images of art collection

Bad Indycar crash in Vegas kills British driver Dan Wheldon

In the last hour there has been a 15 car collision in the final Indycar race of the season in Las Vegas. There were several cars burst into flames one of which had taken off  for about 6-7 car lengths after being unable to avoid a collision in front, while two others also look as if they were airbourne for less time.

As a motorsports fan my thoughts and prayers are with the drivers involved, any of their families either at trackside or watching/getting news elsewhere and with the medical teams at the track.

I'm not going to embed the clip of the crash but you can find it here. Here is another view from Will Power's car, the one that flew for about 7 car lengths.

Update Will Power who was challenging Bathgate's Dario Franchitti was the title was caught up in the crash. However, there is major concern of British driver Dan Wheldon who apparently one of the worse affected in the crash. There is no news yet of his condition, apart from the fact that doctors are reporting he is in a serious condition.

Rookie Pippa Mann was also rather shaken up as she was removed from the scene in an ambulance. While Townsend Bell cars was left upside down amongst the smoldering wreckage of the carnage. Of the 34 cars that started the race less than 12 laps earlier 15 were taken out in the crash, the race is currently under red flag conditions.

Update 2 Terry Blount of ESPN is reporting that the entire roll area of Wheldon's car was sheered off before being covered in a tarp. He was airlifted to hospital after having 20 doctors attend to him at the scene. Pippa Mann and JR Hildebrand were taken to the hospital by ambulance awake and alert as a precautionary measure. Other drivers were treated at the medical centre at the track, some of who including Will Power have been talking to media.

Update 3 Full list of the drivers involved is Dan Whelton, Will Power, Townsend Bell, Tomas Scheckter, Paul Tracy, EJ Viso, Alex Lloyd, Buddy Rice, Vitor Meira and rookies Pippa Mann, James Jakes, JR Hildebrand, Jay Howard, Charlie Kimball and Wade Cunningham.

Update 4 Will Power after complaining of lower back pain at the track has also been transported to hospital.

Update 5 23:04 BST Indycar announce that Dan Wheldon has died as a result of his injuries in the crash. The race has been abandoned. More on this blog post.

I'll continue to update this blog post as more information becomes availableSource URL: https://free-wallpapers-2.blogspot.com/search/label/motorsport
Visit Free Wallpapers | Wallpapers 2012 for daily updated images of art collection

Bad Indycar crash in Vegas kills British driver Dan Wheldon

In the last hour there has been a 15 car collision in the final Indycar race of the season in Las Vegas. There were several cars burst into flames one of which had taken off  for about 6-7 car lengths after being unable to avoid a collision in front, while two others also look as if they were airbourne for less time.

As a motorsports fan my thoughts and prayers are with the drivers involved, any of their families either at trackside or watching/getting news elsewhere and with the medical teams at the track.

I'm not going to embed the clip of the crash but you can find it here. Here is another view from Will Power's car, the one that flew for about 7 car lengths.

Update Will Power who was challenging Bathgate's Dario Franchitti was the title was caught up in the crash. However, there is major concern of British driver Dan Wheldon who apparently one of the worse affected in the crash. There is no news yet of his condition, apart from the fact that doctors are reporting he is in a serious condition.

Rookie Pippa Mann was also rather shaken up as she was removed from the scene in an ambulance. While Townsend Bell cars was left upside down amongst the smoldering wreckage of the carnage. Of the 34 cars that started the race less than 12 laps earlier 15 were taken out in the crash, the race is currently under red flag conditions.

Update 2 Terry Blount of ESPN is reporting that the entire roll area of Wheldon's car was sheered off before being covered in a tarp. He was airlifted to hospital after having 20 doctors attend to him at the scene. Pippa Mann and JR Hildebrand were taken to the hospital by ambulance awake and alert as a precautionary measure. Other drivers were treated at the medical centre at the track, some of who including Will Power have been talking to media.

Update 3 Full list of the drivers involved is Dan Whelton, Will Power, Townsend Bell, Tomas Scheckter, Paul Tracy, EJ Viso, Alex Lloyd, Buddy Rice, Vitor Meira and rookies Pippa Mann, James Jakes, JR Hildebrand, Jay Howard, Charlie Kimball and Wade Cunningham.

Update 4 Will Power after complaining of lower back pain at the track has also been transported to hospital.

Update 5 23:04 BST Indycar announce that Dan Wheldon has died as a result of his injuries in the crash. The race has been abandoned. More on this blog post.

I'll continue to update this blog post as more information becomes availableSource URL: https://free-wallpapers-2.blogspot.com/search/label/motorsport
Visit Free Wallpapers | Wallpapers 2012 for daily updated images of art collection