My colleague Michael Pulman has already covered the circumstances in which racing driver Dan Wheldon was killed at the last IndyCar race of the season on Sunday 16 October 2011.
When I met Dan he was still a newcomer to the world of American open-wheel racing. It was 2000, he was competing in the support package to what was then called the CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) series. A friend had invited me to spend my holiday with her to attend a race and subsequent testing sessions as she was volunteering on the technical checkers’ team and could take a guest along.
British Drivers in America
Dan was not the only Brit in the American ladder series at that time, although he was the least known. Nigel Mansell had started the trend in 1993-5 when he raced for two seasons in IndyCar, winning the championship at his first attempt and setting the precedent for former F1 driver Mark Blundell as well as Dario Franchitti and Dan to follow. I found all of them to be friendly, fun, polite and happy to see another Brit. Dan had more time to himself than the other two, as he was ‘only’ in a support series rather than the main event, so we spent some time with him and the other guys in the Toyota Atlantics and Indy Lights teams during the weekend, especially after the racing was cancelled on the Sunday due to the unseasonably wet weather.
It seems as if the successful trail these drivers blazed is now becoming a well-beaten track, with others such as Justin Wilson, Mike Conway, James Jakes, Martin Plowman, Pippa Mann, Jay Howard and Dillon Battistini following in their footsteps.
Success Abroad, Unknown at Home
As with several ex-pat sportsmen, Dan was much better known in the United States than in his home country. Here in the United Kingdom, we would hear occasional mention of him on the sports news; meantime Stateside, he was becoming a legend. An IndyCar series win and no less than two iconic Indy 500 victories, the last being just a few months ago when he won the centennial running of the race, have ensured his place in motorsport history. He is one of the most successful British drivers of all time, although he has never driven in Formula 1 and did not have a regular drive this year.
Racers or Gamblers?
But the heady mix of 220mph, four cars abreast, tight-cornered ovals and wheel-to-wheel racing will always attract attention, even if, as Mark Blundell pointed out on his Twitter feed, the racing could be seen as too fast, too close and more akin to gambling than racing.
As with the death of Jim Clark, motorsport has lost a talent almost needlessly. Yes, both Clark and Wheldon died pursuing their dream, but just as Jim Clark did not need to take part in the Formula 2 race in which he died, Dan Wheldon did not need to be racing in the IndyCar season finale. Both made their choice, accepting, as all racers do, the risk which accompanies that decision.
As the gamblers Mark Blundell likened them to, sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. Dan Wheldon will be remembered as the centennial Indy 500 winner who left us at the top of his game.
Sources: http://www.indycar.com/drivers/ IZOD Indy Drivers’ List 2011
www.danwheldon.com Official site
http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/125/ Jim Clark Formula1.com page
Paula Thomas - Paula is, among other things, an editor & proofreader. She also enjoys technology - retro or modern - travel, music, motorsport and ...
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