Dan Wheldon killed in IndyCar crash

Pro Sports 61 replies 3,565 views
GoChiefs's avatar
GoChiefs
Posts: 16,754
Oct 16, 2011 5:43pm
15 car pileup at today's Indycar's World Championships. Wheldon airlifted to the hospital. Had his car tarped off. Didn't look good at all. Will Powers also sent to the hospital. They've red flagged the race and are having a drivers meeting right now. Supposed to be a good day for Wheldon after announcing today that he's taking over Danica's car next season when she leaves Indy for NASCAR.

Here's a video from Power's in car camera.

[video=youtube;O7DetQvUjoU][/video]
ts1227's avatar
ts1227
Posts: 12,319
Oct 16, 2011 5:47pm
Ashley Judd (Dario's wife) tweeted that Dario had heard that Wheldon was unconscious but his vitals were fine about an hour ago.
ts1227's avatar
ts1227
Posts: 12,319
Oct 16, 2011 5:58pm
Dan Wheldon has died. Race has been cancelled.

Drivers will run a 5 lap salute shortly.
GoChiefs's avatar
GoChiefs
Posts: 16,754
Oct 16, 2011 5:58pm
He died. :(
hasbeen's avatar
hasbeen
Posts: 6,504
Oct 16, 2011 6:00pm
RIP hate to see this
dazedconfused's avatar
dazedconfused
Posts: 2,662
Oct 16, 2011 6:00pm
rip dan wheldon. just awful
coyotes22's avatar
coyotes22
Posts: 11,298
Oct 16, 2011 6:04pm
Another sad day in MotorSports.

RIP Wheldon
coyotes22's avatar
coyotes22
Posts: 11,298
Oct 16, 2011 6:05pm
[video=youtube;sOsZtDyr6Ls][/video]
derek bomar's avatar
derek bomar
Posts: 3,722
Oct 16, 2011 6:05pm
this is why race car driving is retarded
coyotes22's avatar
coyotes22
Posts: 11,298
Oct 16, 2011 6:07pm
derek bomar;935743 wrote:this is why race car driving is retarded
Seriously? Its something that can happen in any sport. Have some respect.

Racing is probably more safe than any other sport right now.
gerb131's avatar
gerb131
Posts: 9,932
Oct 16, 2011 6:10pm
Dang. RIP
ts1227's avatar
ts1227
Posts: 12,319
Oct 16, 2011 6:13pm
coyotes22;935746 wrote:Racing is probably more safe than any other sport right now.
Unfortunately open wheel cars are never really "safe". The body is so light and small, and the driver's head is always somewhat exposed. That's why they have one die about once every few years as opposed to very seldom in stock cars.

Such is the risk. Every sport has them though, so you just do what you love and hope for the best.
killer_ewok's avatar
killer_ewok
Posts: 11,379
Oct 16, 2011 6:18pm
Damn. RIP. He drove the Jim Beam car, right?
derek bomar's avatar
derek bomar
Posts: 3,722
Oct 16, 2011 6:19pm
coyotes22;935746 wrote:Seriously? Its something that can happen in any sport. Have some respect.

Racing is probably more safe than any other sport right now.
lol, a 15 car pile-up can happen in any sport? GTFOOH
oberhaus's avatar
oberhaus
Posts: 868
Oct 16, 2011 6:21pm
killer_ewok;935761 wrote:Damn. RIP. He drove the Jim Beam car, right?

#77. Wasnt he in a Target car? He was part of that team at least.
robj55's avatar
robj55
Posts: 9,511
Oct 16, 2011 6:25pm
rip. so sad
derek bomar's avatar
derek bomar
Posts: 3,722
Oct 16, 2011 6:26pm
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway alone has had 56 people die on it. This "sport" (and NASCAR) is fucking stupid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_racing_drivers_who_died_in_racing_crashes
bases_loaded's avatar
bases_loaded
Posts: 6,912
Oct 16, 2011 6:26pm
GoChiefs;935700 wrote:15 car pileup at today's Indycar's World Championships. Wheldon airlifted to the hospital. Had his car tarped off. Didn't look good at all. Will Powers also sent to the hospital. They've red flagged the race and are having a drivers meeting right now. Supposed to be a good day for Wheldon after announcing today that he's taking over Danica's car next season when she leaves Indy for NASCAR.

Here's a video from Power's in car camera.

[video=youtube;O7DetQvUjoU][/video]

Was that weldons car that powers ran over?
jordo212000's avatar
jordo212000
Posts: 10,664
Oct 16, 2011 6:37pm
Yeah, I've seen a few videos and I can't tell which one was him
Iliketurtles's avatar
Iliketurtles
Posts: 8,191
Oct 16, 2011 6:40pm
RIP Dan. He was one of my favorites.
GoJPM!'s avatar
GoJPM!
Posts: 799
Oct 16, 2011 6:42pm
Had the honor of seeing and watching this year's Indy 500 winner race, in person, before today's awful crash. He was a great guy, a really cool dude. His win at Indy this year was only something that could have been scripted in a Hollywood movie. Unemployed driver, gets a one-off with a small team, and wins the biggest race coming out of the final corner. He was testing the new Indy Car and Honda turbo V-6 recently out at Mid-Ohio and was going to come back big next year, replacing Danica Patrick, in the Go Daddy car at Andretti Autosport. Izod Indy Car Series was going to make him the face of the series next season so this is such an enormous blow. Totally gutted right now. Words cannot describe what an empty feeling this has left me and many other open wheel fans today.


RIP Danny Boy.
End of Line's avatar
End of Line
Posts: 6,867
Oct 16, 2011 6:46pm
RIP Dan Wheldon......You will never be forgotten.

[video=youtube;Z0kGAz6HYM8][/video]
GoJPM!'s avatar
GoJPM!
Posts: 799
Oct 16, 2011 6:52pm
oberhaus;935769 wrote:#77. Wasnt he in a Target car? He was part of that team at least.
He did a couple of races for Panther in 2003 in a second car. He drove for Andretti-Green (#26 Jim Beam car) from 2004-05, winning Indy and the championship in 2005. Moved to Target Chip Ganassi in 2006 (#10 car) and drove there until the end of '08. IN 2009, he returned to Panther to drive the #4 National Guard car. He left Panther following the 2010 season. He passed on some full-season rides with lesser teams to take a one-off ride with Brian Herta Motorsports who was running a collaborative effort with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the #98 William-Rast/Curb/Agajanian car at Indy. Did some races in the booth for Versus this summer before doing the final two races for SSM in the #77 car at Kentucky and Vegas. Was also the offical test driver for the 2012 Dallara Indy car and Honda engined. Was signed last week to return to Andretti for 2012, replacing Danica Patrick.
Ironman92's avatar
Ironman92
Posts: 49,363
Oct 16, 2011 7:11pm
I don't follow Indy or NASCAR but usually noticed Wheldon on the leaderboard.

RIP
GoChiefs's avatar
GoChiefs
Posts: 16,754
Oct 16, 2011 7:32pm
derek bomar;935775 wrote:The Indianapolis Motor Speedway alone has had 56 people die on it. This "sport" (and NASCAR) is fucking stupid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_racing_drivers_who_died_in_racing_crashes
There were 42,636 people killed in car accidents in 2005. Guess that makes driving down the road fucking stupid too, right?