I met him a couple years ago in the St. Pete Grand prix, I never really followed Indy but when I went I wanted to buy a souvenir and bought a mini helmet that caught my eye and it happened to be his, by luck he walked by us and I asked him to autograph it and he was the coolest dude, very down to earth. It is a shame that he had to wait for Danicka to go fail somewhere else, so he can get a full time position. R.I.P Dan Wheldon

 

i will post a few of my shots of him whizzing by at the gp over the years in a couple hours

 

Sounds like he was a cool ass dude! I just re watched the wreck. It's crazy how quick things happen, one minute your here, the next you aren't. Again R.I.P.

 

No. Like a true winner and champion Weldon didn't let up and that's why he ran into the back Charlie Kimball.

Indy is to blame for hacks like Danica taking up rides that much more talented and qualified drivers should have. It is pathetic that a two time Indy 500 winner and season champion like Weldon didn't have a full ride this year. That is all on Indy.

 

Chuck, you of all people should be in agreement that the IRL takes PART of the blame. You know 34 cars on a 1.5 mile oval like that is just too many. You saw how many drivers raised their concerns. the IRL did NOTHING to address it. Then adding a $5 Million bonus to any driver that starts from the back and wins, only adds to the danger and risks being taken.

However, as you said Dan wanted to win, and was willing to try and drive through the wreck and gain tons of spots, and I don't blame him.

I do agree with you on the IRL allowing no class, cunt bitches such as Danica holding a spot she's not worthy of. She won a single fucking race in her entire career in Indy, and that's because she caught a lucky break. I hope she fucks up in Nascar and goes down a road of despair and disappointment. She hates her fans, and is a real piece of shit when it comes to corner workers and officials alike. I remember watching multiple times at St. Pete when she would turn down autographs for little kids, or just straight up give them the cold shoulder. Fuck her and that horse she rode in on.

It's drivers like Dan Wheldon, and others like Scott Dixon that I want representing their sport. They're passionate, and want to win, and want to have people support them. I went to a Friday practice at St. Pete, and I Scott Dixon was walking from his car to the pit on the front straight, and I politely asked him for his autograph, and he chatted with me for 10 mins. What a badass. Seriously, it's people like him and Dan that make the IRL what is should be.

 

Well, we'll have to remain in disagreement on that. Lotta cars, very fast, very tight, no doubt about that. But racin's racin, and even with the big 15 car crash there was only one bad injury and that was the guy that pushed too much. No disrespect meant to Mr. Weldon.

It was measuring up to be a fantastic race. It would have been a helluva finale.

 

One could only wonder if that $5 million dollar bonus payout was the reason he didn't let up. Either way, it was a sad day especially for his wife, children, parents and family.

A caller on the Speed Report argued that they should have resumed the race and grieve after. While I can understand this the time between having the race at a Red Flag to not only clean up the 15 car debris field but then to also repair the track with patches gave too much time to have what happen really settle in. I can't see any one of those drivers go out after that amount of time.

While I enjoy Indy car I think there are enough road courses in the US to put them on and make those cars perform the way they are meant to perform and I don't mean making 4 left hand turns. I also think if that would happen we would see many changes in the team drivers line up.

 

Not in the least. It could have been $5 and Weldon still would have pushed it to the limits. That's how he won two Indy 500s and a championship. And it is why losers like Danica will never be anything but hype.

I think the drivers all knew Weldon was dead when they drove through the debris on the first caution. Had they not known I think the race would have continued.

I have nothing against the ovals. The first Indy 500 was 100 years ago. It's tradition and there is a lot of strategy going on out there. It's good racing.