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IndyCar Driver Dan Wheldon Dies in Las Vegas Indy 300 Wreck on Sunday
On Sunday, one of IndyCar's most popular drivers, Dan Wheldon, died at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a massive 15-car pileup that left another three drivers injured. This was the first fatality for IndyCar, since driver Paul Dana was killed at Homestead in 2006.
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The two-time Indy 500 winner, Dan Wheldon, was unable to avoid the tangle of cars just outside turn 2 and his car flew over another and hit the catch fence as it burst into flames. Seconds later, several other cars burst into flames and debris covered almost half of the straightaway. Workers needed to patch the track in certain areas, as the cars had destroyed portions of the asphalt.
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"Things happen in this kind of racing," said driver Wade Cunningham."It's so close. Not much room for error. I was near the front of what caused all this, so I'm not thrilled about it. At this point, whose fault it was is kind of immaterial."ÂÂ
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Wheldon was airlifted from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to University Medical Center and eventually IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard announced the terrible news:
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"IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race."
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In Wheldon's honor, many drivers participated in a 5-lap salute around the 1.5 mile track, while thousands of fans sobbed and cheered from the grandstand.ÂÂ
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Also injured in the accident were JR Hildebrand, Pippa Mann and Will Power. Although both Hildebrand and Mann spent the night in the hospital, they were expected to be released on Monday morning and Power was released on Sunday.
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Dan Wheldon arrived to the U.S. from England in 1999 and won a total of 16 times in his IndyCar career. He ended up in the Las Vegas race due to Bernard's $5 million challenge to any moonlighting driver who could win the season-ending race in Las Vegas.
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"What can you say? We're going to miss him," said Chip Gannasi, Wheldon's former boss. "Everybody in IndyCar died a little today."
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