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Oct172011

Monday, October 17, 2011 at 08:00AM

October 19, 2011

The cruelest sport.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

(Posted 10/17, 8:00 a.m.) Detroit: There really is nothing else like the sport of motor racing. One moment you can be jovially celebrating life with family, friends and fellow drivers and looking forward to the start of a race. And the next moment, you can be dead. Yet not one of these drivers signs up for the finality of death. Yes, it's lurking around the corner in every test, practice and qualifying session and certainly at every race weekend, but these drivers live life to the fullest and want no part of that end. They live to race but when you get to know them they drink in life at every opportunity, so when tragedy happens, it's always an unexpected shock. And it happens just enough to remind everyone that this is indeed the cruelest sport.

Dan Wheldon, 33, two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (2005 and 2011) and a man who exuberantly savored life at every moment, was killed Sunday in probably the most horrific open-wheel wreck in memory. The massive 15-car incident occurred on lap 11 of the IndyCar series finale at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wheldon, who came to the United States from England in 1999, won 16 times in his IndyCar career and was the series champion in 2005. He was also the lead development driver of the new 2012 chassis for the IndyCar series, and was near signing a contract for a team for the full 2012 season after being forced to sit on the sidelines for most of this year.

A talented driver and fierce competitor, Wheldon was passionate about his craft and also one of the nicest, most genuine, and well-liked drivers in the sport. Known for his delicious sense of humor and infectious smile, Wheldon wasn't just another driver in the Indycar paddock, he was a welcome presence and integral part of the life and spirit of IndyCar.

After growing up in and around this sport and then covering the sport for this website over the last 12 and one-half years, there is absolutely nothing I can say that can accurately convey the sense of devastation and loss that is being experienced right now by Dan Wheldon's family, and his extended family in Indycar.

Dan was a good man, a treasured friend to many in the sport, a loving husband to Susie, devoted father to Sebastian and Oliver, a special brother to Austin, Ashley, Elliott and Holly, and proud son to Clive and Sue. His loss will be felt for years to come in this sport, an endeavor that is so wildly addictive and yet so viciously cruel at the same time.

Yes, we'll all move on. But it won't be the same. It never is.

(Following are the thoughts of people who knew Dan best and I'd like to thank the media folk at IndyCar for providing them...)

RANDY BERNARD (CEO, INDYCAR): No words can describe my feelings as I reflect on my memories of Dan. His infectious smile, bubbly personality and big heart made Dan one of the most caring people I had ever met. You could never ask for a better ambassador to a sport. Dan represented IndyCar with the utmost respect and integrity. Dan will not only be immortalized as being a great racer but also a wonderful person. My prayers are with Susie and his two children in this very difficult time.

SAM SCHMIDT (Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "Dan Wheldon was a tremendous competitor, a great racer and an even better person. It was an honor to have him be a part of our team. All of us at Sam Schmidt Motorsports are deeply saddened by his passing. On behalf of everyone at Sam Schmidt Motorsports, our prayers go out to all of his family, especially his wife, Susie, and their two children."

DARIO FRANCHITTI: "We lost a good friend. Everybody in IndyCar Series considered Dan a friend. He was one of those special, special people from the first moment he showed up in IndyCar. And he was kind of the brash, but he was a charmer. Then he became this loving family guy who was still charming, but he had this whole new side to him. I'm just thinking of Susie and the boys. When I think about them I'm struggling to hold it together."

CHIP GANASSI: "What can you say? He was such a big presence in our sport and quite a talent. Today we lost a little bit of Indycar. He raced here for us for three years, won six races and made many friends - the whole Chip Ganassi Racing organization mourns his passing. My thoughts and prayers go out to Susie, the boys and the whole Wheldon family."

SCOTT DIXON: "Dan is family and I will miss him badly. Such an amazing person and wonderful family man. We will be with Susie, Sebastian and Oliver for whatever they need. I still can't believe it."

GRAHAM RAHAL: "My heart goes out to the Wheldon family. Dan was an incredible champion, a great friend and someone I will always respect and admire. We have truly lost one of the greatest members of our IndyCar family."

CHARLIE KIMBALL: "We lost a special member of our IndyCar family. Dan was doing exactly what he wanted and died doing what he loved. Our thoughts are with his wife, Susie, and his two children. There are much bigger plans in life than we can ever hope to understand. Dan will be forever missed."

ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT: "It is with extreme sorrow that we have lost one of our champion drivers today. Dan was an Indy 500 champion and IndyCar Series champion with Andretti Autosport, and one of our closest competitors. Dan brought such enthusiasm and passion to the sport not often seen in motorsports. We will remember Dan's tremendous racing accomplishments with our team as well his infectious personality. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Dan's family, racing team and friends today. Dan is one of IndyCar's greatest champions."

ERIK BERKMAN (President, Honda Performance Development): "For everyone in the Honda family, this is a day of tragedy and incalculable loss. For us, Dan was more than a driver. He was a member of the Honda family. But most of all, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, wife Susie and two young sons. Dan had a passion for motorsports and a wonderful personality that made him a friend to everyone in the racing community. His talent and dedication were an inspiration to us all. We will miss him terribly, and everyone at Honda extends our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and fans across the world."

BOBBY RAHAL: "The passing of Dan Wheldon today is a great shame. Dan was a great driver as evidenced by not only his Indianapolis 500 victories, but by his many wins and great performances in the race car. But he was much more than a great driver. He was a good guy, good family man and really seemed to have a bright future not only as a driver but as a television personality as well. We had spoken to him very recently about his prospects as a driver for 2012 with our team and he was very enthusiastic about his future. He will be missed."

ALLEN SIRKIN (President, PVH Corp): "On behalf of everyone at the IZOD brand, our prayers and thoughts are with Dan Wheldon's family. We are very proud to have worked with Dan and consider him a true friend," said. "He was one of the best race car drivers in the world and a wonderful ambassador for the sport. Dan's love of racing was only surpassed by his love and dedication to his family. He will be missed by all."

AL SPEYER (Executive Director, Firestone Racing): "The Firestone Racing team is deeply saddened by the death of Dan Wheldon. We have very fond memories of celebrating with Dan at Indianapolis following his win this year, and he was a true champion. Recently, we had been working very closely with Dan on the development of the 2012 IndyCar. His passion for the sport was evident every day and he worked endlessly to do the best he could at everything he did. We extend our sympathies to his family, to his team, and to his many friends and fans. He was a talented competitor on the track who will be long remembered by all who had the privilege of working with and knowing him."

DAN MEAD (CEO and President, Verizon Wireless): "There are no words to express our sorrow over the loss of Dan Wheldon, a beloved member of the racing family. We extend our deepest sympathies to Dan's wife and family. They are all in our thoughts."

JEFF BELSKUS (President and CEO, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp.): "We are incredibly saddened at the passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great champion of the Indianapolis 500 and a wonderful ambassador for the race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all of motorsports. Most importantly, he was a fantastic husband, father and man - a good friend to so many in this sport. His memory will live forever at the Speedway, both through the magnitude of his accomplishments on the track and his magnetism off the track. Our deepest sympathies are extended to his entire family, team and fans."

ROGER PENSKE: "Today was a sad day for IndyCar and the IndyCar family. Dan was a champion, a wonderful young man and a terrific competitor. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Susie, his children and his entire family."

GEORGE BODENHEIMER (President, ESPN & ABC Sports): "We are very saddened by the tragic passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great champion both on and off the racetrack and he will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family."

HELIO CASTRONEVES: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan Wheldon's family - what happened today was terrible. It is hard to put into words how sad this is for all us of here. On the track we compete but at the end of the day we are like a big family and today we lost a part of that. I think that the series made a good call to end the race and have the parade laps to honor the life of our fellow driver."

RYAN BRISCOE: "My thoughts are with Dan's family right now. He has been a good friend and a great competitor for many years and I'm greatly saddened by his loss. I do applaud the decision made by the series to call the race and line the cars up for a few parade laps in Dan's memory. It is truly a sad day for all of us."

WILL POWER: "What a tragic loss. I'm devastated that we lost Dan Wheldon today. It was a terrible accident and I feel so bad for Dan's family. My thoughts and prayers are with them. Dan was a great champion and a great guy. He will definitely be missed."

CHRIS POWELL (President, Las Vegas Motor Speedway): "All of us here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are deeply saddened by the death of Dan Wheldon. He was a tremendous race car driver and a great representative for IndyCar racing. Our prayers are with Dan's family as well as the officials and sponsors of IndyCar."

BOB PARSONS (CEO & Founder, GoDaddy): "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan Wheldon's family and friends on this sad, sad day. All of us in the IndyCar family feel an unexplainable sense of loss. Not just for the sport, but for all who knew Dan Wheldon. Dan was a family man, a father, a husband, a son and a brother. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was also a competitor and a colleague ... our deepest condolences go out to all who knew Dan."

JIM MICHAELIAN (President & CEO, Grand Prix Association Of Long Beach): "On behalf of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach family, our hearts are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great representative of our sport and personified what the IZOD IndyCar Series is all about. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Susie, his children and family. He will be sorely missed."

STEVE PAGE (President and general manager, Infineon Raceway): "This is a truly heartbreaking loss. Dan Wheldon was a terrific driver and a great champion, but overall he was one of the most engaging, intelligent and colorful individuals in our sport. We were fortunate to work with Dan as a regular promotional partner over the years. We will miss his competitive drive on the track and his energy and sense of humor in the paddock."

ORIOL SERVIA: "This is incredibly sad. We all know this is part of the sport. Cars are getting safer, tracks are getting safer so fortunately it hasn't happened in a long time. We all had a bad feeling about this place in particular just because of the high banking and how easy it was to go flat and if you give us the opportunity, we are drivers and we try to go to the front -- we race each other hard because that's what we do. We knew if could happen but it's just really sad. It's so tough to understand when somebody is gone that quickly. Dan was always a very happy guy; he was always smiling. He was a funny, great person that touched a lot of people. He will be missed."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE: "It's a black day for the sport. We came in here hoping for a good season finale and ended up losing a very close friend and a very good racing driver. I think Dan was coming into his second wind as a driver. He had so much success early on and he was getting back into that. It's going to be hard next year to climb into the new cars every time knowing that if it wasn't for Dan this thing wouldn't be what it was. He made such an impact on this sport and will even continue to now. It's proof that this is still a very dangerous sport. As hard as we work on the safety side, these things are still very possible. It's tough to put into words what everybody is feeling. We're going to have to regroup over the winter and head into the first race next year and race the whole year for Dan because all I said, the new car that we all are going to be blessed with the opportunity to race, a lot of that is as good as it is because of Dan. My thoughts are with Susie and the kids."

GREGG STEINHAFEL (Chairman, President and CEO, Target): "We are deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden death of Dan Wheldon, who drove for Target Chip Ganassi Racing from 2006 to 2008. He was a special part of the Target family and our heartfelt sympathies go out to Dan's family and friends."

KEITH WIGGINS (Owner, HVM Racing): "The IndyCar community - drivers, teams, fans - arrived at the track today to compete and celebrate a championship. Instead, we lost one of the sport's best. Dan Wheldon was a champion on the track and a great ambassador for the sport. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan's family. It's in moments like this that you witness the strength of the IndyCar community. Even though we compete against each other week after week, it's like we've lost a member of our own family. We'll go forward into the 2012 season by reflecting on the great memories we have of Dan Wheldon."

RICK HUMPHEY (VP of ZOOM Motorsports): "On behalf of Barber Motorsports Park, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Dan Wheldon. His willingness to help promote the event each year in Birmingham showed us what kind of an ambassador he was for the sport. Dan's infectious personality will always be remembered and his smile will truly be missed at Barber Motorsports Park."

EDDIE GOSSAGE (President, Texas Motor Speedway): "On behalf of the entire staff at Texas Motor Speedway, our sincere condolences go out to Dan's wife Susie and their two young boys, Oliver and Sebastian. Dan was a tremendous race-car driver and even more tremendous as a person. I was fortunate to get to know Dan over the years with the series annually visiting Texas Motor Speedway and he always arrived with that infectious personality and charming wit. His outstanding skill in the cockpit and his personality and good nature out of it will be greatly missed by the entire IndyCar community."

(Bret Kelley/IndyCar)
The Happiest of Times: Dan Wheldon, his wife Susie, and their two sons Sebastian and Oliver the morning after he won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 last May.

INDYCAR will hold a public memorial service to celebrate the life of IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

The Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund has been established for the financial security of Wheldon's family. The public can make contributions to the Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund starting Wednesday, Oct. 19 at the following address:

Fifth Third Private Bank
Attn: Dan Wheldon Family Trust
251 North Illinois St.
Suite 1000
Indianapolis, IN 46204

More details on how to contribute will be available in the coming days.

A memorial site, which includes a Facebook link to leave condolences and remembrances and a career photo retrospective, can be found at http://www.danwheldonmemorial.com.

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Spa Francochamps, Belgium, June 18, 1967. Jim Clark in his Lotus 49-Ford at the LaSource Hairpin during the Grand Prix of Belgium. Two weeks earlier he had given the Ford Cosworth DFV engine its first win - its racing debut - in Holland. Clark sat on the pole by an incredible three seconds, with Dan Gurney, who had been victorious the previous weekend for Ford in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, qualifying second in his thoroughly revised Eagle powered by the Gurney-Weslake V12. Graham Hill lined-up third in his Lotus 49-Ford team car followed by Jochen Rindt (Cooper-Maserati), Chris Amon (Ferrari), Jackie Stewart (BRM H16), Jack Brabham (Brabham-Repco) and Mike Parkes (Ferrari). Clark rocketed into the lead at the start followed by Rindt, Stewart and Parkes. Hill started from the pits after a battery failure while Gurney was out of gear at the start and had to give chase. Parkes crashed heavily after sliding in some oil at the 150mph Blanchimont corner suffering serious injuries which ended his F1 career. Rindt faded quickly and Stewart took up the pursuit of Clark with Amon moving up to third. But a storming Gurney soon blew by Amon and went after Stewart. Clark and Gurney both pitted at the end of lap 12 with Clark getting his plugs changed (!) which dropped him to seventh, while Gurney was worried about his fuel pressure but pressed on without addressing the issue. Gurney was now 15 seconds behind Stewart. Jackie would soon run into gearbox problems which forced him to drive one-handed. Certainly not ideal at any racetrack, but at Spa? Yikes. Gurney took the lead on lap 21 and went on to win by over a minute. It was and remains the first and only time that an American citizen built and raced a car of his own construction and put it into the winner’s circle of a World Championship F1 race. Stewart finished second with Amon third. Clark would come back to finish 6th, one lap down.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.