I watched that race live. Rest in peace Dan Wheldon. I know you're racing with the legends in IndyCar in heaven. What pisses me off the most is that the whole thing could have been avoided
I think the Las Vegas crash was possibly the first time I'd even heard of IndyCar, and that was only because of the minute's silence held for him (and MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli) at the Indian Grand Prix at the end of October (October 2011 was not a good month for top-flight racing, with Wheldon's crash occurring on the 16th and Simoncelli's crash at Sepang on the 23rd). The other times I'd come across the series over the following few years were thanks to Dario Franchitti's enforced retirement after his massive crash at Houston in 2013 and Justin Wilson's crash at Pocono in 2015. It wasn't until Fernando Alonso was announced to do the Indy 500 in 2017 that I really started to take an interest in IndyCar (was that all the same or similar for you, as fellow Brits?). (Talking of which, Franchitti and Wilson would both be good drivers to do a video on.) I found the race on TH-cam not long ago and watched up until the incident. Start to caution encompassed four and a half minutes. Even knowing what happened on lap 11 it was scary to watch (how Ryan Briscoe and Alex Tagliani didn't end up causing a huge crash when they touched on lap 6 I don't know). I'm not a fan of pack racing at the best of times but from watching the opening laps of Las Vegas it felt like something huge was inevitable; there was virtually no field spread and it never settled down, there was no way that could have gone on like that for 200 laps. And the crash was horrific.
Yeah very similar actually, but sadly I think I even missed the Dan death and Franchitti retirement, though I do remember the Wilson incident. But yeah Fernando was the first proper 500 we watched in 2017 and 2020 is when it all came together properly as a fan! Franchitti is on the list and Wilson definitely will be covered at some point too! Yeah I watched it all to get a feel of the day in retrospect and was incredibly hard to watch. Doing the video and looking into his career actually got quite a deep connection to Dan from it. Which feels really strange as I never watched him race live or was aware of him till our time getting into IndyCar. But just seemed a great racer and a great guy.
@@IndyFanatics Heh, I followed the rest of the 2017 season and it all kicked on from there for me! Especially with the universal aerokit making the cars look much better (the Honda and Chevrolet ones looked ok in oval trim but were ugly on the other circuits. Even the DW12's original Dallara aerokits used in 2012-14 looked better, and they made the cars look a bit like toys)! The Dallara DW12, of course, being named after Dan Wheldon. 2021 was its tenth season of usage by IndyCar.
Thanks for posting this video. I grew up Indianapolis so spent a lot of May's obsessed with the Indy 500. In 2011 I was finally able to share a race with my son. We were in Las Vegas on October 16th. The excitement of sitting in the stands next to my young boy!!!! Introducing him to an experience that I grew up with. Then the race started and it was horrific, as those 11 laps looked like watching water go down a drain. Then the accident and the vigil of waiting for news about Dan.
That Karting lineup from the 90's was stacked. You had Button, Wheleon, Justin Wilson, Anthony Davidson, and Jay Howatd going at it. They have tons of old footage from those races on TH-cam.
Very nice video. I got into Indycar in 2013. I have been to New Castle Motor Sports Park for the Dan Wheldon Pro-Am Memorial Race and I have seen his kids race there. I hope we get to see them in IndyCar some day. Amazing that the family still has the same devotion to motor racing as their father had.
Thanks Mark, glad we did Dan's memory well. It is admirable, from the interviews I've seen the family just seem connected to the race track, Susie feels at peace there and the boys love it. Definitely think it helps them be closer to their dad.
I still remember where I was during the race in vegas. He was such a Great guy! I had the honor of racing against him in Karting and he was always a person to look up too.
💔💔💔 Thx for this great tribute & thx for not showing video of that '11 Vegas race. I haven't watched it since that day. Marshall Pruett also penned a nice article for Racer Mag for those interested in Dan.
Yeah Marshall's article was a really good read about a really tough subject. No problem at all Jim, glad we did Dan justice. Always think with fatal crashes it's a person's choice if they want to watch it, will never put one in a video.
Great video gents! Mr. Wheldon is very much missed. His inability to get funding for that Panther ride in 2003 was probably a blessing in disguise. That was the year the Chevy teams struggled badly with lack of power, remedied only by the "Gen 4" (Cosworth) engine (Chevy, Powered by Ford). Panther had slight success until then, mostly because Sam could drive a very trimmed out car, something Dan was likely too inexperienced at the time to do. In another Panther tie in, that '03 Indy crash was totally his fault, he threw a wicked block on Hornish and entered Turn 3 too low. There's even audio of the stewards warning him about blocking as he's hitting the wall. My younger sister liked him as well, and at Detroit in '07, while visiting the CGR merch booth, I got him to call her, when it went to voicemail, he was kind enough to leave a nice message. I got supercool "camo" hat based on his car at Indy in '09, and was fortunate enough to has him sign it the next week at Milwaukee. I treasure it. His departure from Panther was also greatly influenced by the fact that the teem had a bad habit of not paying him on time. While I'm pretty sure he got everything he was owed, by 2010 it had deteriorated pretty badly and it took his lawyer showing up to a race weekend and talking to John Barnes. Barnes was (probably still is) a scumbag, whose absence from the paddock upsets very few. The morning of that fateful race in Las Vegas, Dan had actually signed a contract to return to Andretti for 2012, a car that would end up being driven by James Hinchcliffe Slight correction, LVMS was not a particularly unsafe track. The biggest issue at that race was the aero package that wouldn't let cars break away from each other and a whopping 31 cars being on a 1.5 mile track. After the wreck, the announcers were silent for 30+ minutes, and you knew something was very wrong. Had his car gone bottom first into the fence, things would likely turned out differently, but alas. While he was hardly a slouch on road courses, that St. Pete win was his only one. Like Arie Luyendyk before him, Dan really took to ovals, despite having no background in them and became a real fan favorite, especially at the Brickyard. On an amusing note, there was a joke from the other drivers (mostly his AGR buds) out there that his face is on the Borg-Warner trophy twice, with two different sets of teeth.
Thanks for the correction Scott, from the research I'd done and obviously a few would have been influenced by hindsight, thought it was a combination of the package that led to pack racing but also the track itself wasn't particularly safe for IndyCar's, though realise NASCAR run there relatively well. That is sad about the Andretti contract, on that basis I'd have a strong feeling he would have had more success in the series. The crash itself despite the concerns was just bad luck of how he crashed and where the impact was, but always sad when you lose a driver. Sounds like a great guy and those memorabilia and memories are great to hang onto! As always Scott thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 😊
@@IndyFanatics Happy to help. It's the "advantage" of having lived through these things. Much of what happened is lost to time in a great many respects and I want to pass on anything I know, sorry of you lads are the recipients. That first year at LVMS was plagued by dust on the track as the facility infrastructure wasn't yet complete, and that spec of car was ill-suited to the track. Though TMS is slightly wider, Vegas isn't as highly banked and even ChampCar ran there a couple of times ('04-'05), with Sebastian Bourdais winning two very safe races. Like most fatalities in racing, it was a combination of bad things coming together. I don't say that to be glib or mean, just that people who race cars know there is the chance they will be killed doing so. Dan knew that as well and I am just happy about the current infrequency of such things.
@@scottmiller1531 I'm very happy you have chosen our comments to be the place where you pass on your knowledge. Absolutely love learning more about the sport from yourself and others in these comments sections. Motorsport you're right will always be dangerous, but like you said, it's good that these things have become far less frequent than they were.
Thanks for this wonderful and heartfelt tribute to a legend of the sport. I got to see the 2011 win and it ranks as a true highlight - the 100th anniversary of the first 500. I actually got to participate in an ESPN moderated virtual chat the day after the race. Dan was humble and understood the significance and responsibility of being a multiple 500 winner. The day of his death, I attended a Green Bay Packer game and hurried home with worry and anxiety after because I felt the race was going to be dangerous. I was watching the pre-race broadcast on delay and before the race started, got a text alert of what had happened. I never watched it. Remembered and missed by fans and his competitors. Love the channel and the passion you guys put into it.
I'm glad we were able to do Dan justice. Wonderful man and a superb driver. Just everything about it is sad and what he left behind. But his memory lives on. Thanks for all your support of us, we really appreciate it 😊
Really great tribute to Dan. I never saw him race but your video has helped me understand just how talented and well liked he was. Def gone far too soon. RIP Lionheart.
My favorite driver ever. I've cried twice in the last 10 years. Once when my brothers dog died and the other when Dan died. Don't have a favorite driver now.
I imagine it being so tough to follow a driver so closely after what happened to Dan. You can see what he meant to everyone and fans like yourself it was just so easy to like him! Such a sad loss.
I never saw it happen until I was watching the Las Vegas race and he had his crash. I will never resent the continuous drive to make Indy, F1 and all the other open wheel cars more safe even if it takes away from the aesthetics of the cars.
Yeah absolutely, safety is paramount and should be valued above all else. There will always be danger, but need to make it as safe as we can of course!
I remember this so vividly, I was really proud to have an Englishman champion of Indy cars. I still think of him often. I don’t know why I think it was the first time I had Lost one of my heroes, I guess. RIP mr Weldon I really hope your boys make it In racing 🥺👍
I was watching that very race at home when he crashed and died we missing him on till today Dan the man and on that point that I thought and realized that Motorsport is dangerous
You know it's really hard to process when a sport from which you derive so much delight rips your heart out and makes you feel sick for a long time thereafter. We all felt like we knew him. Great Tribute to one of the series best drivers. I'm sure this would have pleased Daniel.
Yeah I can only imagine. It was really tough with Jules and Antoine for me. But obviously wasn't following the series for Wheldon and Wilson. But Dan's seems like it was really hard to take. Thanks Greg, glad we could do his memory proud.
This is a really good video, you guys. Just a small correction that I've seen other videos make as well. When Andretti-Green unveiled their 2003 lineup (they literally had all their cars displyed in the IMS Museum for the announcement), the intention was always for Michael to retire after Indy and for Dan to start at Indy and finish out the season in the Jim Beam/Klein Tools #26. It wasn't that Dan's program was short on funding necessarily, it was by design to allow Michael to have one more shot at Indy without running an extra car in the races before the 500. I think 7-11 is headquartered in Texas, which is why Dan ran the #7 car as in the photo shown in the video.
Thanks Steve, appreciate the correction, missed that it was always planned and makes sense really as Indy was so soon into the season. Appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment and glad it was a good tribute for Dan
10 years ago today. We miss you Dan. I watched the whole thing on the International TV feed in the UK and we saw things you did not see on US TV. It was horrific and no one has ever spoken about it. Poor Pippa Mann, that woman is the bravest driver ever after what we saw her go through on that night.
It's been scarred in my memories....It was my first time that I'd be shown how dangerous this sport is. I wasn't able to comprehend nor process what happened. I got to say It didn't feel right for the broadcast to end abruptly as soon as the tribute laps were completed. But then again what was there to talk about?
I give the announcers so much credit for that broadcast. Marty Reid, and especially Eddie Cheever and Scott Goodyear knew something was very wrong long before his death was announced and you can hear the concern in their voices for nearly two hours. The TV window was closing and I think the broadcast team just wanted to get off the air. Pit reporter Jamie Little was very close with Dan and was the one onsite at the hospital, broadcasting the situation as it happened. The "race" is on YT in it's entirety and while it is historically significant, it's a tough watch.
Yup I can't imagine what it was like to process watching it and also being there. One of the true dark days in motorsport. Difficult like you said to really say anything more, it was just so sad and I think people just needed time to process it.
@@scottmiller1531 You're right Scott, As soon as you see the tarps, usually nothing good is going to follow. Pippa's car had a tarp, bet there was Pippa. The other tarp appeared to be on the 77. From that shape of the tarp it was clear there was no longer a roll hoop (air box?) That was extremely disturbing.. Dare I say grim? (And the broadcast team knew what they were seeing too No doubt, We have no idea what the commentators were hearing in their ear pieces & what was discussed in the numerous Commercial breaks. But they didn't mention it.) When I saw that 77 tarp, I began to 'abandon all hope' Seeing that shot again bothers me much more than seeing the accident again which is too ludicrous to really pick anything out for very long..
Excellent video on dan and so sad that he is gone but he will not be forgotten, between your video and pruett"s story on racer it's great to see how much dan meant to indycar and the fans
Thanks Chadwick, I'm glad we could do our bit to help remember Dan. That Marshall piece was very moving. Just a sad end to such a wonderful career cut short.
I got to meet Dan Wheldon at Indy in 2007 and see him win 4 races in person 2 times at Kansas Speedway in 2007 and 2008 and his 2 Indy 500 wins in 2005 and 2011 I remember it was just a week after I turned 18 is when he got killed in that horrible Las Vegas race was watching it on TV with my parents and my younger brother I knew it was bad when I saw the helicopter starting up and how time kept passing and there was no updates my dad said this isn't good if he was ok they would have announced something by now when I finally knew he probably passed away is when Tony Kannan was being hugged by his car owner and wife but when the official announcement came I cried for probably a whole week as he was my 2nd favorite growing up behind Helio Castroneves
Thanks for sharing your personal story. It was tough for so many because he was such a great guy on and off the track. You will always have those memories, but sad he was taken far too soon.
We always lose someone once in a while with racing, from 1hp to 750hp. But they all have one thing in common, the rider to the driver. But not always 4 wheels sometimes 2 wheels brothers losing brothers, to fathers as well. But to them all , they were the modern knights of battle, as they race against each other to better themselves. The winner wears the laurels and the gold, whereas 2nd gets you silver, 3rd the bronze. But two others look on at the winner, knowing they could have won it. But there's always the cheques to pay and sometimes that cheque is the one that leaves an empty space once there was a brave Knight . But all we can say, is race on and win that final race.
Absolutely great sentiment Neil. We lose people, it never feels right, but motorsport is dangerous by its very nature and they know the risk. For his legacy, you could argue Dan has stepped on the top step for his final race.
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since he died 😭
RIP Dan “Lionheart” Wheldon 😭😭😭😭
It's crazy it's been so long and what an impact he still has!
Nice tribute to a great champion. RIP
Thanks Paul, glad we did him justice!
I was 19 when the tragedy happened, and watched it live with my dad. Not afraid to see we both teared up.
That was a lovely tribute to Dan. R.I.P Dan
Glad we could do him justice!
I watched that race live. Rest in peace Dan Wheldon. I know you're racing with the legends in IndyCar in heaven. What pisses me off the most is that the whole thing could have been avoided
I'm sure he will be racing with the greats up there. He deserves the tag of legend for sure. A sad sad day
I can't believe its been a decade - Rest in Peace Lionheart
It is crazy that it's been that long already. Still doesn't make it easier for his family and the IndyCar community I'm sure.
A legendary driver that was gone too soon.
One of the best drivers to ever race in IndyCar.
He certainly was one of the modern greats and we'll never know what else he could have gone on to achieve! A great man!
Great job guys! Great video on a great driver! R.I.P.
Thanks Mike, glad we did the great man justice! He is missed!
I miss my friend. 🙏🏁 Excellent video gentlemen.
A great racer and a great man
I cannot believe that it's been 10 years. RIP
It's been a long time, but imagine it feels like yesterday for a lot of people
I think the Las Vegas crash was possibly the first time I'd even heard of IndyCar, and that was only because of the minute's silence held for him (and MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli) at the Indian Grand Prix at the end of October (October 2011 was not a good month for top-flight racing, with Wheldon's crash occurring on the 16th and Simoncelli's crash at Sepang on the 23rd). The other times I'd come across the series over the following few years were thanks to Dario Franchitti's enforced retirement after his massive crash at Houston in 2013 and Justin Wilson's crash at Pocono in 2015. It wasn't until Fernando Alonso was announced to do the Indy 500 in 2017 that I really started to take an interest in IndyCar (was that all the same or similar for you, as fellow Brits?).
(Talking of which, Franchitti and Wilson would both be good drivers to do a video on.)
I found the race on TH-cam not long ago and watched up until the incident. Start to caution encompassed four and a half minutes. Even knowing what happened on lap 11 it was scary to watch (how Ryan Briscoe and Alex Tagliani didn't end up causing a huge crash when they touched on lap 6 I don't know). I'm not a fan of pack racing at the best of times but from watching the opening laps of Las Vegas it felt like something huge was inevitable; there was virtually no field spread and it never settled down, there was no way that could have gone on like that for 200 laps. And the crash was horrific.
Yeah very similar actually, but sadly I think I even missed the Dan death and Franchitti retirement, though I do remember the Wilson incident. But yeah Fernando was the first proper 500 we watched in 2017 and 2020 is when it all came together properly as a fan!
Franchitti is on the list and Wilson definitely will be covered at some point too!
Yeah I watched it all to get a feel of the day in retrospect and was incredibly hard to watch. Doing the video and looking into his career actually got quite a deep connection to Dan from it. Which feels really strange as I never watched him race live or was aware of him till our time getting into IndyCar. But just seemed a great racer and a great guy.
@@IndyFanatics Heh, I followed the rest of the 2017 season and it all kicked on from there for me! Especially with the universal aerokit making the cars look much better (the Honda and Chevrolet ones looked ok in oval trim but were ugly on the other circuits. Even the DW12's original Dallara aerokits used in 2012-14 looked better, and they made the cars look a bit like toys)!
The Dallara DW12, of course, being named after Dan Wheldon. 2021 was its tenth season of usage by IndyCar.
Great job as usual guys👍🏼
Thankyou! Glad we did a good job for Dan!
Thanks for posting this video. I grew up Indianapolis so spent a lot of May's obsessed with the Indy 500. In 2011 I was finally able to share a race with my son. We were in Las Vegas on October 16th. The excitement of sitting in the stands next to my young boy!!!! Introducing him to an experience that I grew up with. Then the race started and it was horrific, as those 11 laps looked like watching water go down a drain. Then the accident and the vigil of waiting for news about Dan.
Oh Harry, that is so so sad as a first experience together. But in glad the video was appreciated. Sad loss for everyone.
That Karting lineup from the 90's was stacked. You had Button, Wheleon, Justin Wilson, Anthony Davidson, and Jay Howatd going at it. They have tons of old footage from those races on TH-cam.
Yeah it is often described as a golden generation of English karters isn't it! Great generation of talent there, so sad we've now lost 2 of them.
This is like the fourth Dan wheldon doc I’ve seen today. Well done.
Was always going to be the day so many remembered. Thanks for watching
Well done tribute.
Thanks, glad we did Dan justice
Very nice video. I got into Indycar in 2013. I have been to New Castle Motor Sports Park for the Dan Wheldon Pro-Am Memorial Race and I have seen his kids race there. I hope we get to see them in IndyCar some day. Amazing that the family still has the same devotion to motor racing as their father had.
Thanks Mark, glad we did Dan's memory well. It is admirable, from the interviews I've seen the family just seem connected to the race track, Susie feels at peace there and the boys love it. Definitely think it helps them be closer to their dad.
I would have seen a future popular star. R.I.P Dan
It's so sad we never got to see what else he could achieve on a track and in life!
@@IndyFanatics Do You Like Graham Rahal
@@jefferyrobertson7520 I do, yes!
@@IndyFanatics You're Welcome
Thank you for this, very well done.
Thankyou, glad we could do Dan justice!
I still remember where I was during the race in vegas. He was such a Great guy! I had the honor of racing against him in Karting and he was always a person to look up too.
That is a great memory to have of him! But yeah great guy, just a sad loss for everyone.
💔💔💔
Thx for this great tribute & thx for not showing video of that '11 Vegas race. I haven't watched it since that day.
Marshall Pruett also penned a nice article for Racer Mag for those interested in Dan.
Yeah Marshall's article was a really good read about a really tough subject. No problem at all Jim, glad we did Dan justice. Always think with fatal crashes it's a person's choice if they want to watch it, will never put one in a video.
Great video gents! Mr. Wheldon is very much missed. His inability to get funding for that Panther ride in 2003 was probably a blessing in disguise. That was the year the Chevy teams struggled badly with lack of power, remedied only by the "Gen 4" (Cosworth) engine (Chevy, Powered by Ford). Panther had slight success until then, mostly because Sam could drive a very trimmed out car, something Dan was likely too inexperienced at the time to do. In another Panther tie in, that '03 Indy crash was totally his fault, he threw a wicked block on Hornish and entered Turn 3 too low. There's even audio of the stewards warning him about blocking as he's hitting the wall.
My younger sister liked him as well, and at Detroit in '07, while visiting the CGR merch booth, I got him to call her, when it went to voicemail, he was kind enough to leave a nice message. I got supercool "camo" hat based on his car at Indy in '09, and was fortunate enough to has him sign it the next week at Milwaukee. I treasure it. His departure from Panther was also greatly influenced by the fact that the teem had a bad habit of not paying him on time. While I'm pretty sure he got everything he was owed, by 2010 it had deteriorated pretty badly and it took his lawyer showing up to a race weekend and talking to John Barnes. Barnes was (probably still is) a scumbag, whose absence from the paddock upsets very few. The morning of that fateful race in Las Vegas, Dan had actually signed a contract to return to Andretti for 2012, a car that would end up being driven by James Hinchcliffe
Slight correction, LVMS was not a particularly unsafe track. The biggest issue at that race was the aero package that wouldn't let cars break away from each other and a whopping 31 cars being on a 1.5 mile track. After the wreck, the announcers were silent for 30+ minutes, and you knew something was very wrong. Had his car gone bottom first into the fence, things would likely turned out differently, but alas.
While he was hardly a slouch on road courses, that St. Pete win was his only one. Like Arie Luyendyk before him, Dan really took to ovals, despite having no background in them and became a real fan favorite, especially at the Brickyard. On an amusing note, there was a joke from the other drivers (mostly his AGR buds) out there that his face is on the Borg-Warner trophy twice, with two different sets of teeth.
Thanks for the correction Scott, from the research I'd done and obviously a few would have been influenced by hindsight, thought it was a combination of the package that led to pack racing but also the track itself wasn't particularly safe for IndyCar's, though realise NASCAR run there relatively well.
That is sad about the Andretti contract, on that basis I'd have a strong feeling he would have had more success in the series. The crash itself despite the concerns was just bad luck of how he crashed and where the impact was, but always sad when you lose a driver.
Sounds like a great guy and those memorabilia and memories are great to hang onto! As always Scott thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 😊
@@IndyFanatics Happy to help. It's the "advantage" of having lived through these things. Much of what happened is lost to time in a great many respects and I want to pass on anything I know, sorry of you lads are the recipients. That first year at LVMS was plagued by dust on the track as the facility infrastructure wasn't yet complete, and that spec of car was ill-suited to the track. Though TMS is slightly wider, Vegas isn't as highly banked and even ChampCar ran there a couple of times ('04-'05), with Sebastian Bourdais winning two very safe races.
Like most fatalities in racing, it was a combination of bad things coming together. I don't say that to be glib or mean, just that people who race cars know there is the chance they will be killed doing so. Dan knew that as well and I am just happy about the current infrequency of such things.
@@scottmiller1531 I'm very happy you have chosen our comments to be the place where you pass on your knowledge. Absolutely love learning more about the sport from yourself and others in these comments sections.
Motorsport you're right will always be dangerous, but like you said, it's good that these things have become far less frequent than they were.
Lovely video. Pays a tremendous amount of respect to his legacy. thank you for sharing!
Great tribute
Thanks Bruce!
Thanks for this wonderful and heartfelt tribute to a legend of the sport. I got to see the 2011 win and it ranks as a true highlight - the 100th anniversary of the first 500. I actually got to participate in an ESPN moderated virtual chat the day after the race. Dan was humble and understood the significance and responsibility of being a multiple 500 winner. The day of his death, I attended a Green Bay Packer game and hurried home with worry and anxiety after because I felt the race was going to be dangerous. I was watching the pre-race broadcast on delay and before the race started, got a text alert of what had happened. I never watched it. Remembered and missed by fans and his competitors.
Love the channel and the passion you guys put into it.
I'm glad we were able to do Dan justice. Wonderful man and a superb driver. Just everything about it is sad and what he left behind. But his memory lives on.
Thanks for all your support of us, we really appreciate it 😊
Really great tribute to Dan. I never saw him race but your video has helped me understand just how talented and well liked he was. Def gone far too soon. RIP Lionheart.
I'm glad we did Dan justice Kaitey! Gone too soon indeed. RIP Dan
Gone to soon ... A great talent 👏
Absolutely was
My favorite driver ever. I've cried twice in the last 10 years. Once when my brothers dog died and the other when Dan died. Don't have a favorite driver now.
I imagine it being so tough to follow a driver so closely after what happened to Dan. You can see what he meant to everyone and fans like yourself it was just so easy to like him! Such a sad loss.
A british indycar great rip dan wheldon.
He absolutely was!
I never saw it happen until I was watching the Las Vegas race and he had his crash. I will never resent the continuous drive to make Indy, F1 and all the other open wheel cars more safe even if it takes away from the aesthetics of the cars.
Yeah absolutely, safety is paramount and should be valued above all else. There will always be danger, but need to make it as safe as we can of course!
I remember this so vividly, I was really proud to have an Englishman champion of Indy cars. I still think of him often. I don’t know why I think it was the first time I had Lost one of my heroes, I guess. RIP mr Weldon I really hope your boys make it In racing 🥺👍
I was watching that very race at home when he crashed and died we missing him on till today Dan the man and on that point that I thought and realized that Motorsport is dangerous
Horrible one to watch I imagine Gianni. Yeah it very much brought the dangers of motorsport into focus for sure. Sad loss for the sport
@@IndyFanatics yup I heard the next day that he died in the car from the job that he loved the most
I miss Dan. So happy that I was able to interact with him at Indy that year for just a few moments.
Great moments for you to have a memory off. Was a tough blow to lose him
RIP
You know it's really hard to process when a sport from which you derive so much delight rips your heart out and makes you feel sick for a long time thereafter. We all felt like we knew him. Great Tribute to one of the series best drivers. I'm sure this would have pleased Daniel.
Yeah I can only imagine. It was really tough with Jules and Antoine for me. But obviously wasn't following the series for Wheldon and Wilson. But Dan's seems like it was really hard to take. Thanks Greg, glad we could do his memory proud.
Beautiful video💜
Thankyou, glad we did him justice!
R.I.P Dan🦁🇬🇧🏁
RIP to a great of our sport!
This is a really good video, you guys. Just a small correction that I've seen other videos make as well. When Andretti-Green unveiled their 2003 lineup (they literally had all their cars displyed in the IMS Museum for the announcement), the intention was always for Michael to retire after Indy and for Dan to start at Indy and finish out the season in the Jim Beam/Klein Tools #26. It wasn't that Dan's program was short on funding necessarily, it was by design to allow Michael to have one more shot at Indy without running an extra car in the races before the 500. I think 7-11 is headquartered in Texas, which is why Dan ran the #7 car as in the photo shown in the video.
Thanks Steve, appreciate the correction, missed that it was always planned and makes sense really as Indy was so soon into the season.
Appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment and glad it was a good tribute for Dan
@@IndyFanatics You guys are doing great work promoting Indycar to potential new fans so these videos are greatly appreciated!
@@stevenkilsdonk2046 Thanks Steven. If we can help draw more people's attention to this fantastic sport then we will do all we can to help!
10 years ago today. We miss you Dan.
I watched the whole thing on the International TV feed in the UK and we saw things you did not see on US TV. It was horrific and no one has ever spoken about it. Poor Pippa Mann, that woman is the bravest driver ever after what we saw her go through on that night.
Horrendous day all round for so many, just a sad day in the history of the sport!
It's been scarred in my memories....It was my first time that I'd be shown how dangerous this sport is. I wasn't able to comprehend nor process what happened.
I got to say It didn't feel right for the broadcast to end abruptly as soon as the tribute laps were completed. But then again what was there to talk about?
I give the announcers so much credit for that broadcast. Marty Reid, and especially Eddie Cheever and Scott Goodyear knew something was very wrong long before his death was announced and you can hear the concern in their voices for nearly two hours. The TV window was closing and I think the broadcast team just wanted to get off the air. Pit reporter Jamie Little was very close with Dan and was the one onsite at the hospital, broadcasting the situation as it happened. The "race" is on YT in it's entirety and while it is historically significant, it's a tough watch.
Yup I can't imagine what it was like to process watching it and also being there. One of the true dark days in motorsport. Difficult like you said to really say anything more, it was just so sad and I think people just needed time to process it.
@@scottmiller1531 Yeah I just can't watch it. . .it's still difficult. I don't think I'd be able to ever step on to that speedway.
@@scottmiller1531 You're right Scott, As soon as you see the tarps, usually nothing good is going to follow. Pippa's car had a tarp, bet there was Pippa. The other tarp appeared to be on the 77. From that shape of the tarp it was clear there was no longer a roll hoop (air box?) That was extremely disturbing.. Dare I say grim? (And the broadcast team knew what they were seeing too No doubt, We have no idea what the commentators were hearing in their ear pieces & what was discussed in the numerous Commercial breaks. But they didn't mention it.) When I saw that 77 tarp, I began to 'abandon all hope' Seeing that shot again bothers me much more than seeing the accident again which is too ludicrous to really pick anything out for very long..
Excellent video on dan and so sad that he is gone but he will not be forgotten, between your video and pruett"s story on racer it's great to see how much dan meant to indycar and the fans
Thanks Chadwick, I'm glad we could do our bit to help remember Dan. That Marshall piece was very moving. Just a sad end to such a wonderful career cut short.
I got to meet Dan Wheldon at Indy in 2007 and see him win 4 races in person 2 times at Kansas Speedway in 2007 and 2008 and his 2 Indy 500 wins in 2005 and 2011 I remember it was just a week after I turned 18 is when he got killed in that horrible Las Vegas race was watching it on TV with my parents and my younger brother I knew it was bad when I saw the helicopter starting up and how time kept passing and there was no updates my dad said this isn't good if he was ok they would have announced something by now when I finally knew he probably passed away is when Tony Kannan was being hugged by his car owner and wife but when the official announcement came I cried for probably a whole week as he was my 2nd favorite growing up behind Helio Castroneves
Thanks for sharing your personal story. It was tough for so many because he was such a great guy on and off the track. You will always have those memories, but sad he was taken far too soon.
👌👌👌
We always lose someone once in a while with racing, from 1hp to 750hp.
But they all have one thing in common, the rider to the driver.
But not always 4 wheels sometimes 2 wheels brothers losing brothers, to fathers as well.
But to them all , they were the modern knights of battle, as they race against each other to better themselves.
The winner wears the laurels and the gold, whereas 2nd gets you silver, 3rd the bronze. But two others look on at the winner, knowing they could have won it.
But there's always the cheques to pay and sometimes that cheque is the one that leaves an empty space once there was a brave Knight .
But all we can say, is race on and win that final race.
Absolutely great sentiment Neil. We lose people, it never feels right, but motorsport is dangerous by its very nature and they know the risk. For his legacy, you could argue Dan has stepped on the top step for his final race.
Definitely not the same without Dan.