Dan Wheldon
| Dan Wheldon | |
|---|---|
 Dan Wheldon in Washington, D.C. in February 2010 |
|
| Nationality | British |
| Date of birth | 22 June 1978 |
| Place of birth | Emberton, Olney, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 16 October 2011 (aged 33) |
| Place of death | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| IRL IndyCar Series | |
| Years active | 2002–2011 |
| Teams | Chip Ganassi Racing Andretti Green Racing Panther Racing Bryan Herta Autosport Sam Schmidt Motorsports |
| Starts | 128 |
| Wins | 16 |
| Poles | 5 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2005 |
| Previous series | |
| 2005-2008 2001 2000 1999 |
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Indy Lights Toyota Atlantic Championship U.S. F2000 National Championship |
| Championship titles | |
| 2005 1999 |
IRL IndyCar Series Champion U.S. F2000 National Championship |
| Awards | |
| 2003 2005 2011 2006 |
IRL IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Indianapolis 500 Winner Indianapolis 500 Winner 24 Hours of Daytona Winner |
Daniel Clive Wheldon (22 June 1978 - 16 October 2011) was an English auto racing driver. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. On October 16th, 2011, Wheldon was killed in a 15-car crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300. He was 33 years old.[1]
Contents |
Early life [change]
Dan Wheldon was born in Emberton, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. Wheldon started to race Go-Karts at the age of four. During his early career in open wheel racing, Wheldon had a rivalry with Jenson Button before he left the United Kingdom to start racing in America. Wheldon moved to America because he thought he thought the potential for success in America were greater than in the UK.[2] Wheldon moved to the United States in 1999. He spent many years racing in lower open-wheeled circuits like the U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series before moving to a higher series.
IRL IndyCar Series [change]
In 2002, Wheldon moved up to the IRL IndyCar Series for two races. He drove for Panther Racing with his teammate Sam Hornish, Jr. In 2003 Wheldon joined Andretti Green Racing, winning the Rookie of the Year award. In 2004, he won his first IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. He finished the 2004 season second in points with three wins.
In 2005 Wheldon won the Indianapolis 500, and finished the season first in points winning the IndyCar Series championship. He won six races during the season, breaking the record for most victories in one season.[3] In November 2005, it was announced that Wheldon would be driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series in 2006. He went on to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 24 Hours of Daytona, winning the race with Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon and Ganassi NASCAR driver Casey Mears.[4]
Wheldon began the 2006 IndyCar season by winning the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This was a somber race, as Paul Dana had died earlier while practicing for the race.[5] At the end of the 2006 IndyCar season Wheldon and Sam Hornish, Jr. were tied for the lead in the points. They both had 475 points. Hornish had four wins for the 2006 season, and Wheldon only had two. Because Hornish had more wins then Wheldon, he was made the 2006 Indy Car Champion.[6]
The BMW Sauber Formula One team offered to let Wheldon drive for them, but he declined their offer. They couldn't give Wheldon a ride for the whole season, so he decided to continue to focus on Indy.[7]
On 22 June 2008 Wheldon won his 15th IndyCar Series race in the .Iowa Corn Indy 250. He donated all of the money he won to help the victims of the tornadoes and flooding which had just happened in Iowa.[8]
On 2 September 2008 Dan Wheldon left Chip Ganassi Racing.[9] He was replaced by Dario Franchitti. Wheldon had decided to return to Panther Racing.[10] Wheldon finished second in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, however Wheldon did not finish in the Top 10 in 7 of the last 8 races of the year. The following year Wheldon ran well again at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing second. He finished the 2009 season 9th in the series points.[11]
Wheldon ran well with Panther racing in 2009, however he did not win a race during his time with the team. Panther Racing decided to replace Wheldon with J.R. Hildebrand. Wheldon raced in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Bryan Herta Autosport, winning the race after J.R. Hildebrand crashed going into the final turn.[12] Wheldon was very emotional after winning the race. He did not have a ride for the rest of the season, and he was worried about his mother who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He dedicated his win to his mother.[13] It was Wheldon's first series win in three seasons.[14]
Death [change]
On October 16th 2011, Wheldon was involved in a 15-car wreck on lap 11 at the Las Vegas Indy 300. Wheldon's car went into the air and hit the catch fence. Wheldon was taken by helicopter to the hospital. When Wheldon got to the hospital he was declared dead from blunt force trauma to the head.[15][16]
Other appearances [change]
Dan Wheldon was a guest star in the voice cast for the TV series Hot Wheels Battle Force 5.[17]
Personal life [change]
Wheldon married his long-time personal assistant, Susie Behm, in 2008. They had 2 sons: Sebastian [18], who was born on 1 February 2009, and Oliver,[19] born 19 March 2011. Wheldon's family lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Motorsports career results [change]
IndyCar Series [change]
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Panther Racing |  HMS |
PHX |
FON |
NZR |
INDY |
TXS |
PPIR |
RIR |
KAN |
NSH |
MIS |
KTY |
STL |
CHI 10 |
TXS 15 |
36th | 35 | ||||
| 2003 | Andretti Green Racing | HMS |
PHX |
 MOT 7 |
INDY 19 |
TXS 20 |
PPIR 19 |
RIR 8 |
KAN 21 |
NSH 4 |
MIS 20 |
STL 5 |
KTY 8 |
NZR 7 |
CHI 4 |
FON 4 |
TX2 3 |
11th | 312 | |||
| 2004 | Andretti Green Racing | HMS 3 |
PHX 3 |
MOT 1 |
INDY 3 |
TXS 13 |
RIR 1 |
KAN 9 |
NSH 13 |
MIL 18 |
MIS 3 |
KTY 3 |
PPIR 3 |
NZR 1 |
CHI 4 |
FON 3 |
TX2 3 |
2nd | 533 | |||
| 2005 | Andretti Green Racing | HMS 1 |
PHX 6 |
STP 1 |
MOT 1 |
INDY 1 |
TXS 6 |
RIR 5 |
KAN 2 |
NSH 21 |
MIL 5 |
MIS 2 |
KTY 3 |
PPIR 1 |
SNM 18 |
CHI 1 |
WGL 5 |
FON 6 |
1st | 618 | ||
| 2006 | Chip Ganassi Racing | HMS 1 |
STP 16 |
MOT 2 |
INDY 4 |
WGL 15 |
TXS 3 |
RIR 9 |
KAN 2 |
NSH 2 |
MIL 8 |
MIS 3 |
KTY 4 |
SNM 6 |
CHI 1 |
2nda | 475 | |||||
| 2007 | Chip Ganassi Racing | HMS 1 |
STP 9 |
MOT 2 |
KAN 1 |
INDY 22 |
MIL 3 |
TXS 15 |
IOW 11 |
RIR 3 |
WGL 7 |
NSH 8 |
MDO 10 |
MIS 12 |
KTY 17 |
SNM 7 |
DET 3 |
CHI 13 |
4th | 466 | ||
| 2008 | Chip Ganassi Racing | HMS 3 |
STP 12 |
|MOT1 4 |
LBH1 DNP |
KAN 1 |
INDY 12 |
MIL 4 |
TXS 4 |
IOW 1 |
RIR 4 |
WGL 24 |
NSH 2 |
MDO 17 |
 EDM 7 |
KTY 5 |
SNM 4 |
DET 20 |
CHI 6 |
4th | 492 | |
| Panther Racing |  SRF2 11 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Panther Racing | STP 14 |
LBH 5 |
KAN 10 |
INDY 2 |
MIL 10 |
TXS 7 |
IOW 4 |
RIR 10 |
WGL 10 |
TOR 14 |
EDM 15 |
KTY 11 |
MDO 16 |
SNM 12 |
CHI 22 |
MOT 8 |
HMS 21 |
10th | 354 | ||
| 2010 | Panther Racing |  SAO 5 |
STP 20 |
ALA 11 |
LBH 9 |
KAN 15 |
INDY 2 |
TXS 9 |
IOW 11 |
WGL 6 |
TOR 10 |
EDM 20 |
MDO 14 |
SNM 25 |
CHI 2 |
KTY 3 |
MOT 10 |
HMS 9 |
9th | 388 | ||
| 2011 | BHA with Curb Agajanian Sam Schmidt Motorsports |
STP |
ALA |
LBH |
SAO |
INDY 1 |
TXS1 |
TXS2 |
MIL |
IOW |
TOR |
EDM |
MDO |
NWH |
SNM |
BAL |
MOT |
28th | 75 | |||
| Sam Schmidt Motorsports | KTY 14 |
LVS3 Canc |
- a Wheldon lost the title on the tiebreaker. Wheldon won only two races while Sam Hornish, Jr. won four, giving him the championship.
- 1 Run on same day
- 2 Non-points race
- 3 Event canceled after a 15-car incident on Lap 11 involving Wheldon, who later died from his injuries.
| Years | Teams | Races | Poles | Wins | Podiums (non-win)** |
Top 10s (non-podium)*** |
Indianapolis 500 wins |
Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 5 | 133 | 5 | 16 | 27 | 50 | 2 (2005, 2011) | 1 (2005) |
- ** Podium (non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes.
- *** Top 10s (non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.
Indianapolis 500 [change]
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dallara | Honda | 5 | 19 | Andretti Green | Wrecked in turn 4, flipped |
| 2004 | Dallara | Honda | 2 | 3 | Andretti Green | Running |
| 2005 | Dallara | Honda | 16 | 1 | Andretti Green | Running; 157.603 mph |
| 2006 | Dallara | Honda | 3 | 4 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Running |
| 2007 | Dallara | Honda | 6 | 22 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Crashed on backstretch |
| 2008 | Dallara | Honda | 2 | 12 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Running |
| 2009 | Dallara | Honda | 18 | 2 | Panther Racing | Running |
| 2010 | Dallara | Honda | 18 | 2 | Panther Racing | Running |
| 2011 | Dallara | Honda | 6 | 1 | Bryan Herta Autosport | Running; 170.265 mph |
References [change]
- ↑ "Auto racing: Dan Wheldon dead after 15-car crash at Las Vegas Indy 300". http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Auto+racing+Wheldon+dead+after+crash+Vegas+Indy/5558782/story.html. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ↑ "Dan Wheldon: 'Winning at Monaco would be great, but it's nothing next to the Indy 500'". The Independent (London). 2007-05-25. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/dan-wheldon-winning-at-monaco-would-be-great-but-its-nothing-next-to-the-indy-500-450237.html. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ↑ "Dan Wheldon’s Top Five Career Achievements". http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-10219471. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ↑ "24 Hours of Daytona Winners / Daytona 24h / Rolex 24". http://www.motorsportsetc.com/champs/dayton24.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ↑ "Weldon Wins Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead". http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/03/26/001990.html. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ↑ "2006 IndyCar Results Table". http://www.bridgestonemotorsport.com/Championships/indycar/Results/2006/Points. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ↑ Shaw, Simon (2007-05-17). "Dan's Indy mood for F1". The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,3-2006130815,00.html. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
- ↑ Gray, Rob. "Indy Corn 250 birthday bash: Wheldon turns 30 with a win". The Des Moines Register. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806230335. Retrieved 2008-06-27.[dead link]
- ↑ Perez, A.J. (2008-09-03). "Goodbye NASCAR: Franchitti headed back to IndyCar Series". USA TODAY. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/irl/2008-09-02-franchitti-returns_N.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ↑ Lewandowski, Dave. "Driver musical chairs". indycar.com. http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=12431. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ↑ "2009 IZOD IndyCar Series Point Standings". http://www.indycar.com/schedule/standings/55-izod-indycar-series/113-2009-izod-indycar-series/. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
- ↑ "Britain's Dan Wheldon wins second Indy500 after rival's late crash". Guardian. 30 May 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/may/30/dan-wheldon-indy500-jr-hildebrand. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ↑ "Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon enjoys moment in spotlight". USA Today. 30 May 2011. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/indycar/2011-05-30-wheldon-indy500_N.htm. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ↑ "Dan Wheldon gets stunning Indy win". ESPN. 30 May 2011. http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/news/story?id=6605500. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ↑ "Wheldon succumbs to injuries in crash". http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/50911-wheldon-succumbs-to-injuries-in-crash/. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
- ↑ "Dan Wheldon dies in huge crash at IndyCar finale". http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/indycar/story/2011-10-16/las-vegas-300-dan-wheldon-crash/50795256/1. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
- ↑ http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/41214-wheldon-super-hero-of-battle-force-5/
- ↑ Dan Wheldon Welcomes a Son Celebrity Baby Blog, February 5, 2009
- ↑ Meet Oliver Wheldon IndyCar.Com, March 21, 2011
Other Websites [change]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dan Wheldon |
- Official Site
- IndyCar Driver Page
- Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon talks about his karting days
- Recent Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon looks forward to a new challenge
- ESPN Profile
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Laurent Redon |
IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year 2003 |
Succeeded by Kosuke Matsuura |
| Preceded by Buddy Rice |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 2005 |
Succeeded by Sam Hornish, Jr. |
| Preceded by Tony Kanaan |
IRL IndyCar Series Champion 2005 |
Succeeded by Sam Hornish, Jr. |
| Preceded by Dario Franchitti |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 2011 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Mark Webber |
Autosport Rookie of the Year 2003 |
Succeeded by A. J. Allmendinger |
| Preceded by Andy Priaulx |
Autosport British Competition Driver of the Year 2005 |
Succeeded by Jenson Button |
