R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

JB · Oct 16, 2011

Racer and two time Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon did not survive a fiery, 15 car crash today.

You will be overwhelmed with details in the next day or so, so I won't try to elucidate.

Wheldon was one of the good guys. . .good person, good driver and good role model for youngsters seeking a career in motor racing.

GA_Boater · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

And He left a wife and two young children behind. R.I.P.

Summer Fun · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Yep, Prayers sent to his family.

angus63 · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Horrific crash. Thirty three yr old Dad and Husband. Sad...

WIMUSKY · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Definitely a sad day in motorsports...... Heart goes out to his wife and 2 young kids...

aspeck · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

134th career start. Indy's move seemed to be class. Dan Welden will be missed. A good guy. Prayers sent for his wife, kids, and the rest of his family and friends.

WIMUSKY · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Just sat down to eat supper, prayers where sent to his family......

dave11 · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Very sad day. The memorial laps were a fitting end to the race.

KDAVID1 · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

A very sad day--and prayers to his family.

bassman284 · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Thanks, JB. I really wasn't up to opening a thread myself. This just about takes the life out of me.

Dan was a great racer and a fan favorite from the beginning. A complete screwball and full of fun. When he won the Indy 500 this year you would swear that all the 250,000+ fans in attendance were Dan Wheldon fans. Crowd just went wild. He didn't have a ride this year and Indy was a one off. He sat in as a commentator for several of the Indy Car races after the 500 and was outstanding. Robin Miller was on Wind Tunnel tonight and said he talked to Dan after several of those broadcasts and told him it looked like he had a future as a broadcaster. Dan said, "Maybe when I retire 7 or 8 years from now. Right now, I want to race."

With all the advances in safety, we race fans can get a little complacent thinking nothing really big can go wrong, but it is still a deadly sport.

LippCJ7 · Oct 16, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

RIP Dan.

225 MPH on a 1.5 mile oval is not wise, it's insane, with all due respect bassman this no longer has anything to do with "safety". This is physics, 3 cars became airborne in this crash, the last two (including Wheldon) look like they never lifted.

Indy Car got off lucky with only one driver killed, think about that, how can that be a good thing? 15 cars wrecked, 3 cars airborne, 1 driver killed.

This could have been much worse, the cars that took to the air ran into the banking of the turn or the barrier, could you imagine if the wreck had happened in the back stretch? What about the front stretch?

I watched the video a dozen times and all I could think was "this is insane" and I have been involved in racing over 25 years

I really don't know what to say or where to go from here but with Indy Car's history here in the USA and how fragile the sanctioning body has been in the past, this could very well be the most challenging of off seasons for Indy Car.

Fishing Dude too · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

RIP Dan you went out doing what you loved, you took a bet.

Indy was originally an endurance race, now more to test engine design.

Lipp if a boater dies boating should that meen no one should boat?

robert graham · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Very, very sad to see a nice young man, husband, father, die like that, but it's the reality of racing cars, boats, horses, whatever!

WIMUSKY · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Pic of the wreck and article...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/sports/autoracing/Dan-Wheldon-Crash-Vegas-IndyCar.html?_r=1

LippCJ7 · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Fishing Dude too said:
RIP Dan you went out doing what you loved, you took a bet.

Indy was originally an endurance race, now more to test engine design.

Lipp if a boater dies boating should that meen no one should boat?

No not at all, I think that the technology of racing has far exceeded the possibility of being safe for the conditions at a 1.5 mile oval or less. Either IndyCar needs to slow them down or they need to stop racing there.

Its like putting your 30' boat on a 300 acre lake, only your boat goes 225 MPH

QC · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Car technology exceeding track safety is a huge problem. It's the whole reason for Restrictor plates in Nascar. With that said, I have never understood how anyone could survive even a small crash in an open wheel car. Saturday night, Nascar's Jimmie Johnson, had a a very hard crash that 10 - 15 years ago may have been fatal, and that's with a comparably huge car wrapped around him. Seems to me that ovals and open wheel don't really work. Slowing cars down is stupid to me too. Tough formula, but something is not right there. Very sad for sure . . .

sasto · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

A very moving tribute to Dan involving the 5 lap parade. The tiki here was silent throughout. A few watery eyes from some that never heard of him. Godspeed to the family.

I don't want to get into the safety debate, I've done some living on the edge myself. I will say he died doing what he loved, as did an old friend, Dale.

WIMUSKY · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

The open wheel cars are meant to tear apart while leaving the cockpit intact. That's why the suspension/wheels come apart so easy even in the smallest of crashes. The car absorbs the majority of the energy rather than the driver. In Wheldons case, he launched above the barrier and into the fence. All bets were off at that point. I believe the announcers said the top of the cockpit hit the fence which basically didn't give Wheldon a chance.

Ironically, Wheldon was involved in testing cars where safety changes had been made for the 2012 season.

Johnson could have also had grave results if it wasn't for the safer barrier and the HANS Device they're now required to wear.....

QC · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Safety debate sucks, but is inevitable. What has never made sense to me is the exposed head, seems like a solution is possible . . .

QC · Oct 17, 2011

Re: R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

OK, we can have unlimited technology races on one end of the spectrum and M1A1's on the other. But there are still legitimate cost and safety limitations in almost all types of racing, so it seems that this is still an appropriate discussion. Your point is understood Bubba, but does not seem to eliminate possible changes . . .

I am actually serious and curious. I have been confused about this forever. Why is the exposed head required? Why not a roll bar in front of the head as well as behind? Someone enlighten me please.

R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

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