Go back to the 29th May 2011, you may remember Dan Wheldon’s speech in victory lane just after he had won one of the most dramatic Indy 500s of all time he paid tribute to his mother, Sue who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2009. In April of last year, Sue Wheldon sadly passed away.
It was Dan’s drive to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s in the US that the Wheldon family has carried forward in the UK too. As someone who has had a personal experience with grandparents who have suffered with Dementia, I can appreciate what close family members go through whilst living through their later years.
Now into its third year, Saturday saw the now annual running of the Dan Wheldon Karting Trophy held at the Autosport International Show at the NEC in Birmingham.
Guest Pro drivers included Sennan Fielding & Ben Barnicoat (finalists from the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award), Sam Brahbam (Project Brahbam), Craig Dolby (Super Formula), Steve Parrish (BBC / Moto GP) to name but a few. From our screens, Kevin Fletcher (Emmerdale) and Tony Hirst (Coronation Street).
Two teams I was, and many others, were supporting, on the competitive Am’ sides, we had a team from Dementia Friends made up of volunteers and champions of their cause and of course Team Wheldon, comprising of Ash, Elliot, Austen with one of Dan’s childhood friend and former Karting competitor Gavin McFayden joining their line up.
So the green flag flies, three hours racing, all fair, all nice, all straight forward... right? No, you don’t put a collection of competitive drivers on track a track and tell them to calm down; it’s not in their nature! After several early red flags for some on track ‘indiscretions’ and some stern words from the stewards, the race finally settled into a smoother(ish) pattern. Further yellows did occur for some friendly nudges, spins and well, driver errors!
One particular corner towards the end of the lap was a real challenge, too wide into the previous corner and you would be flirting more with the barrier than speed dating night. When the phrase the ‘track is evolving’ was created, I believe this corner evolved several times over as piece by piece the barrier was adjusted by force, probably not the meaning it was intended for.
The race was won by Team #18 Vincenzo Sospirio (yes, he the one-time practice’r of the 1997 Mastercard Lola), runner up with #2 Team Titan 2 and #3 Tockwith 1 in third.
More highlights and chat from the race can be found at Downforce UK. Full results are HERE supplied by Alpha Timing.
It was Dan’s drive to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s in the US that the Wheldon family has carried forward in the UK too. As someone who has had a personal experience with grandparents who have suffered with Dementia, I can appreciate what close family members go through whilst living through their later years.
Now into its third year, Saturday saw the now annual running of the Dan Wheldon Karting Trophy held at the Autosport International Show at the NEC in Birmingham.
Guest Pro drivers included Sennan Fielding & Ben Barnicoat (finalists from the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award), Sam Brahbam (Project Brahbam), Craig Dolby (Super Formula), Steve Parrish (BBC / Moto GP) to name but a few. From our screens, Kevin Fletcher (Emmerdale) and Tony Hirst (Coronation Street).
Two teams I was, and many others, were supporting, on the competitive Am’ sides, we had a team from Dementia Friends made up of volunteers and champions of their cause and of course Team Wheldon, comprising of Ash, Elliot, Austen with one of Dan’s childhood friend and former Karting competitor Gavin McFayden joining their line up.
So the green flag flies, three hours racing, all fair, all nice, all straight forward... right? No, you don’t put a collection of competitive drivers on track a track and tell them to calm down; it’s not in their nature! After several early red flags for some on track ‘indiscretions’ and some stern words from the stewards, the race finally settled into a smoother(ish) pattern. Further yellows did occur for some friendly nudges, spins and well, driver errors!
One particular corner towards the end of the lap was a real challenge, too wide into the previous corner and you would be flirting more with the barrier than speed dating night. When the phrase the ‘track is evolving’ was created, I believe this corner evolved several times over as piece by piece the barrier was adjusted by force, probably not the meaning it was intended for.
The race was won by Team #18 Vincenzo Sospirio (yes, he the one-time practice’r of the 1997 Mastercard Lola), runner up with #2 Team Titan 2 and #3 Tockwith 1 in third.
More highlights and chat from the race can be found at Downforce UK. Full results are HERE supplied by Alpha Timing.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Holly Wheldon who spoke with me about the event.
Having a turn out of thirty teams, each with four to six drivers, what does this mean to you about Dan's legacy and what his friends and fans thought of him?
It means a lot to the family and I to see so many people attend this event each year. It's nice to keep Dan's legacy going. Dan was such a great character and respected his fans a lot. He always spent a lot time with his fans as he was very grateful they supported him through his racing career.
Having a turn out of thirty teams, each with four to six drivers, what does this mean to you about Dan's legacy and what his friends and fans thought of him?
It means a lot to the family and I to see so many people attend this event each year. It's nice to keep Dan's legacy going. Dan was such a great character and respected his fans a lot. He always spent a lot time with his fans as he was very grateful they supported him through his racing career.
It was fairly competitive on track to say the least, what are your thoughts on the way your Team Wheldon #21 did?
Definitely was very competitive on the track that night, which is great to see. Team Wheldon had an ok night, finishing 12th out of 30 teams. Didn't help when both Elliott & Ashley got black flagged. Great to see Austen and Gavin putting in some very quick laps. To be honest we thought we would hold back and let someone else win for once.
Tell us about the Alzheimer's Society and the work they carry out?
The Alzheimer's Society is a charity very close to my family and I. As you probably know we lost my mum to the illness last April. Dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes. It's progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. Alzheimer's Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life for people affected by dementia in UK. Alzheimer's Society staff and volunteers provide both local information and over 2,000 services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to people affected by dementia in their communities. There local services include day care and home care for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring. From Dementia Cafes and innovative Singing For The Brian sessions to memory-book projects and group outings, their services provide both practical support and an essential point of human contact.
Definitely was very competitive on the track that night, which is great to see. Team Wheldon had an ok night, finishing 12th out of 30 teams. Didn't help when both Elliott & Ashley got black flagged. Great to see Austen and Gavin putting in some very quick laps. To be honest we thought we would hold back and let someone else win for once.
Tell us about the Alzheimer's Society and the work they carry out?
The Alzheimer's Society is a charity very close to my family and I. As you probably know we lost my mum to the illness last April. Dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes. It's progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. Alzheimer's Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life for people affected by dementia in UK. Alzheimer's Society staff and volunteers provide both local information and over 2,000 services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to people affected by dementia in their communities. There local services include day care and home care for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring. From Dementia Cafes and innovative Singing For The Brian sessions to memory-book projects and group outings, their services provide both practical support and an essential point of human contact.
And finally, when will we see Sebastian over and competing (and winning)?
Sebastian is doing very well in the US with his karting and just won his first race recently, which was a very proud moment in the Wheldon household. Hopefully in the next couple of years when he's a bit older we will see him over here competing and winning races and championships.
Sebastian is doing very well in the US with his karting and just won his first race recently, which was a very proud moment in the Wheldon household. Hopefully in the next couple of years when he's a bit older we will see him over here competing and winning races and championships.
Links
Alzheimer's Society
Demnetia Friends
Dan's Fundraising Page for Alzheimer's Society
Dan Wheldon Karting Challenge - Facebook / Twitter
Teeside Karting
Alzheimer's Society
Demnetia Friends
Dan's Fundraising Page for Alzheimer's Society
Dan Wheldon Karting Challenge - Facebook / Twitter
Teeside Karting