Dan Wheldon dies in Indy Las Vegas Race

[McLaren]

RIP always sad when someone dies so young.

[zurich_allan]

Having watched Indy (and also CART during its existence) ever since Nigel Mansell went over to the states in 1993, I'd watched every one of Dan Wheldon's races that were televised since his debut. I'd watched his highs and lows on the track, and watched many many live interviews and PR pieces with him off of it.

I was watching it all unfold live in the 'race' and aftermath, and it was pretty clear about 45 mins before they announced it officially that Dan was gone, just from watching the body language of those at the track.

There's more I would like to say about safety etc. but I don't think right now is the best moment to do so. Maybe I'll come back to the thread later and say something on that. For now I'm not embarrassed to say that I was in tears, and I still genuinely have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, almost as though it were a family member that had been killed.

RIP Dan, thanks for the memories you've given me and the rest of the people that watched you race. My heart goes out to his family and friends as if this is how I'm feeling, I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through.

[IheartKimmi]

Why don't they upgrade that damn cars, they are still constructed on the basis from 70's?!

I have to agree there, they looked like they were made from tin foil and there was a lot of flames. My sympathies to Dan Wheldons family and friends, yet another life lost that should have been avoided. RIP Dan

[bud]

Even F1 safety standards would struggle to save lives in collisions like this on ovals.
Open wheel cars are not a good choice for high speed ovals.

[myownalias]

I wonder if this tragedy will provoke a rethink of safety standards in Indycar? it's long overdue, it took the death of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenburger in 1994 for F1 to have a long hard look at safety standards. I hope that safety can be improved and Dan Wheldon death isn't in vain! R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

[Denthúl]

Even F1 safety standards would struggle to save lives in collisions like this on ovals.
Open wheel cars are not a good choice for high speed ovals.

Sadly, this is true. People are saying that Indy needs to have F1's safety levels, but we frequently forget that major impacts in Formula One rarely occur at speeds in excess of 200mph, much of the speed is shed before a car will impact a barrier of any kind. In Indy, the distance between the car and the barrier is never very big and of course if a car gets launched, in F1 it might scrape across the ground (Webber at Valencia) or through gravel (Albers at Imola) before hitting something but on an oval...well. If you subject a modern F1 car to the same thing as Wheldon's IndyCar, chances are the same thing would have happened. It doesn't help that the circuit itself is tiny and had so many cars on it.

The failed rollhoop is a cause for concern, but it looks like it was sheared clean off from the side, rather than being crushed. I hope that this was just a freak occurrence and that the new chassis does not come with this risk.

Let's face it, I joke about oval racing being inferior all the time, but I haven't got the balls to do what they do.

RIP Dan.

[bud]

Yeah the combination of 360kph + open wheel racing, where if tyres rub you fly and there is no run off like road circuits we are talking straight into the wall.
Im really saddened when ever i hear of a driver losing his life, even moreso when you like the guy that dies. Im really shocked still by this.

heres some quotes from F1

Formula One has paid tribute to IndyCar racer Dan Wheldon, who died in an accident in the season-ending Las Vegas race on Sunday.

Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar Champion and winner of the 2005 and 2011 Indianapolis 500, was involved in a 15-car pile-up on lap 12 of the race.

Running at the bottom of the car, his car was launched into the air and rolled across the track before making contract with the safety fence and wall.

Wheldon was airlifted to hospital with IndyCar announcing two hours later that he had not survived the accident. He was 33.

"This is an extremely sad day," said McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton.

"Dan was a racer I'd followed throughout my career, as I often followed in his footsteps as we climbed the motorsport ladder in the UK. He was an extremely talented driver.

"As a British guy, who not only went over to the States but who twice won the Indy 500, he was an inspirational guy, and someone that every racing driver looked up to with respect and admiration. This is a tragic loss at such a young age.

"My heart goes out to his family and friends during this extremely difficult time."

His team-mate Jenson Button wrote on Twitter: "Just woken up to the most horrific news.. Dan Wheldon RIP.

"I have so many good memories of racing with Dan in the early 90's, a true fighter. We've lost a legend in our sport but also a great guy...

"I can't begin to imagine what his family are going through and my thoughts are with them at this very difficult time."

The McLaren duo were joined by Red bull's Mark Webber who said: "Rest in Peace Dan. I remember our early days in the UK in 1995/96... Miss ya..."

[andrew]

There's footage of the crash here taken from Dario Franchitti's, Dan Wheldon and (I think) Danica Patrick's car at the end of the video clip.

[bud]

dan.jpg

[oaba09]

This just shows the dangers that race drivers face.

Open wheel racing should not be done on ovals. It's way too dangerous!

[oaba09]

Having watched Indy (and also CART during its existence) ever since Nigel Mansell went over to the states in 1993, I'd watched every one of Dan Wheldon's races that were televised since his debut. I'd watched his highs and lows on the track, and watched many many live interviews and PR pieces with him off of it.

I was watching it all unfold live in the 'race' and aftermath, and it was pretty clear about 45 mins before they announced it officially that Dan was gone, just from watching the body language of those at the track.

There's more I would like to say about safety etc. but I don't think right now is the best moment to do so. Maybe I'll come back to the thread later and say something on that. For now I'm not embarrassed to say that I was in tears, and I still genuinely have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, almost as though it were a family member that had been killed.

RIP Dan, thanks for the memories you've given me and the rest of the people that watched you race. My heart goes out to his family and friends as if this is how I'm freeling, I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through.

Same here...I shed tears during the 5 lap tribute. Being a big motorsport fan, I felt like I just lost a family member...

[EagleF1-27]

I was another one who found out the news this morning. Shocking stuff, and while I havent followed Indy since the days of Mansell and Villeneuve racing in the series, I still heard about Wheldon's exploits along with Franchitti. No doubt because he was a Brit and so any success was mentioned in the press over here. What makes it worse is that he left a young family behind.
I havent seen the footage but it sounds like from what has been said in the press that there were too many cars racing at the circuit, more than at the Indy 500 and Vegas is a smaller oval.
Hopefully lessons can be learned but it seems people continue to die in Indycar every now and again, I still remember when Greg Moore lost his life.
RIP.

[f1usa]

Why don't they upgrade that damn cars, they are still constructed on the basis from 70's?!

That same shunt in a F1 car would have been fatal as well. The Safer barrier, a retro-fit to existing NASCAR tracks to lessen G-forces on impacts with wall now has a fatal flaw with catch fence being recessed approx. four feet. If the catch fence was located directly behind metal Safer barrier it's possible this discussion would not be happening. Dan Wheldon sustained fatal injuries when his car became airborne and flipped inverted on top of Safer barrier at high speed shearing off safety roll-hoop of his car.

[LewEngBridewell]

Caught the news while in the car early this morning and was stunned. What a terrible tragedy.

RIP Dan. Far too young.

[racechick]

Its been in my head all day. i cant stop thinking about it.