Dan Wheldon was one of the greatest drivers to have ever raced in IndyCar. The British driver from Buckinghamshire was one of the most popular in the sport, winning the Indianapolis 500 twice and the championship in 2005, as well as winning the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona. He earned the nickname “Lionheart” and was also dubbed “DDub” by the likes of close friend Dario Franchitti. His win at the Indy 500 in 2011, with the small team, ran by Brian Herta and after a final lap crash for JR Hildebrand is one of the most memorable in the history of the race.
Tragically, the world of motorsport would lose Wheldon after a horrible crash at the 2011 IndyCar finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It's an accident that still resonates through the sport and one that shocked the whole world of racing. It is now just over ten years since that fateful day on October 16th, 2011. And Wheldon is still remembered fondly by those that raced with him, those who watched him race, and even by those who perhaps didn’t get the chance to see him race. Ten years on, we remember Lionheart.
Starting Out In IndyCar
Wheldon’s IndyCar career started out with Panther Racing in 2002. After taking on a test role with the team, and he stood in for Franchitti at the Andretti-Green team in 2003 at the IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi, finishing in 7th place. Franchitti soon returned but Wheldon stepped in full time after team-owner Michael Andretti retired from racing, and Wheldon would finish the year with 9 top tens, 5 top fives, and a podium to his name. The following year was a strong one for Wheldon with a multitude of podium finishes, and won his first IndyCar race at Twin Ring Motegi and took more wins at Richmond and Nazareth.
The 2005 season though was where Wheldon really shone. He took four wins out of the first five races of the year and claimed his first Indy 500 win, becoming the first Brit to win the race since Graham Hill in 1966. Another two wins followed before Wheldon clinched his one and only IndyCar title at Watkins Glen. Wheldon left Andretti at the end of the year and headed off to Chip Ganassi Racing, and Wheldon again fought for that title in one of the closest battles in the series history, the title ultimately going to Sam Hornish Jr.
Later Years In IndyCar
Wheldon’s last couple of years at Ganassi yielded another four victories before he headed off to Panther Racing, the team that gave him his IndyCar break, for 2009 and 2010. Despite his best efforts, Wheldon was not able to win any more races with his old team and he found himself out of a ride for the 2011 season. Then an old friend in the form of Brian Herta gave Wheldon a call, offering him a race with his Brian Herta Autosport team at the Indy 500.
This would be one of the most remarkable races in Indy 500s history. As the final pit stops cycled through, JR Hildebrand, driving for Wheldon’s old team Panther Racing, took the lead with two laps to go. Then, lapping Charlie Kimball in the final corner, he drifted wide and into the wall. This allowed Wheldon to come down the main straight, pass Hildebrand, and, in one of the greatest ever race in Indy 500 history, win his second Indy 500. Wheldon was overjoyed with his first win in IndyCar for some three years, a win that would sadly be his last ever.
The Crash At IndyCar Las Vegas 2011
The story of what happened that day, October 16th, 2011, is well documented. Wheldon was racing for a $5 million dollar win, if he came in as an outsider driver, not the regular season, and win the race. Wheldon was the man then CEO of IndyCar Randy Bernard chose to run for the bonus. Wheldon had spent the rest of 2011 as an NBC reporter and also test driving the new IndyCar for 2012 onwards. So, ready to split the money with a fan, Wheldon got ready to race in las Vegas Driving for Sam Schmidt’s team, Wheldon would start the race last, but was making up places in the race, before the tragedy unfolded.
Lionheart Will Live Forever
We all know why the crash happened. We all know what took Dan's life. We all know that IndyCar should never have raced at Las Vegas. We also know though that Wheldon was just doing what he loved most, and ten years on from that day, he has certainly not been forgotten. The new 2012 IR-12, the car Wheldon had helped test, would be renamed the DW12 in his honor. Wheldon is remembered fondly as one of the best to ever haul an IndyCar around the track, and one of the best love characters in the entire sport. We miss you, Dan.
Sources: Bleacher Report, DNA India, Toldeo Blade, Speedsport Magazine, AL, Autoweek, Speed Cafe