IndyCar Loses a Piece of Its Heart with Dan Wheldon's Passing

It was supposed to be the culmination a weeklong party for the IZOD IndyCar Series. Instead, it turned tragic, ironically taking the life of a driver who was the life of many parties.

Dan Wheldon was vital part of IZOD IndyCar Series' heartbeat. He took the characteristics fans loved most about the series and embodied nearly all of them.

The bat out of hell driving style? Wheldon could be counted on to drive as fast as possible, no matter the situation. Sunday, he was tasked with the challenge of passing 33 cars to win $5 million. No sweat for Wheldon, who had passed 10 cars at the time of the wreck that took his life.

Appreciation of history? Wheldon understood Indianapolis and had nearly mastered the track, winning twice and recording two runner-up finishes. In 2011, he took an underfunded team and helped guide and inspire them throughout the month, becoming the first man to lead one lap - the final lap - in winning the Indianapolis 500.

After the win, and without enough funding to run more, Wheldon was part of the pioneering spirit of IndyCar, serving as the test driver for the 2012 IndyCar safety cell and aero kit. Now, that work will be Wheldon's lasting legacy in the series; no one will be able to look at the car without remembering Weldon's work this summer. 

In a series that saw its share of drivers moving on "to bigger and better things," Wheldon never made noise about leaving the series, even when it was apparent he would be a part-time driver in 2011. That willingness to stay and promote the sport was admired by many, and Wheldon's tenure in the series provided fans with the ability to watch Wheldon grow up in the sport.

Wheldon entered the series as a young, brash, talented Englishman. Within two years, he had captured his first Indianapolis 500 trophy and was seemingly on top of the sport. Constantly with a smile on his face, Wheldon's grin always seemed to hint at mischief.

Constantly in search of fun, Wheldon formed quite the quartet with Andretti-Green teammates Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti and Bryan Herta. The group was legendary for its camaraderie, pranks and generally having a great time every weekend, no matter the circumstances. Any twenty-something male could relate to that experience, and Wheldon's celebrity within the series increased troughout the decade. (I'll admit to being a 22-year old cheering for Wheldon in 2003-05 in part because of of his Jim Beam sponsorship). 

By the turn of the decade, though, Wheldon had learned something else that endeared him to fans: humility. After an ultimately disappointing run with Target Chip Ganassi, Wheldon returned to Panther Racing, finishing runner-up in the 500 in both 2009 and 2010.

Still, this season brought with its own trials, as it was Herta who brought in Wheldon as a one-off entry for the 500. His willingness to drive for Herta, while competing with the Ganassis and Penskes was remarkable, and his win in May will always be one of the most memorable moments in the 100-year history of IMS. 

With a wife and two young sons, Wheldon had clearly matured from the 2005 Indianapolis 500 champion, just as most young men tend to do in their early 30's.

It's safe to say Wheldon got "it." For those of us who work in sports, a realization exists that we're working in the toy factory. Wheldon understood that - his joy at being involved in IndyCar was apparent in every interview.

A piece of the IndyCar Series - it's joy at getting to go out and push the limits of speed, man and machine - is gone. But Wheldon's spirit touched so many that the series will go on, albeit with heavy hearts for quite some time.

Dan Wheldon Appropriate Winner for End of IndyCar Spec Era

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway celebrated its 100th birthday in grand fashion on Sunday, but the cake came with trick candles, it would appear. An American was poised to win the 100th anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500. On Memorial Day weekend. While driving a car sponsored by the National Guard. But in the most dramatic ending in the 95 runnings of the 500, IMS changed her mind at the last minute, making a two-time winner of Dan Wheldon.

Dan Wheldon, who was let go by Panther Racing in the offseason, ran in the top five for most of the day, but seemed destined for another podium finish as the field cycled through late pit stops. Instead, IMS handed him a lifeline, as rookie JR Hildberand was bitten by Turn 4 on the last lap while leading in his No. 4 National Guard car, making Wheldon, in a one-off entry for Bryan Herta Autosport, a two-time champion of the Indianapolis 500.

In the spec era of IndyCar racing, Wheldon collected his second Borg-Warner Trophy, making him the third driver in the last 11 years to capture at least two, bookending his rise as an up-comer in 2005 with Andretti-Green Racing to his one-off, last lap pass in a Bryan Herta Autosport entry this year.

It was only the second last lap pass in the venerable history of the race and the second since 2006, when the last American won at Indianapolis, Sam Hornish, Jr. This time, it was an Englishman who was the beneficiary of an American's mistake, as Wheldon came around Hildebrand on the exit of Turn 4 after the rookie found the wall while coming around the car of Charlie Kimball.

Not wanting to slow behind Kimball and allow Wheldon to close on him, Hildebrand instead tried to get around Kimball in Turn 4, subsequently getting up the turn and into the marbles, sucking up him into the wall. The right side of his car heavily damaged, Hildebrand was still able to cross the finish line in second, but Wheldon was able to get by before the yellow waved, sending the 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner to Victory Circle for the second time in his career.

Asked what he saw when he passed the wrecked No. 4, Wheldon said,

My emotions, I didn't have any. Right up until the point that I passed JR, I didn't. I was so focused. It was one of those races where it was so competitive that you had to be on your game. And the wind seemed to be getting under the front of my car. If I wasn't on the same line every time at turn three, I would have to lift. I was catching bears, I wasn't focused on what was going on in front. I had the run on her through Turn 3 and 4, then pulled out.

When I saw him crash, I mean, I knew it wasn't serious. As soon as I knew it was not serious, there was a little smile on my face, I will say. From that point, it was just making sure that I didn't do anything silly. Then I think I got on the radio and started crying.

I'm not normally that emotional. But having been through what we've been through, being able to deliver this for everybody is certainly very gratifying. Proud of everybody. In terms of what it will do for the future, it will make me a happier person on the beach. In terms of more races, you'll have to ask these guys.

The tub crashed by Hildebrand was the same run by Wheldon in 2009, when the veteran took Panther Racing to its second straight runner-up effort in the 500. Wheldon would finish second again in 2010 before departing the team; with his win, Wheldon matches Bill Holland for the best three-year run in Indianapolis 500 history.

For Hildebrand, the mental scars will likely run deep. Marco Andretti still agonizes over his defeat from 2006 when suffered the only other last-lap pass in 500 history, but the driver from northern California should have plenty of other opportunities to justify  his 'Captain America' moniker.

Giving his post-mortem just after being released from the IMS Medical Center, Hildebrand commented:

I knew we were really tight on fuel coming to the end, and the spotters were in my ear saying, 'The guys are coming and they're coming hard. We had to conserve a little fuel and the tires were coming to the end of their stint. I was hanging a little on to get the thing around.

I made a judgment call catching up on the 83 (Charlie Kimball) and I thought I don't really want to slow down behind him and pull out on the straightaway, and I've been able to make this move on the outside before and so I went to the high side and because it was at the end of the stint I got up in the marbles and that was it.

I'm OK, but this is not really about me at this point. You always show up to try to win. My disappointment is for the team and for National Guard as a sponsor. It's one of the those things, as a driver, you never really know what you're going to expect. We knew we had a fast race car. We knew if the race came to us, we may be in a position to sort of finish top three, top five.

Still, this will nag Hildebrand and Panther Racing as one that got away. With the Dallara chassis likely in its final year, the Indianapolis 500 saw parity throughout the grid, with one-off and part-time entries able to run as capably as traditional powers Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Over the last few years, Panther had shown itself capable of running with those teams at Indianapolis, and was in position to finally get over the hump in the final year of the chassis. Instead, Wheldon stole the show, becoming the first winner since 1987 to take the Borg-Warner Trophy after not running any of the year's races prior to the 500.

In his IndyCar career, Wheldon traditionally ran with the upper echelon teams in the IZOD IndyCar Series, breaking in with Andretti Autosport at the height of its power and then moving over to Target Chip Ganassi Racing before heading to Panther Racing. It was while running with Andretti that Wheldon was teammates with Bryan Herta, who would field Wheldon in his one-off bid this year. The Englishman captured the 2005 Indianapolis 500, grabbing the lead from Danica Patrick late in the race, but would largely serve as a footnote in the recap of the race, as Patrick catapulted to national fame instead.

His teammate-turned-owner was reflective on the friendship built between the two several years ago:

When Dan came to Andretti, or actually when I came to Andretti, Dan was already there. But he was the kid, the rook. I actually came in, kind of the old guy, the experienced guy. Then we had T.K., obviously, Dario came back after he'd been hurt. It became kind of the Four Musketeers.

We had a lot of fun together on and off the track. We had an opportunity, the four of us got together for dinner about a week ago. Literally we laughed till our sides hurt just reminiscing about those times.

So there was a bond that formed between the four of us during those years that will never change. It wasn't the reason that I brought Dan to the team or asked him to drive for us, not because he's my buddy. It's because he's, flat out, the best guy there is around this place. That is the reason we hired Dan Wheldon.

Our friendship is our friendship, and that will never change. But, obviously, this has been another bonding experience. It serves to bring us closer.

Someday when we're old guys laying on the beach, we can still talk about this.

Entering the 2011 IZOD IndyCar season, Wheldon was relegated to a footnote once again. Failing to land a ride after being released by Panther Racing, Wheldon took the next available opportunity, reaching an agreement with Herta to drive the No. 98 William Raast car in the 500 and looking for additional opportunities to run the car throughout the season.

When it appeared that Wheldon would run Indianapolis only, he signed up to serve as a color commentator for future IZOD IndyCar Series races this summer, but his win could change all that. Several one-off drivers were clear that the easiest way to gain a full-time ride was simply to win the Indianapolis 500. Now that theory will be put to the test, as the IZOD IndyCar Series must market the winner of its biggest race. 

For most of the sunny Sunday, series officials could not be expected to be preparing to market Wheldon. The Target Chip Ganassi cars of Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon dominated the day, alternating the lead and ultimately splitting strategies to seemingly ensure that one would enter Victory Circle. Fueling on Lap 164, Franchitti attempted to stretch his fuel to the end but came up a lap short, costing him a chance at his third 500 crown. Dixon lead early but was victimized by a couple of slow stops, but still was sitting in the best position as the race wound to a close.

Out front of a group of cars that pitted around Lap 180 - including Wheldon, Graham Rahal and Tony Kanaan - it looked as is Dixon would inherit the lead should Franchitti, Hilderand or Bertrand Baguette need fuel. Instead, Dixon was forced to converse fuel late, as he did not receive enough on his final stop. The mistake capped an eventful week for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in the pits, as Franchitti and Dixon were both underfueled on their qualifying runs last week.

While Dixon was forced to save fuel, Wheldon powered through the group, passing both Kanaan and Rahal for position, allowing himself to apply pressure on Hildebrand in the final lap. Following the race, Wheldon commented:

On the radio with 20 to go, they said: 'Listen, this is the deal. Some people are going to try to make it on fuel. You're one of the guys that can make it to the end. But you've got to go and you have to make sure you get everything out of the car that you possibly can.'

So I said to myself at that point, I'm going to move the weight jacker every lap to optimize every single corner, adjust the roll bars to be able to just maximize everything. I didn't have a problem. I was able to catch traffic perfectly without having to lift. They said that there was one person that potentially could make it, I believe. So that made me even more hungry. I started pressing the overtake that Honda brought to the series.

On that last lap I was trying to deal with bears between Turns 3 and 4. In the corner of my eye, I saw him hit the fence. I just carried on by. As Bryan says, you have to make it to the bricks with a car that can go forward with all four wheels. At that point, I knew it was mine.

And when Hildebrand got into the marbles on the final corner of the final lap, Wheldon took his lone lead of the day, capping an era in which he mastered the Dallara chassis at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Moving Through the Indianapolis 500 Field: 1-11

Four former winners and four part-time or one-off drivers are in the first 11 spots in the field, presenting an interesting mix that is sure to make the start of the Indianapolis 500 quite interesting. With the 500 just over 48 hours away, it is time to look at the front of the field.

1. No. 77 - Alex Tagliani
Tagliani and his owner, Sam Schmidt, have already given the Indianapolis Motor Speedway one of the best story lines of the month by qualifying on the pole. The pole has been the best starting position to win the 500 from, as 21 winners have started on the pole, including four in today's spec car era.

Schmidt has routinely been fast at Indianapolis with his entries. Tagliani started fifth last year, but was never a major factor in the race, finishing 10th. Already the best driver-owner story since Bobby Rahal and Jim Trueman in 1986, it would be appropriate for Schmidt and Tagliani to enter Victory Lane 25 years later.

2. No. 9 - Scott Dixon
The first of the four winners in the top 11, Dixon had just enough fuel to post the provisional pole speed before Tagliani knocked him off. Characteristically quick at Indianapolis, Dixon has not finished worse than sixth in any of the last five years at Indianapolis. 

With Target Chip Ganassi Racing having seemed to figure out Indianapolis, Dixon figures to be a major factor in the race. He and teammate Dario Franchitti should enter the race as favorites, though it should be noted that Dixon could not get to the front in the heat of last year's 500. Quiet and quick all month, expect the Kiwi to be among the contenders at the end.

3. No. 2 - Oriol Servia
Another surprise on the front row, Servia sat on the provisional pole until the last two drivers of the Fast Nine knocked him off. After missing last year's 500, Servia brings a promising sponsor in Telemundo to the front row at Indianapolis. 

Servia's (and his teammate James Hinchcliffe's) qualifying effort seems to reinforce the notion that Newman/Haas Racing is a team on the comeback. In each of the last two years, Newman/Haas had qualified well, only to be disappointed on race day, finishing 28th a year ago due to handling with Hideki Mutoh. Despite leading 791 laps in 28 previous entries at Indianapolis, Newman/Haas Racing has never entered Victory Lane.

4. No. 99 - Townsend Bell
The quickest of the one-off entries in the field, Bell has performed well in recent years at Indianapolis, taking fourth in 2009 and having a chance at a similar result last year before a blocking penalty relegated him to 16th. Running with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, Bell has a legitimate chance for a career-best finish.

One of the IZOD IndyCar Series' most outspoken drivers, Bell has strong feelings on the need to bring back speed at IMS, and he is not shy about saying he has to win on Sunday to get a full-time ride for the rest of the year. However, Bell says there is no added pressure on him to perform. Look for the Herbalife car to run near the front for most of the race.

5. No. 12 - Will Power
The lone Team Penske car in the top 11, Indianapolis is the first track this year on which Power did not claim the pole. Leading his first laps at IMS last year, Power appears primed for his first victory on an oval.

The one aspect of the race that concerns Power is the double-file restart, for which he made clear his disdain during Media Day. If Power is up front, look for him to always choose the inside lane, and should he wind up on the outside, look for him to take the first chance to duck low.

6. No. 98 - Dan Wheldon
The 2005 Indianapolis 500 champion, Wheldon has a chance to match Bill Holland for the best three-year run at the 500. After consecutive second-place finishes, all Wheldon has to do is win the 500 in a one-off entry for Bryan Herta Autosport. 

Wheldon clearly is comfortable at IMS, recording five top five finishes at IMS in his eight career starts. Given his knack for finding the front during the 500, the creamsicle No. 98 figures to be in the mix throughout the race.

7. No. 44 - Buddy Rice
The 2003 500 winner returns to Indianapolis after a two-year absence. Running with Panther Racing, who has finished second in each of the last three 500s, Rice should have the chance to get to the front and stay near the front throughout.

However, no driver has missed a 500 (or more) and come back to win in their return to IMS in the rear-engine era. In an odd twist, Rice has only completed 200 laps once in five starts at Indianapolis, coming in his last race here in 2008.

8. No. 67 - Ed Carpenter
One of two local products in the 500, Ed Carpenter and his Sarah Fisher Racing team will be the sentimental favorites on Sunday. Starting eighth for the second straight year, Carpenter will look for the breaks he did not get last year, when he had to pit while the pits were closed, playing a part in his 17th-place finish.

Last year's result seems like an outlier for the Butler University product, as fifth and eighth-place results in the previous two years gave one the impression that Carpenter was figuring out his home track. Carpenter alluded to it yesterday, but after seeing his alma mater finish as the NCAA Basketball runners-up in each of the last two years, he would like to replicate the effort, only bettering the result.

9. No. 10 - Dario Franchitti
Franchitti would likely be on the front row, but a rare mistake from his Target Chip Ganassi Racing crew resulted in Franchitti running out of fuel prior to his fourth qualifying lap. In turn, Franchitti put on a rare show of public anger, storming down pit road following the mishap.

After a near-perfect run at IMS last year, Franchitti was easily fast at IMS this month, which made the mistake that much more surprising. Franchitti has a chance to make history on Sunday - a third win puts him in the company of Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser and Helio Castroneves. Back-to-back victories would make the Scotsman the sixth driver to achieve the feat in 500 history.

10. No. 5 - Takuma Sato
Sato was surprisingly quick on Pole Day, nearly reaching the Fast Nine before settling on the inside of Row 4. Throughout the month, the Tokyo native has raised money and awareness for the earthquake and tsunami victims of Japan, with schools throughout the Indianapolis area chipping in.

In his second start at Indianapolis, it will be interesting to see Sato's strategy on Sunday. Last year, starting 31st, Sato took his time, quietly picking up 11 spots by mainly avoiding attrition on his way to a 20th-place finish. This year, Sato has the option to bide his time or press the issue and try and move to the front as quickly as possible.

11. No. 14 - Vitor Meira
It has been 12 years since A.J. Foyt went to Victory Lane as an owner and on the 50th anniversary of Foyt's first 500 win, Meira represents Foyt's best chance at returning since Kenny Brack brought Foyt there in 1999. Meira's qualifying effort in the middle of Row 4 represents the best by a Foyt team since Eliseo Salazar started third in 2000.

Always a fan favorite, Meira is a two-time runner up at Indianapolis. The last two years, however, have not been kind to Meira at IMS, as he broke his back in 2009 and finished 27th last year due to contact. Foyt has had just one top 10 in the last five years (Darren Manning, 9th, 2008), so if Meira can avoid trouble, he figures to tally a top 10 for Foyt.

The Greatest 33: No. 26 - Dan Wheldon

With 25 days remaining until the 100th Anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500, Drive Hard, Turn Left & SB Nation Indiana is starting its countdown of the Greatest 33, the ultimate Indianapolis 500 field. Fans can build their own field by clicking here. Today, we look at one of IMS' finest drivers of the last decade, Dan Wheldon.

For a driver raised across the Atlantic on the road courses of Great Britain, Dan Wheldon took to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway like a duck to water.  In eight starts in the Indianapolis 500, Wheldon has led in four races and taken home top six finishes on five occasions.  If not for a little more luck at the track, Wheldon might be a two or three-time champion of the race.

Arriving for his first 500 in 2003, Wheldon was part of a dominant lineup for Andretti Green Racing (now Andretti Autosport), qualifying in the middle of Row 2 as a rookie.  However, an accident would knock Wheldon out of the race 14 laps from the finish.  By the next year, Wheldon was one of the dominant drivers with Andretti Green, finishing third in the rain-shortened event as the team went 2-3-4 in the 500.

2005 felt like Wheldon's year at IMS.  With three wins in the Indy Racing League season prior to arriving at Indianapolis, the driver of the No. 26 was the odds-on-favorite to capture the Borg Warner Trophy.  However, after two years of strong qualifying runs, Wheldon started just 16th in 2005.  

Methodically working his way through the field, Wheldon took his first lead of the day three-quarters of the way through the race.  With 10 laps to go, Wheldon was back in front, but was passed by Danica Patrick; three laps later though, Wheldon grabbed the lead back and cruised to his first win at the 500, the first won by an Englishman since Graham Hill in 1966.

Moving to Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2006, it seemed as if Wheldon would continue to dominate at Indianapolis, as from the drop of the green flag it was apparent that the No. 10 car was the best in the field.  Wheldon would lead 148 laps on the day, but a tire puncture forced him to the pits earlier than planned and he was not able to get back to the front of the field and finished fourth.

Wheldon would not finish as high again until leaving Ganassi and joining Panther Racing in 2009.  The Englishman would repeat the effort in 2010 and looked to be in position to catch a slowing Dario Franchitti until a wreck on Lap 199 brought the race to a yellow flag conclusion.

In 2011, Wheldon will be back at Indianapolis, this time as an entry of Bryan Herta Autosport, his former teammate at Andretti Green Racing.