British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon has died after a horrific 15-car crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday which left the motor sports world in shock.
The 33-year-old, a two-time winner of the Indy 500, was involved in a multi-car accident 13 laps into the Las Vegas Indy 300 which sent his vehicle flying, leaving wreckage and debris across the track.
Wheldon’s car flew over another and caught part of the catch fence just past the apex of turn two.
Photo: Reuters
The incident left Townsend Bell’s car upside down and smoldering cars strewn along the track.
Wheldon, who lived in St Petersburg, Florida, was flown by helicopter to University Medical Center in Las Vegas for treatment before his death was announced two hours later.
“IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries,” IndyCar Series chief executive Randy Bernard said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today.”
The race was canceled and the drivers returned later for a moving and tearful five-lap tribute.
A popular figure, Wheldon was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion and he won the Indy500 race that year and also earlier this year — the 100th anniversary of the event.
When the drivers returned to the track, Wheldon’s fellow British driver, Scotsman Dario Franchitti, was sobbing uncontrollably as he was strapped back into his car.
“I could see within five laps people were starting to do crazy stuff,” said Franchitti, who avoided the incident and with the cancellation of the race won his third straight series title. “I love hard racing, but that to me is not really what it’s about. One small mistake from somebody ... Right now, I’m numb and speechless.”
“One minute you’re joking around in driver intros and the next he’s gone. He was six years old when I first met him. He was this little kid and the next thing you know he was my teammate,” said Franchitti, who raced together with Wheldon at Andretti Green Racing. “We put so much pressure on ourselves to win races and championships, and today it doesn’t matter.”
Crews lined up along the pit lane and fans in the stands stood silently as the drivers paid tribute to the popular Wheldon.
Wheldon, who did not have a regular ride this season, could have won a US$5 million prize which was on offer at the Vegas event for a non-fulltime winner of the season finale.
The Englishman had not raced since winning the most recent Indy 500 in May.
While not a household name like Formula One drivers in Britain, Wheldon could certainly count himself as among the most successful British drivers in world motor sports.
After winning eight British national titles in karting and then finishing third in the 1998 Formula Ford championship in Britain, Wheldon moved to the US in pursuit of better opportunities.
He clinched the F2000 Championship Series in 1999 with six victories and then moved into IndyCar, where he won rookie of the year honors in 2003.
Wheldon claimed the 2005 series thanks to six wins for Andretti Green Racing.
The Englishman later raced for Panther Racing and his final team Bryan Herta Autosport.
Wheldon leaves his wife Susie and their two young sons.
Taiwan’s participation in the Olympic Games has been a story of politics as much as sports, with the name it has competed under since 1984 — Chinese Taipei — drawing as much attention as its athletes. However, with the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad set to begin in Paris on Friday, the exploits of Taiwan’s athletes past and present who have won 36 medals since the country’s debut in Melbourne in 1956 deserve a nod. Many of Taiwan’s medal winners have gained considerable name recognition, but only two have achieved legendary status — Maysang Kalimud and Chi Cheng, the only medal winners
In April last year, Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying finally opened up about her future in the sport in which she had competed professionally since 2009. “My plan is to retire after the end of next year’s season. Even if I’m still able to compete, I would prefer not to,” she said at a promotional event. If true, the Paris Olympics would be her last stab at an Olympic gold medal, a prize some might think a player who has topped the rankings in women’s singles for a record total of 214 weeks — between December 2016 and September 2022 — should
POLYNESIAN FOCUS: The separate opening event welcomed visitors with Tahitian dancing, while athletes participated in rituals to mark the occasion Tahitian dancers in palm-leaf skirts mingled with Olympic surfers, locals and tourists as the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games commenced in French Polynesia on Friday, about 16,000km from the main ceremony in Paris. “The people of Tahiti, we are all enchanted to have these Olympics Games here and to welcome all our friends from all over the world,” French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson told reporters. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. All the world is looking at us for this mighty wave.” Just steps from the ocean and set against the lush green mountains of Tahiti, the event was heavily
Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman on Wednesday said she would step away from the team’s opening game against New Zealand at the Paris Olympics in the wake of a drone scandal. New Zealand complained to the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit after it said drones were flown over closed practice sessions earlier in the week. As of press time last night, Canada, the defending Olympic champions, were set to open the Paris Games against New Zealand in Saint-Etienne. In the fallout of the complaint, two staff members — assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi — were sent home, the