(image credit: autosport.com)
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.
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.
(image credit: bleacherreport.net)
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.”
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.”
(Image credit : abcnews.com)
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.
(image credit : wikipedia.org)
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.
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.
(image credit: autoweek.com)
“Missing you, DW………… see you soon, my brother” (Tony Kanaan, 2011)
Alex Goldschmidt has his own motorsport blog "Not Just the View", and you can follow him on twitter
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