Being a British IndyCar fan, I have spent many a long night in the company of Keith Huewen and the Sky Sports IndyCar team, albeit usually from the comfort of my own front room. Considering I was rather excited to have a tweet read out on air by Keith following the Edmonton race, you can imagine my excitement when - through an auction from the magnificent cause Riders for Health, of which Keith is an ambassador - the opportunity to watch the 2012 season unfold in the studio itself arose.

I had never had any doubts that it would be anything other than an amazing experience, but it went even beyond what I expected –around every corner appeared another pleasant surprise. First was news on the studio guests; Tomas Scheckter and Andy Brown.

I had actually met Tomas previously, around 1999/2000 during my time as a marshal at my then-local track Oulton Park when he was competing in Formula 3. While I didn’t expect him to recall our previous encounter – which consisted of an approximately minute-long chat probably about the weather or his chances in the race that day – I had an idea of what to expect as I knew what a nice guy he was.

The prospect of meeting Andy was also both exciting and daunting  given my affection for the man he spent several years working with at the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team, Dan Wheldon. Those who know me, or indeed that follow me on twitter, know that Dan was (and will always remain) one of my idols and  how I, like so many racing fans - British or otherwise - have still not quite come to terms with his passing. One of my proudest moments as a racing fan was in the stands at the Iowa Speedway for this year’s Iowa Corn 250 race draped in a Union Jack flag bearing his name, particularly during the moment of silence in his honour at the track where he had previously visited victory lane. 

The approving nods and thumbs-up during and the comments made  subsequently by other fans on that day (and that it was picked up by the TV cameras) showed how strongly he is still regarded by IndyCar fans. The chance to spend time in the company of someone who worked alongside him for so long was a real treat.

That wasn’t where the links ended either. In fact, that was the next pleasant surprise. we arrived at the Security checkpoint at the Sky Studios, following a rather comical taxi ride which featured the only cab driver in the area who didn’t know where Sky was, this made all the more remarkable by the fact that the Sky complex is roughly the size of the town in which I grew up.

 Upon arrival, and signing in and receiving the relevant visitor’s passes, the Security guard raised an eyebrow and said “There should be six of you”. Unless I had misread the terms of the auction rather badly, something was awry. As it transpired it was the other studio guests; Tomas Scheckter, Andy Brown and, to my surprise, Holly Wheldon and guest.

As it transpired, she had accepted a long-standing invitation from Keith to visit the studio for a race, which was offered during Keith’s visit to the Wheldon’s home in the build-up to the Indy 500 coverage.

While it would be a huge honour to meet Holly, I was also quite anxious about what I might say. Although I wanted to convey that I was a huge fan of her brother, I was also mindful that there would be some painful memories evoked by the final round of the season and that my glowing recollection of her brother’s successes may open some relatively fresh wounds. 
 
There wasn’t long to dwell on that, however, as we were soon led through the huge complex, passing the Sky Sports F1 facility along the way to the main building. Upon navigating the revolving door, you are immediately  greeted by the sight of a Force India F1 car in the reception area. As we were extremely early (I wasn’t risking being late!), we were led to the canteen area (although if that is a canteen, we need a new name for some of the canteens I’d been in in the past, as even that had an element of grandeur about it) where we waited and had a picture with the huge mural-like Sky logo that adorned the canteen wall.

The Sky complex is an incredible facility, home to eight studios, including five HD studios, forty-five edit suites, fourteen voice-over suites and four audio suites. The main building is state-of-the-art and houses content production, platform control and transmission services for all of Sky’s sport and Sky Sports News content. To give you an idea of the size, the building consists of five floors, each roughly the size of a football pitch, and is home to a staggering 1,300 members of staff.

Sky began broadcasting there in July 2011, expanding the portfolio of broadcasts from there ever since, but unlike my usual perception of a big corporation building such a facility, the thought that had gone into its inception from a sustainability point-of-view is astonishing. An integrated wind turbine provides 90% of the energy to power lighting throughout the building, while an on-site Combined Cooling and Heating Power plant supplies 20% of the energy needed for the building’s electricity and heating systems, to name just two of the innovations that led to it being named ‘Sustainable Project of the Year’ at the 2010 Sustainability Awards.

It wasn’t long before a familiar figure appeared in the distance, and indeed it was that of Keith Huewen. It is a somewhat strange feeling being greeted by someone who has spent several years in your living  room a couple of times a month without having ever set foot in your house! But, Keith and I had exchanged emails in the days leading up to the race, so he (I hope) had a fair idea that I wasn’t a complete lunatic. He was, as expected, an absolute gentleman, first inquiring about whether we had found our way ok and whether we were sufficiently fed and watered. He ran through the arrangements for the night and what we would be seeing prior to settling into the studio to watch the drama unfold, both on the track and in the studio. We were also introduced to “Producer Dave” [Dave Lawrence], who was to show us around the gallery area, where the technical wizardry takes place to bring the likes of myself the seamless coverage we’ve come to expect from Sky IndyCar.

Shortly afterwards, we were joined by Holly and her friend Tim. After introducing each other, we got to talking about the various tracks she had been to this year and how she found them, while I added my experience at Iowa, before discussing who we thought might win the Championship.

Keith returned to lead us all back down towards the studios to give us the tour. We popped into the make-up room, where we first met Andy, and once a few good-natured jokes were exchanged regarding how long it might take to make him look presentable, we continued to the studios. First we were led to the Sky Sports News studio, as it was approaching midnight this was one of the few studios still occupied at this time, and watched Jim White in full flow from the background as he rounded-up the days football results.

Following this, we were led to the gallery and introduced to the rest of the Sky IndyCar team. As my knowledge of TV production is very limited and given that the room looked rather small, I was expecting a fairly small team  of personnel. I’m not sure how it compares, but it was bigger than I expected,  there being a team of around 12 people in the gallery with duties ranging from sound to graphics and some focussed on the American ‘feed’ (the live coverage  direct from across the pond) and some on the studio in London. It was a mix of fascinating and overwhelming – not quite knowing where to look, with the array  of monitors and buttons.

My main objective in the gallery was consistent once we went next door to the studio – don’t get in the way and don’t touch anything  important! We were introduced to the floor manager Cliff who howed us to our vantage point to watch the race, just behind the cameras (thankfully for the viewing public) with two large screens, one with the ‘live feed’ from America, the other with the coverage that everyone in Britain will have seen. We were then invited onto the set to have our picture taken in the chairs next to Keith.

Once that was done, it was down to the serious business. A quick run-through of the intro, before Tomas and Andy took their seats and were wired for sound and the rest of us took our seats at the back of the studio. Before we knew it, Cliff was announcing “20 seconds to air” and a near-eerie silence swept across the studio, before Keith launched into his intro for real.

As expected, the on-camera coverage was flawless, as it usually is. As a viewer at home, they make it look easy. Having witnessed it first hand, I can assure you that is only down to the fact Keith and co make it look that way. Cliff would regularly sit near us as he marshalled the studio and we could hear from his radio the constant dialogue that was filling Keith’s ears from the gallery. The gallery are also kept on their toes, often ‘turning around’  segments and interviews literally within seconds of them having been shown in the US TV build-up.

This was particularly prevalent during a pre-race feature with Marty Sneider interviewing Championship contender Will Power. After they discussed Will’s toils in previous season finales, talk moved to the previous  year and Las Vegas. This must have been difficult for Holly, but I suspect all of us were a little nervous when Will spoke about Holly in the interview. Thankfully it was all positive, him discussing a meeting between the two of  them in the early season and his reaction to Dan’s crash.

Once the green flag dropped, the studio was quite relaxed as we all began to become glued to the coverage. As the in-race commercial breaks in the States are often covered by the team in the studio in sound only, the team  could afford to be a bit more relaxed. However, rather than putting their feet  up or undoing their belts to get comfortable, instead they were bringing out laptops with live timings and other race-related information. Every few laps they would discuss who was quickest or who was falling away and the various implications this would have for pit strategies.

The big twist in the race came about an hour in, with Championship leader Will Power getting caught in a seam on the Fontana track and spinning out into the wall. What struck me was how everyone, fan and professional alike, had the same reaction - no-one knew what to say. Just like the American commentators, for a good few minutes all of us in the studio where just sat there saying “I don’t believe it”. Once the initial aftermath of Power’s crash had subsided, it was down to the serious business, as Keith, Tomas and Andy quickly delved into the detail of where Ryan Hunter-Reay had to finish in order to clinch the Championship. In the interest of full disclosure, they did figure it out much quicker than their American counterparts!

Not only do twists in the race like that mean drama and excitement on the track, it also has a similar impact in the studio as incidents mean yellow flags and yellow flags mean ad breaks that the guys in the studio need to fill. As a viewer at home, it always comes across as seamless and well-planned, but again, having been in the studio as it happens,  it shows how good they are at it – especially under pressure. Not only is the autocue dormant in the corner of the studio, but often the decision of whether to cover the break in the studio or go to adverts themselves is made at very short notice. At one point Keith and the team were given 20 seconds notice to cover a break – I very much doubt anyone watching at home would have had the slightest inclination.

Luckily, the race maintained its level of excitement throughout, however, due to the red flag and IndyCar’s traditional ‘why take 10 minutes when you can take 45’ approach to the post-race ceremonies, it meant that the Sky team were running very close to the scheduled end time of their broadcast.

The non-professionals such as myself had simply assumed‘it’s 05:30 in the morning, who will notice if it runs over?’, but of course that would have ramifications for the programmes that followed, which would have a  domino-effect to those on at peak hours. The show was concluded somewhat hastily and it was only then it began to dawn on me that I had been sitting there for 5 hours! 

Keith concluded his on-camera duties with the recording of the intro and closing to the highlights show which was to be aired on Sunday afternoon before a final trip to the gallery where everyone was thanked for a job well done, before we all began to disperse. We thanked Keith for what was truly one of the best experiences of my life (although, I shouldn’t say that as  if it ever comes up again I may be encouraging rival bidders!) and were  escorted back to the security point. 

Keith had provided each of us with a running order of the show signed by all three of the team and Dave had given us a Sky Sports HD-branded bag with an array of Sky Sports HD goodies, and the nice surprises didn’t end
there. Not only did we bump into Chris Kamara in the lobby as he arrived for ‘Goals on Sunday’, but as we waited for a taxi we were given a DVD of the show. 

From start-to-finish this was an incredible night on and off the track and I’m very grateful to Keith for having given me the opportunity. The fact that I was able to contribute to Riders for Health in the process is fantastic also – Keith was extremely passionate about the great work being done  – and long may it continue!

Twitter Links - Dan Brown / Keith Huewen / Holly Wheldon / Tomas Scheckter / SkyIndyCar

Riders for Health’s vision is of a world in which no one will die of an easily preventable or curable disease because barriers of distance, terrain or poverty prevent them from being reached.

Riders for Health manages and maintains the vehicles used in the delivery of health care and other vital services to rural communities in Africa. We manage them on a planned, preventive basis so that the vehicles do not break down however difficult the conditionsRiders, therefore, manages and maintains vehicles used in the delivery of health care and other vital services to rural communities. With proper maintenance, motorcycles, ambulances and outreach trekking vehicles can last for at least five years, covering a distance of 150,000 miles, and reaching 10.5 million people.

"It became clear in the early 80s that something had to be done to keep 'the wheels turning' on outreach efforts in Africa. I was made aware of the complexities and scale of the problem when I was racing in Grand Prix, and my friends and co founders of RfH invited me to join the board. The prospect of helping one of the most cost effective and efficient charity organisations achieve goals that make a real difference to millions of people is as exciting today as it was in the begining" Keith Huewen, Sky Sports Presenter & Riders for Health Board Member

More details from - http://www.riders.org/ & on Twitter

A story of a fan who became a friend but never stopped being Dan Wheldon's biggest fan by Darren Jack
Most racing fans are familiar with Dan Wheldon's career moments, these are the  memories I shared with Dan first hand.

Dan and I were both born and raised in England. Much like Dan, I spent most of my  youth at the track. I am sure I attended races earlier but my first real memory was in 1984 when my Family attended the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy. At age four, I remember the F1 cars, the rain and the delight of finding a large Ferrari flag of Gilles Villeneuve that day (which I still have), I was a motor racing fan for life. 37 F1 Grand Prix and hundreds of other racing events later, I still am a huge F1 fan but it doesn't compare to my passion for the Indycar series and in particular my love affair with the Indianapolis 500.

I first recall seeing Dan's name in my program back in Formula Ford at Brands Hatch in 1998. Dan was racing that day in the lower ranks of British open wheel racing with other young up and comers Jenson Button, Christian Horner and Aussie Marcus Ambrose. I was there to watch my boyhood hero of Nigel Mansell at a British Touring car race and at the time had no idea it would be the last time I watched Mansell and also the first time I watched my new hero Daniel Wheldon. It was a memorable weekend for British racing fans as Damon Hill also won the Belgium Grand Prix that day which I remember well as it was only the second F1 race I had missed at Spa in the last eight years. Mansell crashed in his race but I don't remember who won the Formula Ford race.

The following year both our lives seem to head down the same path by both moving to North America in 1999. I remember watching him in Indy Lights in Toronto 2001 and being a big CART fan, it wasn't until 2003 that I attended my first Indianapolis 500. The big boys from CART like Dario, Dixon, Kanaan, De Ferran, Andretti and Helio, had finally made the jump, and now it was my turn. The likeable British rookie made a large introduction to the world of people that didn't know him that May. His speed and natural ability at the Indianapolis  Motor Speedway was evident and he qualified 5th. In true DW style he made the papers the next day this time for the wrong reason though by landing upside down in a crash on lap 186 coming out of turn 3. I was sad to see him out but still excited to see Gil De Ferran win as it was my first 500.

Like Dan, I haven't missed the Indianapolis 500 since 2003 and have felt every high and low of his career with him. In ‘04 he had his first front row start at Indy and came close with a 3rd place finish, it hurt to watch him come that close to winning but was it was still a good result. 2005 was the year it all clicked for Dan though, he had already won 3 of the first 4 races before Indianapolis. When I spoke to Dan the day before the race I said to him in a confident way (our personalities were very similar) "Dan when you win tomorrow I am going to bring
you a flag to winners circle, do you want the St Georges Cross (English flag) or Union Jack (British Flag)?" He thought about it for a second then confidently replied, "The Union Jack". The next day Rookie Danica Patrick had her coming out party and what seemed to be 300,000 Americans all cheering her on. At the finish, the place went silent except for my Dad, brother and I, who went crazy when Dan won. Dan then takes up the rest of the story on page 122 of his book "Lionheart" -

With both of us loving the history of the sport, the last British winners Jim Clark and Graham Hill was on our minds. I knew my flag would help Dan get noted back home and the next day the British Press ate it up. 

My next visit to a race was at the end of the season when Dan won the Championship at Watkins Glen, I was again proud to be there in the stands. From June onwards of that year, the new champion had F1 teams knocking on his door and even a contract offer.

Dan made a bold move by not only turning down an F1 test contract with BMW but also by not re signing with the "dream team" of AGR. Instead he signed for Chip Ganassi's team who had a couple of tough seasons with the underpowered Toyota engine. 

Dan won first time out for Ganassi at the historic Rolex 24 at Daytona and also his first Indycar race of the year at Miami Homestead, a track he dominated at. Soon May came around and Dan was ready to defend his Indianapolis crown. Everyone will remember that race for the incredible last lap pass by Sam Hornish Jr on
rookie Marco Andretti. But what everyone forgot was how Dan Wheldon had dominated that race, almost lapping Hornish before a late flat tyre made him pit. His speed on the last restart was incredible, to come back through to 4th, but he ran out of laps to re-pass Michael, Marco and Hornish. This was explained in my "fan feedback" story and photo in 2007 Indy 500 program on page 128. I described my pain of not seeing my hero win again but was quoted in the program saying that the finish was the most incredible thing I had ever seen. That was back in 2006 though and in the next few years my "most incredible things I had ever seen list" had changed again.

Dan and I were both now married to two great Canadian born girls and in 07 and 09 I had witnessed the birth of my two gorgeous daughters, Dan's boys were born in 09 and 2011. Later in 2011 the Indy 500 finish had now also now made it into my top three list and am sure it was on Dan's too.

Dan had more Indycar wins in 07 and 08 but it was Indianapolis he loved and wanted so much again. In 07 he crashed and 08 led some laps before something went wrong on his car and he finished 12th. It didn't seem to hurt as much as not seeing him win those two years previous, perhaps because he wasn't that close and also
as it was great to see Dario and Scott taste the milk for the first time. 

Dan knew I liked collecting helmets and at his motor home in 08 after the 500 I said to him "you don't need that blue thing anymore do you?" A week later his blue special one off design 500 race day helmet showed up in a box at my home. It was the only Indy 500 helmet not in his own collection and one I will cherish forever.

Later that year, my family and I attended our normal races at Watkins Glen and Detroit. As the season went on many rumours went around about Dan being close to re-signing with Ganassi. On race day in Detroit I spoke to Dan and he just didn’t seem himself, I said to my brother ‘something’s wrong’ and sure enough Dan didn't end up re-signing with the team. A decision he confessed to me later that he regretted.

2009 and 2010 was hard years for Dan and his fans, At Indianapolis I felt upset when I watched Dan came so close to winning in 09 and it was torture to see it repeated in 2010. I had carried my large Union Jack flag in my bag now for 5 years and wasn't able to give it away again. My first trip to St Pete that year also scared me as I witnessed Dan's big crash entering turn 1. I had seen many crashes but this time, I felt scared as it was my friend and hero in that car. The cars are so strong these days though and Dan walked away.

Watching 2011 St Pete this year on TV with my 3 year old daughter, I had to explain that the #4 car wasn't Wheldon anymore and she too felt sad. We were all missing Dan very much. The announcement was made though that he would drive for Bryan Herta's team in the 500. I have to be honest I was a little disappointed that DW was driving for a team with only one Indy 500 start behind them.

We all know what happened next and I don't think I will ever get that feeling again when he overtook JR for the lead right in front of me and my family. My inside pain of the last 3 years watching him in 2nd place on lap 199 (the last lap) was instantly change to pure joy. It is a moment that most race fans will remember for the rest of their life but one that hit my heart as hard as anyone’s. The emotions of myself, my Dad and brother of evident in this last lap video - 

No one can ever take that away from Dan, his family, his managers, his team, his friends, his fans or me. Like many before him and many to come, his Indianapolis 500 legacy will live forever.

Late in the season I had been to a few more races but was looking for an excuse to go cheer on Dario for the Championship in Vegas. When Dan was given the chance to win 5 million it was my perfect excuse to go and support him as well. I had a really nice chat with Dan on Saturday at Mandalay Bay and hoped to spend some
time with him again after the race or at the party on Monday night. Saturday night before the race though I was invited to an Indycar Champion members party.  I was a new member of this club and they had some great prizes that night. 
 
The grand prize was Dan's Indy 500 winning William Rast side pod off his Bryan Herta entered car. I knew the full history of this car and that Wade Cunningham had crashed it the following week after Indy. The staff running the event told me it was the real deal and Dan had signed it. I reached for my wallet to see how much
I had to bribe the winning ticket holder. But as many raffle prizes were drawn I felt more confident of my chances. As Kevin Lee was reaching to draw the winning ticket I looked at the last two digits of mine, they were 99. I touched my friend Mike's Greg Moore tattoo on his arm, and said the words "it is my destiny to win this" and sure enough I did. I was confident and didn't seem surprised when I took the mic and said "it couldn't be going to a better home."  I was ecstatic and I text a picture of me with it to both Dan and Susie. That item will stay with me in my collection forever. 
 
Sadly that was my last lucky day in Vegas. I really can't bring myself to talk about the next day yet but will say this. It was the hardest day of my life and want to thank all of my friends who picked me up that day, they know who they are. Friends in racing, friends in life. But we all must put on our best Dan Wheldon smiles and keep moving ahead.

Often in times where people pass, no one has a bad word to say about that person. But even before we lost Dan, no one said a bad word about him and now every time I hear people talk about Dan, they don't talk about the fact that he is one of the greatest drivers of our time and all time at Indianapolis. They talk about Daniel Wheldon the person. His infectious smile, his larger than life personality and most of all his even bigger heart.

I will continue to be Dan's biggest fan and friend, today, tomorrow and in 20 years from now. The day I left Vegas I designed a tribute sticker for Dan that was sent to Australia. With the help of Alex Tagliani we were able to put those stickers on the driver’s helmets and cars to honour our champion and friend. At the funeral, I gave some to Jamie Little who also gave some out at the NASCAR race. I have many more plans to keep his memory alive so fellow drivers, friends and fans can enjoy memories of Dan Wheldon’s life and career. 

I wasn't born when we lost Jim Clark in 1968 and was only two years old when we lost Gilles Villeneuve, today I am a big fan of both. Dan Wheldon will be the same, he will have new fans today, tomorrow and in many years to come. I will never forget you Dan, Lionheart Forever. 

From Adrian - The world is such a smaller place than ten, maybe fifteen years ago. shortly after Darren first made contact with me throught the @IndyCarUK account, he found out if I was out in Las Vegas that weekend in October. We spoke about the Indycar Nation party on the Saturday night, which I also attended, I spent most of the evening wondering how I would manage to fit the side pod, which Darren won, onto the plane as 'carry-on' luggage. Then again on the Sunday, we did meet post race in the garage area. He asked me if I was walking around with a Union flag draped around my shoulders, I was, I remember we did shake hands then, no words exchanged, neither of us could to be honest.

Darren wrote this shortly after attending Dan's funeral in Florida, you can also find him on Twitter.

I am Robin, I'm 25 and I have been an Indycar fan since 1997.  I would have been 10 years old when I watched my first race on Eurosport and I'm fairly certain Alex Zanardi won!  Welcome to my first ever blog.

I should make it clear that I am a Dario Franchitti fan, he is my hero, my idol. His pictures, cut from Autosport, adorned my wall as a child and his memorabilia rests on my shelves as a married 25 year old. 
 
For those unfamiliar with CART during the split, in 1998 Dario moved to Team Green for his second season of CART and he would race alongside series veteran Paul Tracy. He would remain with the team until his move to
Nascar at the end of 2007. The team ran the Reynard chassis, Honda engines and were sponsored by KOOL tobacco products. This car is my favourite from my years  watching Indycar racing, I love both the Reynard chassis and KOOL livery.  The Reynard was an unbelievable chassis during the late 90's and on most weekends, with Honda power, was the car to beat.
 
Dario had returned to Scotland after the end of season, as he normally does at some point.  He was the guest of honour at Knockhill Circuit for their final Scottish Motorsport meeting of the season. He would be at the circuit mingling with fans and enjoying the racing.  Not only that, he was bringing his 1999 Surfers Paradise winning Kool Reynard Honda to be displayed at the circuit during the lunch break.  
 
As you will see from the pictures below, the car is in immaculate condition and it is, like most cars of the late 90's era, in my opinion, a thing of beauty, especially compared to the 2007-2011 Dallara. 
 
One snippet from the circuit radio interview afterwards was a request for him to come back to do some race instructing at the circuit once he retires.  Dario said he is still enjoying his racing and hopes that retirement will not be for a while yet.
 
Like most people, I have dreamt of meeting my hero and thought it might actually happen on Sunday. 
As it turned out, it did, but not quite how I expected it to! My wife and I were wandering the very quiet paddock and I was taking pictures of the race cars parked up under awnings.  I spot Dario in one of the Formula Ford garages talking away.  I take a few pictures from a distance and as I am putting my camera away, notice him gesturing to the number 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Cap I have on, he nods ad smiles then continues his conversation. We do some more exploring and as we happen to wander past the garage again he jogs over to us out of nowhere and springs into conversation.  We shake hands, he says “nice hat” and we proceed to chat for 2-3 minutes.   He was relaxed, happy, chirpy and a pleasure to speak to.  
 
I had just been approached by my hero, a 3 time Indy 500 winner, and he wanted to chat to me!
 
He apologised that he had to rush off to speak at the drivers meeting as it was about to start but he would see me back in 20 minutes in the paddock to get a few things signed. He shows up, I get things signed, I get a few pictures taken and my day is complete and it's only 10:30! 
 
I wanted to leave you with this because Dario seems to get a raw deal from the US fans and is regarded by some as being, well, not the most approachable sometimes.  During the car unveiling about 100 people gathered to watch.  After the unveiling, Dario was available outside the garage to talk to.  He took time to speak with, sign autographs for and take photographs with everybody who was waiting; adults,  children, some drivers and even a marshal who asked him to sign his overalls.  He smiled, interacted and looked relaxed; what a difference a few weeks away from the track can make to a driver's mood after a difficult and largely forgettable 2012 season.

You can follow Robin on Twitter

This past weekend I appealed via Twitter and Facebook for people who would be happy to share some pictures of either themselves and Dan Wheldon, or some personal pictures that they have taken over the years. Pictures very often say more than words and a lot has be said about Dan these past twelve months, one overriding memory is how he used to interact with fans. I was grateful to meet him a couple of times travelling to watch Indycar racing all over America, some unique memories to carry with me.

Carrie (@indycarrie) with Dan at Nashville in 2006. He took the time to chat with me and ask about my favourite drivers because he liked my Jimmie Johnson hat.

This set comes from Isabelle (@indyfan1994), taken around the 2011 Indy 500, from the downtown parade and also the first time she met him.

These two photos come from Brenda (@Nytewynd18), the first one was the first time she met and spoke with Dan, Brenda asked for a second hero card to send to a friend in the United Kingdom.... Dan replied "I wished I had a friend". The second was from Las Vegas, and after meeting him throughout the weekend he was his usual vibrant and funny self, and even though he wasn't considered one of my favourite drivers, still misses him and has a tribute tattoo done in his memory.

These next two picture collects were sent by Patsy (@patsylwhite) and Jeff (from SSM). First set is from Kentucky race weekend, the second from Las Vegas. Many thanks for passing these on.

After Dan's second Indy 500 win, he and other Indycar drivers came to the Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of a celebration of the centennial anniversary. Matthew Spencer (@Hudders_Matt) took these pictures

Kelsey (@KelseyUSA) took this picture at Kentucky in 2009, and had this to say, "He always had a way of making everyone feel like a friend - even for a ten second stop for a photo on pit lane"

Now to mine, I can honestly say that I have never met anyone who after a few brief conversations, treated you and made you feel like you had known them forever. My pictures are from 2010 Indy 500, Texas Motor Speedway in 2011 and from Las Vegas. After a few discussions he remembered that I spoke to him about my somewhat epic road trips following Indycar all around America, he said thank you to me, it really meant a lot to him. On the Friday practice session, I bumped into Dan in the garage, I had a Union flag I was trying to get fully signed by all the drivers, he, as always, happily signed and we briefly spoke. Just as we heard a bang both turning around, James Jakes had crashed in turn two, without a split second though Dan was apologising to me, he said he needed to go to his team and make sure who it was who crashed was ok. Last time we spoke, thank you for the time you gave me.

My final set of pictures are very special, sent to me by Darren Jack (@Dazincanada), a Brit living abroad in Canada first saw Dan drive in Formula Ford at Brands Hatch competing with amongst others, Jenson Button, in 1998. After moving Darren continued to follow Dan's career in the States, in the end becoming friends with him and his family. His pictures range from flag which he handed to Dan in victory lane at the '05 Indy 500, to his famous new teeth (and smile)!

Strangley enough Darren and myself paths have crossed, although we did not know it, but thanks to twitter the world is a much small place. Later this week, there will be a fuller story with Darren with more stories to share.

I would like to thank everyone who got in contact these past few days, for sharing your pictures and memories and please carry on using #lionheart

In many ways, I had felt a lot of different emotions, when the 96th running of the Indy 500 took place at the famed “BrickYard”. Along with a lot of racing fans, I felt there was something missing, which we all knew, and that was Dan Wheldon himself. As I write this somewhat personal tribute to the man himself, just remembering his triumphs, his struggles, his charm, his charisma, and his “never give up” attitude, made me appreciate and respect him as a fellow human being, and a fellow Brit even more, with being one of the few that have gone over to the USA, and shown how he can adapt and beat the wide plethora of drivers out there.

There is one main thing that I also think distinguishes the contrasting paddocks of both Indycar and Formula One, is that Indycar is a lot more open, which I  think, helps the fans enjoy their race weekend experience, as well as having the  chance to meet some great drivers like Dario and TK, but it seems that Dan has had the most lasting impact on a lot of fans, which is why we all treasure him  more than most, especially with the way he interacted with the fans, and made them, as Bryan Herta put so well at his memorial: “Fans for life”. It just goes
to show that racing series like Formula One, need to use new channels like Social Media, to help keep and expand their fan base, plus provide better access for the fans at racetracks in general.

I felt that the month leading to Race Day was just great, in the fact that it was all a fantastic way to honour the man himself, and for all the fans to have  the chance to pay tribute in their own way, by wearing the “Dan Wheldon” white  sunglasses that they were all handed on their way through the entry gates, with even his good friend Dario Franchitti wearing them after his last-lap battle
with Takuma Sato. In many ways, what really brought a tear to my eye as a  person, just like all of us on this earth, was the way that Dan’s widow, Susie, was invited by Dario and his wife Ashley, to accompany them on the Victory Lap round the “BrickYard”. It just made the celebration and tribute to Dan himself by all his peers, friends and family, so poignant, that emotions, in some way, do really spring to the forefront, and when Dario said this line, I just couldn’t help how I was feeling: “Now my face on the Borg-Warner Trophy will be on either side of Dan’s.”

I can only say how the strength of the entire Wheldon family, especially his sister Holly, has impressed me so much, as it is difficult for anyone who has a loved one racing in motorsport these days, to suffer such a tragic loss. This was especially the case as we lost Dan just the week after losing Marco Simoncelli in a tragic accident the week before in Sepang. My hopes and prayers go to this great family, whose biggest shining light would have become a legend in his own right, had events turned out differently, but we have to realize that this is the way life is. We all don’t know what is coming around the next corner, or what may happen the next day, but if we live life to the fullest, just like Dan did, we’ll have had a fulfilling life, as Dan did in such a short time here on Earth.

His legend lives on in our hearts, our minds, and our souls, as we all have great memories about him, most notably when TK, Dario and Bryan were telling stories about hotels in Japan, Fed-Ex packages filled with Dan’s shoes being sent back to the US, foul-mouthed tirades, restaurant bills and haircare products at Dan’s Memorial, showed us that he was an individual, who had an adventurous spirit, but always knew that both feet were grounded on terra firma.

This great man, who was a two-time Indy 500 winner and the 2005 Indycar Series Champion, was the only guy to win the Borg-Warner Trophy at the “Brickyard” with two different sets of teeth, but no matter what his teeth looked like, he always had that “million dollar smile.” Plus we also know that the future of the IZOD Indycar Series, in the way of safety, has been helped and shaped so much, by the time Dan spent behind the wheel of the Dallara chassis that would be called the “DW12” in his honour, after we  lost him in the tragedy at Las Vegas, which will help the current field and future racers entering the sport to feel safer at high speeds, so through this car, he lives on with us in spirit.

I’d like to finish this article by making a statement on my own behalf to the Wheldons themselves:

To Susie, Holly, Clive, Oliver, Sebastian and the rest of the Wheldon family,

We all still deeply mourn the loss of Dan, who has lit up our lives by the way he was as a man, as a racer, and as a human being. My thoughts and prayers are with you all, as you continues your lives without a truly wonderful individual, was unique in his own way.

We all can help each other through these hard times, through strength of character and being together, and know this, I’m sure that Dan will be looking down on us all, before riding off in his own DW12, looking over us like a guardian angel from the skies. So, I'll be there to pray for you all, just like a lot of the fans and motorsport fraternity will continue to do so over the years and decades to come, and always remember Dan in the best way possible.

Alex.

Alex Goldschmidt has his own motorsport blog "Not Just the View", and you can follow him on twitter

So after what feels like months of toing and froing about venues, will they, won’t they, this morning we finally saw a published version of the 2013 Indycar schedule. So here it is…

24th March - St. Petersburg, Florida (Street)

7th April - Barber, Birmingham, Alabama (Road)

21st April - Long Beach, California (Street)

5th May - Sao Paulo, Brazil (Street)

26th May - Indianapolis (Oval)

1st & 2nd June - Detroit (Street – Double-header)

8th June - Fort Worth, Texas (Oval)

15th June – Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Oval)

23rd June - Newton, Iowa (Oval)

7th July - Pocono, Pennsylvania. (Oval)

13th & 14th July - Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Street – Double-header)

4th August - Lexington, Ohio (Road)

25th August - Sonoma, California. (Road)

1st September - Baltimore, Maryland (Street)

5th & 6th October - Houston, Texas (Street – Double-header)

19th October - Fontana, California (Oval)

Pro’s

First up, more races - Fifteen was just not enough, even with the cancellation of the China race, the season is now up to nineteen races, which was Randy Bernard target going into next season.

More ovals - There was a cry for more ovals, we got it, one more, still heading in the right direction.

Return of the Triple Crown – You could say three ‘marquee’ events, although maybe 100 mile short in some peoples eyes, but the cash prize for winning all three is a big incentive, I wouldn’t say no to the prize for winning two out of the three. There has been some early talk that Pocono could be a 500 mile’r come 2014.

Double-Headers – New idea for this year, be interesting to see how 1) teams approach the first race, now they have a little more time for repairs unlike the hour or so between the Texas Twin trial in 2011, and 2) how the fans turn up on the first day. Prices will need to be reflective to attract Saturday fans. (See Con’s)

Longer Season – Finishing in September this year was way too early. (See Con’s)

Better Spread – Important to gain another race in the north east of the country, some very large populated cities are nearby.

Timing - The schedule is out in October, not Christmas time, not in the new year, this gives plenty of time now for promoters to really get to grips with it and sell tickets and promote the race unlike years gone by

Con’s

Low number of Ovals – maybe we were hoping for too much too soon but would like to of seen the gap between the three circuits close, talk of Kentucky returning did not materialise. But, going forward hopefully dialogue has been opened and something to look forward too.

Double-Headers – Whilst providing the necessary races to reach 19 for the season, is this going to detract from what would be considered the main event (i.e. Sunday race)?

That Gap – Between Baltimore and Houston there is a five week gap. That is a long time especially if the championship is going to the wire, may worry that momentum for fan interest / viewers maybe lost? This could be though a time to get some testing weekends in, open to the public, or maybe trials for drivers in the Road to Indy ladder to test and Indycar.

The Canadian ‘One’ – Well technically two, but after losing Edmonton to the promoters axe, many Canadian fans have felt left out a little, hopes of maybe adding Vancouver, Montreal, or a rescue bid for the Edmonton race have faded.

Overall I am pretty happy this schedule, like the title says, not just a schedule for 2013, but beyond, new tracks in place, ones in the pipeline like Providence and hopefully dialogue has been opened with former tracks. We also have new sites like COTA, Minneapolis and NOLA maybe being considered in the near future.

I always believe you will never really reach your end goal, you just try all different ways of getting there, its up to us how we enjoy the ride.

What are your thoughts on the schedule?