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View Full Version : R.I.P Dan Wheldon 1978-2011


SID210SA
10-16-2011, 03:05 PM
It was just announced that Dan was killed today in the last race of the year in Las Vegas on lap 11.

He had a wife and 2 young children....one of which I believe is 6 months old

Thoughts and prayers go you to you and your family Sir.:(
Marawder
10-16-2011, 07:10 PM
Heard about the news this evening. Quite a shock for sure:bigcry: Prayers to his family and the racing community at large.
beantown mm
10-16-2011, 09:01 PM
what a tradgedy, that crash was absolutely unbelieveable, Prayers to his family !!!
drewb457
10-16-2011, 09:27 PM
it was a horrific crash and dan will be missed by everyone. its was lap 11 also
1stMerc
10-17-2011, 04:51 AM
Heard it on the way home from MV IX. It was the first thing i heard after the GPS/mp3 player started acting up.

Especially tragic since he was having issues with the speeds being so high in pratice.

RIP Dan. He will be missed.
SID210SA
10-17-2011, 05:08 AM
it was a horrific crash and dan will be missed by everyone. its was lap 11 also

Yes it was....sorry heard lap 13, didnt look at it on the screen.....all I could think was how horrible it was.
kernie
10-17-2011, 08:49 AM
So sad, I love open wheel racing, north american style. By all accounts he was a great guy, reminds me of my all time favorite driver Greg Moore who crashed and died 15 years ago.

RIP

:(
Vortex
10-17-2011, 07:13 PM
RIP Dan Wheldon; he was a nice guy and was very talented. I read maybe this wreck will have the same effect Earnharts did for NASCAR. Im no expert but having open wheeled cars zip around a short banked track at 225 mph is just bad. Ive got no problem with Indy (2 1/2 miles long) but running these cars like they do here in Texas is just disaster waiting to happen. Ive read the drivers pressing to make it a road series plus Indy and Id be fine with that. Im sure the track owners would object but I guess we will see over the next few weeks. Hate it when a good driver goes like this. Very sad.
SID210SA
10-18-2011, 05:37 AM
RIP Dan Wheldon; he was a nice guy and was very talented. I read maybe this wreck will have the same effect Earnharts did for NASCAR. Im no expert but having open wheeled cars zip around a short banked track at 225 mph is just bad. Ive got no problem with Indy (2 1/2 miles long) but running these cars like they do here in Texas is just disaster waiting to happen. Ive read the drivers pressing to make it a road series plus Indy and Id be fine with that. Im sure the track owners would object but I guess we will see over the next few weeks. Hate it when a good driver goes like this. Very sad.


Jim,

You hit the nail on the head. Dan Wheldon was actually testing a new car for the Indy series that is supposed to be safer, kind of like what NASCAR was doing with the COT (car of tomorrow). Unfortunately for Dan it was too little, too late, and as long as there is an open cockpit, it will not have much of an affect. Dan went into the catch fence with the open end of the cockpit.