Dan Wheldon killed in crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

[sahyder1]

I won't embed video but if you want you can go watch it here.

Turn on ABC if you are here in the US.

Edited October 16, 2011 by sahyder1

[Rich]

Absolutely gutting

[Katsuya]

Yeah, pretty much what I said in my thread (which I guess can be locked now), just tragic that this happened. RIP.

[darkrayne]

Was watching NFL when I saw this.. what the hell?

I turned to ABC just in time to see the five lap tribute.

No words to describe it.

[The Buscher]

What a tragedy. RIP Dan Wheldon.

[Magus978]

Utterly tragic. They should not have been racing that hard that early.

RIP Dan Wheldon

1978-2011

[ThrillhouseMAX]

I tuned in when I had heard - just in time to catch the five lap tribute. My father teared up, and he never cries for anything. Very tragic.

[Lineker]

So so sad about the death of Dan Wheldon. Whether or not you follow indy car, any death during a race is just a blow to all of motorsport. RIP Dan Wheldon .

[ThrillhouseMAX]

Not just on a motorsports level - its incredibly sad to know that his sons, especially the youngest one, will never know him except through their mother. Just so hard to imagine.

[Rich]

Only reason he was there racing was that he was taking up an offer for an independent to go in and race for a $5mil prize. Leaves behind his wife and two children. As a huge motor racing fan for my entire life I know this happens, but it is never the less absolutely horrible when it does. RIP Dan Wheldon, my thoughts are with his family.

[Mountainous Cleavage]

I'm not even a fan of motorsports, but this is just a shame to see happen. Horrible way to go, and my total sympathy and condolences goes out to his family.

R.I.P Dan

Edited October 16, 2011 by Closed and Moved to Archives

[gunnar hendershow]

Terrible crash, on the video I saw I couldn't even tell which person was Wheldon. He could have been any of 10 cars in that wreck, if there's one positive from this crash it's that he was the only casualty.

RIP. Terrible tragedy.

[Lineker]

Dallara's 2012 IndyCar chassis will be named in honour of Dan Wheldon, the Italian racing car constructor has confirmed.

Wheldon, who died from head injuries sustained in a 15-car pile-up at the IndyCar season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Sunday, had conducted all the testing of the new-for-2012 car during the second half of this year.

Company chairman Gianpaolo Dallara believes that naming the car after him is a fitting tribute to the 2005 series champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, who achieved all his 16 victories in the series in Dallara machinery.

"Dan lives in the memory of everybody at Dallara. He has been a true champion; not only because of his many victories, but and above everything else, because he has been a true and warm man to all the people he encountered," said Dallara.

"All people at Dallara always enjoyed meeting him in Italy and in the USA. We will honor his memory for the years to come by dedicating the Dallara IndyCar 2012 in his name. He deserves that."

Dallara, has not confirmed the codename of the new car. A number of suggestions have been made, however. Among them was an idea by IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe to name it the DW 001.

Will Phillips, IndyCar's vice-president of technology, said that development of next year's car, which has revolved around the Dallara body kit mated to a spec chassis also designed and built by the company, said: "His input [to the programme] was just fantastic; it was all about making a better product and a safer car for the drivers.

"It's very difficult not having his continued presence to carry it [development] through."