'He left us doing what he loved': Indy champion's grieving father speaks as world of motorsport pays tribute to Dan Wheldon after fatal 225mph crash
- Father-of-two, 33, pushed himself to win as only competitor to take up a $5million challenge
- Clive Wheldon, 59, says his son was 'born to be a racer' who 'left us doing what he loved'
- 'I could see within five laps people were starting to do crazy stuff,' says fellow racer Dario Franchitti
- Driver was 'frustrated' with car problems in the days before the race but promised 'pure entertainment'
- Voiced concerns about the speeds cars were reaching and crowded 1.5-mile long track
- Shocked Lewis Hamilton says Wheldon was an 'inspirational guy and talented driver'
- Former racing driver Mark Blundell brands Las Vegas track as a 'recipe for disaster'
- Coroner says Wheldon died of fatal head injuries
By Daily Mail Reporter
Family, friends and leading figures from the world of motorsport paid tribute today to Dan Wheldon, who suffered horrendous injuries after his car hit another vehicle at breakneck speeds in the Las Vegas Indy 300.
The father-of-two was catapulted helplessly into the air in a 225mph smash before landing on a barrier and suffering fatal head injuries.
Fighting back tears, Clive Wheldon, 59, came out of the family home in Buckinghamshire around 5pm and said his son died in a sport he was born to
do.
Tragedy: Dan Wheldon's number 77 car, far left, launches into the air after clipping a vehicle that was in front of it. Moments later Mr Wheldon smashes into the fencing to his right
Devastated: Clive Wheldon, accompanied by sons Austin, 26, and Ashley, 30, makes a statement following the death of his son
Proud family man: Wheldon poses with wife Susie, who is holding baby son Oliver, and older son Sebastian on the day after he won Indianapolis 500 in May of this year. With them is the Borg-Warner trophy
Champion: Mr Wheldon poses with a trophy and his young son Sebastian after winning the IZOD IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May this year. Below: celebrating on the track after the race
Proud father: Mr Wheldon holds his son Sebastian, when he was just eight weeks old, at his Snell Isle home in St. Petersburg in 2009
Teenagers: Mr Wheldon, left, and Jenson Button, right, chat during the Formula Ford Festival and World Cup, at Brands Hatch in 1998
Happy times: Dan Wheldon, middle of the second row, enjoying himself during his childhood
Early success: Mr Wheldon, who started racing aged four, is pictured third from the right, on the front row, during the Championship Cadet Series in Shenington near Banbury in 1988
Tributes: The gate to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where fans have been leaving touching tributes to two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon
Patriotic: Drew Boyd places a checkered flag as a tribute to Dan Wheldon underneath a British flag placed in honour of the driver
Dazed: IndyCar racer Danica Patrick walks away from pit road after the tribute laps
Choking back tears: Stunned fans weep as drivers pay their five-lap tribute
Touching tribute: Teams line up on pit row as drivers take five laps in honour of Wheldon
Popular: With his love of racing and golden boy looks, Wheldon was loved among followers of the sport
P.S. My comment appeared on their site:
he was the Steve Irwin of high speed racing. Steve also left us doing what he loved.
- Deepak Punjabi, Baguio City, Philippines, 18/10/2011 14:37
