Dan Wheldon killed in Vegas IndyCar crash

[Partizan]

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died Sunday in a fiery 15-car wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when his car flew over another on Lap 13 and smashed into the wall just outside turn 2.

Wheldon was 33. Drivers were told of Wheldon's death in a meeting about two hours after the fiery, smoky crash that many drivers said was the worst they had ever seen.

The British driver won the Indianapolis 500 twice, including this year.
"IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries," IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race. In honor of Dan Wheldon, the drivers have decided to do a five-lap salute to in his honor."
Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pileup.

The wreck left Townsend Bell upside down and smoldering cars and debris littered the track nearly halfway up the straightaway of the 1.5-mile oval.
The track was red-flagged following the accidents while crews worked on fences and removed smashed cars.

Wheldon started in the back of the pack but quickly worked his way through the 34-car field before the wreck.

"It was like a movie scene which they try to make as gnarly as possible," said Danica Patrick, making her final IndyCar start. "It was debris everywhere across the whole track, you could smell the smoke, you could see the billowing smoke on the back straight from the car. There was a chunk of fire that we were driving around. You could see cars scattered.
Drivers had been concerned about the high speeds at the track, where they were hitting nearly 225 mph during practice.

Their concerns became reality when contact on Turn 2 sent cars flying through the air, crashing into each other and into the outside wall and catch fence.

"I'll tell you, I've never seen anything like it," Ryan Briscoe said. "The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something. I mean, there were just pieces of metal and car on fire in the middle of the track with no car attached to it and just debris everywhere. So it was scary, and your first thoughts are hoping that no one is hurt because there's just stuff everywhere. Crazy."
Points-leader Dario Franchitti avoided the crash, and seemed stunned as he waited out the clean-up on pit road.

Franchitti clinched his third straight title and fourth overall after Power went out.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/moto...16/las-vegas-300-dan-wheldon-crash/50795256/1

This is so sad.

R.I.P

 

[Spurger King]

Very sad news.

This is footage of the crash. Surprised more people weren't seriously injured.

[yt]YcAZ7I_lk7M&feature=player_embedded[/yt]

 

[cockjol]

I feel sick and am struggling to sleep...was watching it live and was delighted to see dan racing again as i'm a huge fan of his and he hasn't had a place in a team for much of the year (despite this he won indy 500 as a guest driver earlier in the season)...such was the build-up they even interviewed him as he was in his car on the parade lap before the start and he was talking excitedly about the race ahead...then as footage shows, they even went to his car just as accident ahead of him began...could see it happening and as cameras panned away prayed he managed to avoid it...soon was clear that he was caught up in it and sat watching sky for two hours fearing the worst...when it was confirmed he had died, i was just devastated...feel sick that i saw it happen as well...just can't get it out of my mind...disbelief, sadness, shock...my thoughts go out to his poor wife and two kids

 

[beats1]

he was a very good driver and its such shame he didn't get a good shot at F1 and a shame that not many people know who he is in his home country

I was also shocked when this happened as in racing these days safety record is very good but i guess with the way indy cars race at over 200mph so close to each other death will always be a factor

RIP DAN

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Awful crash and a really tragic loss to sport. You could see on the faces of the other drivers the total disbelief, anger and utter sadness they were all feeling.

RIP Dan.

 

[LSUY]

he was a very good driver and its such shame he didn't get a good shot at F1 and a shame that not many people know who he is in his home country

I was also shocked when this happened as in racing these days safety record is very good but i guess with the way indy cars race at over 200mph so close to each other death will always be a factor

RIP DAN

A number of Indy drivers complained before the race saying the track would be too dangerous. 3-4 lanes on an oval track isn't enough for 30+ cars going 220mph.

Dan's death has to be used to make Indy car safer. Since Ayrton Senna's death in '94 no F1 driver has died in an accident whereas 7 have died in American open wheel racing in that period. Hopefully track re-design is pushed forward because with the speeds of modern racing cars you can't have just long straightaways and banked turns.

R.I.P. Dan. I think Jenson Button summed it up best: We've lost a legend in our sport but also a great guy.

 

[Hoddle_Ledge]

He was from my village. I used to play football with him and his brother when we were kids. Very sad

 

[tototoner]

RIP, very sad

 

[wooderz]

I said in the other thread, I knew one of the drivers, so am very thankful he's okay, but it's tragic what happened. RIP Dan and thoughts go out to his family

 

[Barmy_in_Palmy]

Probably the worst crash I've ever seen. He had a 2 year old and a 6 month year old, the race was sponsored by Go Daddy!, the whole things fucked.

IndyCar's is the only racing I watch or follow these days, can't see them going back to Vegas for a while. There is an erie photo of Wheldon with his two year old after winning the Indy 500 this year. It reminds me of old pictures of Bruce McLaren with his kids.

RIP Dan Wheldon.

 

[CosmicHotspur]

Sickening seeing the video footage and the flames - he obviously didn't stand a chance and I can only hope he was "out of it" very quickly and didn't suffer too much. I hope the other injured drivers make good recoveries.

Such a tragedy with two tiny children who won't remember him (shades of Rob White and his father John White here).

RIP to a man who had everything to live for but took part in a very dangerous sport and died far too young.

 

[wooderz]

Probably the worst crash I've ever seen. He had a 2 year old and a 6 month year old, the race was sponsored by Go Daddy!, the whole things fucked.

IndyCar's is the only racing I watch or follow these days, can't see them going back to Vegas for a while. There is an erie photo of Wheldon with his two year old after winning the Indy 500 this year. It reminds me of old pictures of Bruce McLaren with his kids.

RIP Dan Wheldon.

This one? :-(

Edit: Just saw it's copywrite... link here http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/10/17/article-2050054-0E67EFB400000578-822_634x457.jpg

 

[VegasII]

Really fucking sad news. All the best to the family.

 

[Barmy_in_Palmy]

nah this one here

http://www.whosay.com/darrenrovell/photos/80631

 

[Hoddle_Ledge]

Journo's everywhere in the village late until late last night according to my dad, they should probably be left alone now.

 

[CosmicHotspur]

It's been reported he died from severe blunt head trauma which, hopefully, would have been mercifully quick.

 

[Hoddle_Ledge]

Sounds like he might have got away with it had the car hit the wall in a different position.

My mum just went to drop some flowers round. He was a Spurs fan as well. Terrible.

 

[cwy21]

Indy Car will have to take a hard look at this. Open wheel cars going 220 mph on a highly banked oval seems like a bad idea.