Today, the racing community suffered a terrible loss. Indycar driver Dan Wheldon passed away after a 15 car crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wheldon family.
- Charles Kha
Image from Sam Schmidt Motorsports
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RIP my friends... Rest in Peace...
That's terrible news, condolences to his family.
RIP Dan - I was actually watching as they were viewing the race from his car camera and saw the smoke from the first cars as he was coming around the turn, had no idea that was his car that flew into air hit the gate and burst into flames. Makes me feel like i was there right before the end.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Wheldon. Prayers for his family.
Watched this race live. And this is a very sad day for the Indy Car racing family.
RIP Dan Wheldon and also Rick Huseman who also died today.
R.I.P. Dan
my thoughts and prayers go out to his family
Things like this remind us that racing is still a dangerous sport. Condolences to his friends and family.
RIP. god bless his family
rip dan wheldon.
There are no words I can say in this moment, every loss in our community is a big loss. My regards to his family. Rest in peace.
RIP Dan
I just got back from this race, and watched in person this horrible accident take place. This is another such extreme tragedy, that words fall short of justice. The emotion at the track was that of deep sorrow and a loss of true companionship and comradery. The other drivers really came together in his honor, and gracefully saluted him and his family with five laps in his remembrance. Keep this fantastic driver and his wonderful family in your thoughts and prayers guys, as I will for some time to come. See you on the other side my friend.
He will never be forgotten, my heart goes to his family :/
with upmost respect RIP i have had the pleasure to meet Dan and a sincerely nice man
R.I.P.. you will be missed
The world has lost a truly great racing driver. He was a brit that we could all be proud of. My thoughts go to his wife and kids.
We love u dan!
RIP Dan. U had some fight left in u.
A sad day in motorsports, indeed.
Rest in peace ... Tragic.
I can't understand however, how this kind of race can be allowed in the first place. This many cars on such a small track and damn concrete walls with no run-off area at all. I know the americans for some unknown reason seems to like the oval racing, but this is ridiculous. No matter how safe you make the cars, flying into a solid concrete wall at those speeds ... These terrible things is going to happen. Is it really worth sacrificing human lives for your entertainment? I know the drivers have free will and know the risks and everything, but come on.
And after his death, in a true american romanticizing way, the driver is glorified, made a hero, everyone talks about him going to heaven and all that bullshit. Well wake up and face reality. Learn something from it instead. There is always going to be risks involved in racing, but the risks must be minimized. Having these many cars racing around an oval at those speeds, inches from solid concrete is NOT minimizing risks.
RIP Dan,
While the actual crash could be put down to being a racing incident. I can't help but feel the death could have been prevented the car being equipped with a fighter jet style canopy, being that it seems (just on replay footage, no investigation) that it was his head striking the catchment barrier that probably killed him. Felipe Massa's incident in 2009 should have been enough for the changes to be brought about ASAP in all high speed racing where the drivers are exposed with just a helmet to protect them.
I think I my have heard somewhere that F1 was working on a canopy? Could anyone confirm?....
RIP Dan,
While the actual crash could be put down to being a racing incident. I can't help but feel the death could have been prevented the car being equipped with a fighter jet style canopy, being that it seems (just on replay footage, no investigation) that it was his head striking the catchment barrier that probably killed him. Felipe Massa's incident in 2009 should have been enough for the changes to be brought about ASAP in all high speed racing where the drivers are exposed with just a helmet to protect them.
I think I my have heard somewhere that F1 was working on a canopy? Could anyone confirm?....
Sad day when any race car driver dies doing something he loves. R.I.P.
RIp Dan Wheldon
i just went quiet for a few minutes. it´s weird because every racing fan i know is now saying that car racing should be forbidden. but next race we are al there watching the race again. R.I.P Dan
Dark day in motorsports today. RIP Dan Wheldon and Rick Heusman
Every now and then the sport we love reminds us how dangerous it is, but i don't think for one second that any of the people who lost their lives doing what they love would want tradgedy to be the end of the sport. There is no one behind the wheel of a race car because it's their job. They are all there (professional or amature) because it is something they love. May we learn new things and move forward to keep these people safer and never forget the ones who's tragedy showed us where we need to improve and may their memory be for the great drives and wins in car and not how thier career was cut short. Rest in peace Dan.
descanse en paz
Truly a sad day for his family, team and all of us connected in any way to motor sport.
Its a sad day in motorsports, my condolences goes out to his family.
@Minifreak
That is odd. Not sure why it comes as a shock racing has and always will be dangerous. These drivers understand the risks associated with such a sport, despite this they do it for the love of motorsports.
Safety will always improve.
R.I.P. Dan Wheldon. He was such a great driver. He did so much for the racing community, such as karting (for me). My prayers go out to his family. Such a sad thing to happen.....
RIP dan, thoughts out to the family!!
RIP Dan Wheldon, always a sad day when we lose a driver. Like Doug said above, these drivers understand the risk when they get in the car just like soldiers understand when they go off to fight.
Ernest Hemingway once said "Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports. All others are games". If you don't like it, I encourage you to go watch basketball instead.
RIP Lionheart
There are many articles on Dan and his untimely passing, but this one by friend, Marshall Pruett captures perfectly what many wanted to say but couldn't.
http://www.spotterguides.com/v8-supercars-guide
very sad RIP Dan
sad day indeed
R.I.P