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Dan Wheldon crash video: IndyCar champion dead after 15- car pile-up in Las Vegas Father-of-two, 33, pushed himself to win as only competitor to take up a $5million challengeClive 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 FranchittiDriver 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 ByDaily Mail Reporter Updated: 06:06 GMT, 18 October 2011 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. Scroll down for video

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Dan Wheldon crash video: IndyCar champion dead after 15-car pile-up in Las Vegas

Father-of-two, 33, pushed himself to win as only competitor to take up a $5million challengeCliveWheldon, 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 DarioFranchittiDriver was 'frustrated' with car problems in the days before the race but promised 'pureentertainment'

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 racingdriver Mark Blundell brands Las Vegas track as a 'recipe for disaster'Coroner says Wheldon died offatal head injuries

ByDaily Mail Reporter

Updated: 06:06 GMT, 18 October 2011

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 LasVegas Indy 300.

The father-of-two was catapulted helplessly into the air in a 225mph smash before landing on abarrier and suffering fatal head injuries.

Fighting back tears, Clive Wheldon, 59, came out of the family home in Buckinghamshire around5pm and said his son died in a sport he was born to

do.

Scroll down for video

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Tragedy: Dan Wheldon's number 77 car (left) launches into the air after clipping a competitor infront of it. Moments later Wheldon smashed into the fencing to his right

Devastated: Clive Wheldon, accompanied by sons Austin, 26, and Ashley, 30, makes a statementyesterday following the death of his son

He said: 'The family would like to thank everybody for their overwhelming sympathy in such adifficult time. Daniel was born to be a racer and yesterday he left us doing what he loved, he was

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true gentleman and champion on and off the track.

'He was a devoted son to Sue and myself, loving husband to his wife Susie and a loving father to hischildren Oliver and Sebastian.

'Words cannot describe how much our family will miss him. He touched so many and the world is abetter place for him having been in it. We want to thank everyone for allowing us time to grieve inprivate.'

Serious safety questions were being raised today after it emerged that the British IndyCar championhad been offered a $5million incentive to race from the back.

A Las Vegas coroner also tonight revealed that Wheldon died of blunt force trauma to the head.

As tributes poured in, it was also revealed that the 33-year-old was among of group of drivers whohad voiced concerns about the speed of cars and the cramped conditions on the track.

Mr Wheldon's Dallara-Honda had weaved its way through the field of cars after starting at the backin a desperate bid to claim the lucrative prize.

Just days earlier Mr Wheldon had joined a number of other drivers in expressing the fears over thespeed of cars and overcrowding on the oval-shaped track. But in a blog post, he had promised fanshe would go out to win and put on a show of 'pure entertainment'.

The 1.5 mile-long Motor Speedway track in Las Vegas is 60 per cent shorter than the one used forIndy-33 races.This may have caused a deadly combination of 34 cars crowded on the track, lightingfast speeds and fierce competition.

The fiery pile-up, on the 11th lap of the 300-mile race, was caused by contact on Turn 2 and suckedin almost half of the races 34 participants.

Footage from Mr Wheldon's vehicle shows him steering to the left to avoid the pile-up. But he drivesinto the back of a car in front which acts like a ramp and fires Mr Wheldon into the air at more than200mph. His car slips over before landing on the 'catch fence'.

Mr Wheldon, a former private school pupil originally from Buckinghamshire, was rushed to hospitalin a helicopter but died as a result of his severe 'unsurvivable' injuries. Despite wearing a helmetand being strapped into the cockpit, his chances of escaping alive were slim.

As the racing world today came to terms with the death, leading figures from the sport paid tributeto the 'talented and inspirational driver'. But IndyCar chief executive Randy Bernard will now facetough questions on safety as analysis begins of the fatal crash.

The sport has always been regarded as more dangerous then Formula One with four IndyCar drivershaving been killed since 1996. But the big-money prizes and lucrative sponsorship deals haveattracted many drivers, including Nigel Mansell who competed in the CART Indy Car World Series in1993.

Lewis Hamilton, who was the 2008 Formula One World Champion, said: 'This is an extremely sadday. Dan was a racer I'd followed throughout my career, as I often followed in his footsteps as weclimbed the motorsport ladder in the UK.

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Mr Wheldon's blue and white car takes off in the air. It appears to have hit the back of the greenvehicle in front, which acted like a ramp and launched the British driver upwards

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Out of control: A close up of the moment of impact shows the rear left wheel of the green car pushedup by Mr Wheldon's vehicle, which reaches a steep angle

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Milliseconds after the initial impact, Mr Wheldon's car has spun upside down as it hurtles towardsthe fencing. Will Power's car, right, is just beginning to take off

Will Power's car is flung into the air as a large number of vehicles collide in the pile-up and sparksfly. Mr Wheldon's vehicle has gone ahead of them and can no longer be seen in this shot

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Will Power's number 12 car is seen flying through the air. The vehicle was not crushed against thefencing in the same manner as Mr Wheldon's and he survived the accident

Will Power's car lands close to the barrier facing backwards without suffering the severe damageinflicted on Mr Wheldon's vehicle, which is further down the track

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Smashed to pieces: Wheldon's car, only identifiable by the B & W logo, is shown in the far left of thepicture. The car is upside down and the driver's head has clearly been in contact with the barrier

The severe extent of the damage to the number 77 car, left, can be seen. Wires and shards of metalare hanging loose from it as flames engulf the tale

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Fire: Mr Wheldon's car is momentarily lost in a ball of flames as it hits the barrier. Wheels and partsof the body of the vehicle are flung onto the track

Flames: Mr Wheldon's car skids across the asphalt on its nose having lost both front wheels and therear spoiler in the crash. Will Power's vehicle is seen behind him against the fence

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'Unsurvivable injuries: Mr Wheldon's head is flung to the left as his 77 car, now without any wheels,spins away from the fence towards the centre of the track

Medics rush to Mr Wheldon's damaged car as it becomes clear that he is severely injured. Someworkers are seen waving, frantically trying to get more assistance

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The race to save his life: Dan Wheldon is loaded into a medical helicopter and airlifted to hospital

THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED

Why was Wheldon offered $5m to win from the back of the grid?

The organisers of Las Vegas Indy 300 - together with sponsors GoDaddy (a website domain andhosting company) - had offered the $5m challenge to several drivers from another racing series toadd drama to the end-of-season race.

However, they later changed the format to accommodate Wheldon, was has previous IndyCarexperience but was without a full-time deal.

Forced to start from the back of the 34-strong grid, Wheldon would have 200 laps to get to the front.If hed won, the Briton would have split the $5m prize with a competition winner, whod been flownout to Las Vegas specifically for the race.

Why was it so dangerous?

Former F1 and IndyCar driver Mark Blundell has since described the Las Vegas track as a recipe fordisaster and called the pile-up inevitable.

It is a short circuit at just 1.5 miles, with an average lap-time of only 20 seconds. It means there isvirtually no spread in the field, ensuring one mistake inevitably triggers a domino effect as seen inSundays tragic pile-up.

Was anything wrong with the track itself?

It was the first IndyCar race in Las Vegas since 2000. The track features progressive banking, whichmeans the angle of the gradient increases towards the top. Its design is to encourage side-by-sideracing.

An average lap at the Las Vegas track is done at over 220mph. In comparison, the average speed ofa lap in Sundays Korean Grand Prix is around 127mph.

Sundays race had already attracted criticism for the size of the field. While only 33 drivers areallowed to compete at the world-famous Indianapolis 500, 34 drivers had started this race - eventhough the Las Vegas track is one mile shorter than that at Indianapolis.

Is IndyCar more dangerous than F1?

While there hasnt been a fatality in F1 since Ayrton Sennas crash in 1994, Wheldons death comesjust five years after Paul Dana was killed in IndyCar. Four IndyCar drivers have died since 1996.

Although F1 has suggested some controversial ideas in its time - for example, the idea of creatingrain to add excitement to races - it is highly unlikely such a plan as the $5m challenge would everpass through the tight regulations set by the FIA.

'He was an extremely talented driver. As a British guy, who not only went over to the States but whotwice won the Indy 500, he was an inspirational guy, and someone that every racing driver looked upto with respect and admiration.

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'This is a tragic loss at such a young age. My heart goes out to his family and friends during thisextremely difficult time.'

Jenson Button wrote on Twitter: 'Just woken up to the most horrific news. Dan Weldon RIP. I have somany good memories of racing with Dan in the early 90s, a true fighter. We've lost a legend in oursport but also a great guy.'

Former Formula One world champion Jody Scheckter wants his son to quit IndyCar racing followingthe death of Briton Dan Wheldon.

Scheckter was a spectator at Sundays Las Vegas Indy 300 and had an anxious wait beforediscovering son Tomas had escaped unharmed from the 15-car crash.

'Ive wanted him to give up for a while,' said Scheckter. 'Hopefully this will knock some sense intohim and realise there is more to life. It really isnt worth it.'

Questions were also being asked about the safety of the course amid speculation that Mr Wheldonwas pushing himself too hard after a difficult season. He had started in last position but with offer ofa $5million bonus for drivers who win from the back of the gird, had already weaved his waythrough ten cars before going into the back of another vehicle.

Trails of sparks could be seen across the asphalt before Mr Wheldon's car was flung into the air andstruck part of the 'catch fence' outside the bend.

Debris from the cars was strewn across the track as they spun into each other and careered into thefencing. Flames then engulfed Mr Wheldon's shattered vehicle which skidded on its nose across thetarmac.

Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pile-up.

Rescue workers were at Mr Wheldon's car quickly, some furiously waving for more help to get to thescene. A helicopter descended onto the track moments later and airlifted Mr Wheldon's body to theUniversity Hospital in Las Vegas.

The former champion's injuries were so bad that there was little that the medics could do to savehim. He was pronounced dead a short while later and officials were informed two hours after theinitial crash.

Mr Wheldon's wife Susie, and two sons, Sebastian, two, and six-month-old Oliver, are understood tohave been at his bedside when he died, as well as his two brothers and a sister.

Outside the Wheldon family home in Emberton, Buckinghamshire, today, a family friend was seencoming to the door to receive flowers and condolences from neighbours.

The friend - who did not wish to be named - said Dan's mum and dad Susan and Clive were at thefamily home but were too upset to comment.

He said: 'They are in no fit state to speak to anyone at the moment, they are resting after a verydifficult night. They will not be giving a statement right now.'

The Wheldon family - whose son Dan was privately educated at the nearby Bedford School - own a

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seven bedroom large sandstone cottage in the village.

Neighbour Jean Garrett, 49, said: 'I have known the Wheldon family for 27 years and I have knownDaniel all his life. Our thoughts, my husband's, myself and my family, are with them.

'I can't get my head around it at the moment. When they first moved into the village I got to knowSue, his mother, and we became friends. It just feels like there is a big hole in my life now. I neverwent to America to see Daniel but I would always make sure that i would visit him when he cameback home.

'He was a lovely person. I can't believe what has happened.' Rector Richard Caddell, fromEmberton's All Saints Church, paid his respects to the family this morning.'

Speaking outside the home in the rain he said: 'I know the Wheldon's well but it is too soon to tellwhether they will hold the funeral here or in America.'

Graham Smith, 63, from the Association of British Kart Clubs, said his Dan was a talent even at ayoung age.

Graham's son Malcolm raced alongside Dan when as a youngster he won the British Championshipin karting in 1988, 89 and 90 - with another racing great Jensen Button winning the year after.

Graham, from Southam, Warwickshire, said: 'Even at an early age it was clear Dan had a greattalent, he won everything he entered up until Jensen came in.

'It's a shame we never got to see Dan in Formula One, but I actually think he probably went on tohave a better career in the United States. It is just so very sad that it has ended this way.'

Mr Wheldon had weaved his way through ten cars to place himself in a promising position close tothe middle of the field in the early stages of the race. He was in a strong position to push for avictory and as a proud family man, the $5m would have been a big help to support his wife andchildren who had started a new life with him in the U.S

Organisers of the race had offered the massive bonus to any non-regular IndyCar driver, such asWheldon, who had started at the back of the field. He was the only racer to accept the challenge.

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Proud family man: Wheldon poses with wife Susie, who is holding baby son Oliver, and older sonSebastian 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 IZODIndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May this year.Right, celebrating on the track after the race

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Proud father: Mr Wheldon holds his son Sebastian, when he was just eight weeks old, at his SnellIsle home in St. Petersburg in 2009

Teenagers: Mr Wheldon, left, and Jenson Button, right, chat during the Formula Ford Festival andWorld Cup, at Brands Hatch in 1998

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Happy times: Dan Wheldon, middle of the second row, enjoying himself during his childhood

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Early success: Mr Wheldon, who started racing aged four, is pictured third from the right, on thefront row, during the Championship Cadet Series in Shenington near Banbury in 1988

Despite his previous success, he had struggled with financial backing this season and had topped uphis income with commentary work.

The race was abandoned after the tragedy and as news of Mr Wheldon's death spread there wereemotional scenes track side.

Some of his colleagues and friends broke down in tears while others looked on in a stunned silence,still coming to terms with the news that the vibrant driver had gone.

IndyCar chief executive Randy Bernard confirmed Mr Wheldons death at a press conference.

Devastated: Team mates Jenson Button, left, and Lewis Hamilton, right, have both paid tribute toWheldon who they have called 'inspirational'

Support: A neighbour delivers flowers to the home of racing driver Dan Wheldon's parents inEmberton, Buckinghamshire, today

Two young fans look at the memorial, as right, Bob Herring and his wife Cindy embrace at the gateto the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

TRIBUTES FROM RACING WORLD

IndyCar driver Danica Patrick: 'There are no words for today. Myself and so many others aredevastated. I pray for Suzi and the kids that God will give them strength.'

IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe: 'It's a black day for the sport. We came in here hoping for a goodseason finale and ended up losing a close friend and a very good racing driver.'

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Dario Franchitti, former teammate: 'Everybody in IndyCar considered Dan a friend. You saw whatthe reaction was. Dan was one of those special, special people.'

Chip Ganassi, owner of Wheldon's former team: 'We're all going to miss him. A little bit of everybodyin IndyCar racing died today.'

Oriol Servia, IndyCar driver: 'Dan was always a very happy guy; he was always smiling. He was afunny, great person that touched a lot of people. He will be missed.'

Racer Tommy Kendall: Struggling for words. A very bright light was extinguished today. As alive asa person can be one minute and gone the next.'

Jamie Little, ESPN motorsport reporter: 'Great memories. Great friend. Amazing talent. Thank youfor your constant smile and endearing spirit. We lost a great one today.'

Sam Schmidt, owner of Wheldon's No. 77 Indy-car: 'Dan was a tremendous competitor, a great racerand an even better person. It was an honour to have him be a part of our team.'

Kansas Speedway president Patrick Warren: 'Dan exemplified the definition of a champion, both onand off the track.'

He said: IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivableinjuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today.

Fellow driver Dario Franchitti, Wheldons former teammate and friend since the age of six, said: 'Imnumb and speechless. One minute youre joking around in driver intros and the next Dans gone.'

Franchitti claimed there had been warning signs of potential danger due to the number of cars inclose confinement at such high speeds.

He added: 'I could see within five laps people were starting to do crazy stuff.

'I love hard racing but that to me is not really what it's about. One small mistake from somebody...

'We put so much pressure on ourselves to win races and championships, and its what we love to do.Days like today it doesnt matter.

'I think everybody in the IndyCar series considered Dan a friend. He was one of those special,special people.

'He was six years old when I first met him. He was this little kid and the next thing you know he wasmy team-mate. '

Moments before the start of the race, popular Wheldon, a two-time winner of the famously toughIndy 500, sent his last Twitter message. It was just one word - 'Green!!!' - the colour on the lightsthat signals the start of the race.

Although officials had decided to end the race, after learning of his death, 19 of Mr Wheldons fellowdrivers went on to perform a five-lap salute in his honour.

Many of them were visibly shaken and almost all of them covering their eyes with dark sunglasses

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after being told that their colleague's injuries were fatal.

When the drivers solemnly returned to the track, Wheldon's No. 77 was the only one on the toweringscoreboard.

Franchitti sobbed uncontrollably as he got back into his car for the tribute laps.

Over speakers at the track, the song Danny Boy blared, followed by Amazing Grace as hundreds ofcrew workers from each team stood solemnly on the side of the course. Supporters in the standsstood up in silence for the tribute.

Television cameras captured Ashley Judd, the wife of Mr Franchitti, dabbing at her eyes shortlybefore the official word came.

Video replays showed Wheldon's car turning over as it was airborne and sailed into what's called the'catch fence,' which sits over the safety barrier that's designed to give when cars make contact.

IndyCar officials also cancelled its season-ending banquet following the death. They had planned tohold a celebration for the 2011 season tonight at Mandalay Bay Resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

Today it emerged that Mr Wheldon had become 'frustrated' before the race with technical problemsin the number 77 Bowers & Wilkins Magnolia/William Rast Dallara/Honda. He complained that thevehicle was 3mp off the pace but said adjustments were being carried out.

'If we start the race that far off the pace, it's going to be difficult to keep up,' he wrote on USAToday.

Tributes: The gate to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where fans have been leaving touching

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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 flagplaced in honour of the driver

It's actually been a very difficult weekend for us so far. But I've been watching these guys work theirtails off trying to fix this problem, and I believe they'll turn it around before Sunday's race.

'It is incredibly frustrating, both for me and them. All the boys are working as hard as possible, butso far we haven't pinpointed what it is.

'Honestly, if I can be fast enough early in the race to be able to get up there and latch onto thosetwo, it will be pure entertainment. It's going to be a pack race, and you never know how that's goingto turn out.'

Sheer disbelief: Brazilian driver Vitor Meira at a drivers meeting after the deadly crash and, right,crew members look at the remains of one of the crashed cars

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Tangled mess: Members of driver Paul Tracy's team inspect the remains of his car

Shocking aftermath: Cars are scattered on the track after a 15 car crash during the Las Vegas Indy300

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Stunned and tearful: Drivers take five tribute laps in Las Vegas on Sunday in honour of Dan Wheldon

Dazed: IndyCar racer Danica Patrick walks away from pit road after the tribute laps

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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

1978 - 2011: A LIFETIME OF WINNING

1978: Born in Olney, Buckinghamshire on June 22.

1982: Starts karting.

1999: Wins U.S. F2000 championship and wins 'Rookie of the Year'.

2000: Becomes Toyota Atlantic 'Rookie of the Year'.

2001: Wins CART Dayton Indy Lights 'Rookie of the Year.'

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2002: Makes IndyCar debut with Panther Racing.

2003: Wins IndyCar 'Rookie of the Year' for Andretti Green Racing.

2004: Finishes second in the points standings for the season.

2005: Wins the Indianapolis 500 race, becoming the first Englishman to do so since Graham Hill in1966. Claims IndyCar drivers' championship in second full season.

2006: Finishes runner-up in the drivers' championship.

2009: Finishes second at Indianapolis 500 after starting from 18th.

2010: Comes second again at Indianapolis 500.

2011: Joins Bryan Herta Autosport after leaving Panther Racing. May - Wins Indianapolis 500.October 16 - Killed in final IndyCar race of the season at Las Vegas.

IndyCar said information on a public memorial for Wheldon will be released at a later date.

Mr Wheldon is the first IndyCar driver to die on the track since rookie Paul Dana was killed inpractice on the morning of race day at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2006.

There were suggestions that too many cars were crammed onto the course when Mr Wheldoncrashed. Thirty four were competing in all, but the oval-shaped track in Las Vegas is just 60 per centas long as races where 33 cars are used.

Former Formula One driver Mark Blundell said after the accident that the 1.5 mile long MotorSpeedway track was a 'recipe for disaster'.

Martin Whitmarsh, the team principal of McLaren, said the death highlighted 'the bitter contrastthat sometimes exists between the highs and lows of motorsport.' He added: 'The motorsport worldis now in mourning following Dans passing.'

The tragedy comes just months after Mr Wheldon won the famous Indianapolis 500 in May for thesecond time.

Mr Wheldon, who lived in St Petersburg, Florida, won the entire IndyCar series championship backin 2005, when he also enjoyed his first triumph in the Indy500 race.

Born in Emberton, Buckinghamshire, Mr Wheldon attended the fee-paying Bedford School andstarted karting at the age of four.

After an early racing rivalry with contemporary and Formula One ace Jenson Button, he left the UKin 1999 for the more lucrative racing scene in the USA.

Wheldon's first Indianapolis 500 victory was in 2005 - he passed Danica Patrick with less than 10laps to go that year - and his win at the sport's most famed race this year was one to particularlysavour.

It came in perhaps the oddest of fashions, as he was the beneficiary of a huge gaffe by someone else.

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Mr Wheldon was in second place, far back of rookie J.R. Hildebrand approaching the final turn -when Hildebrand lost control and clipped the wall.

He zipped past, and the only lap he led all day at Indianapolis was the last one.

He returned to the track the next morning for the traditional photo session with the winner, kissingthe bricks as his two-year-old son Sebastian sat on the asphalt alongside him, and wife, Susie, heldtheir then two-month-old, Oliver.

Mr Wheldon was almost resigned to finishing second at Indy for the third straight year, beforemisfortune struck Hildebrand.

'It's obviously unfortunate, but that's Indianapolis,' he said.

'That's why it's the greatest spectacle in racing. You never know what's going to happen.'

Such was the case again today.

Mr Wheldon was well behind the first wave of cars that got into trouble on the fateful lap, and hadno way to avoid the wrecks in front of him.

With the incredible speeds reached by the cars, there was no time to brake or steer out of trouble.

Popular: With his love of racing and golden boy looks, Wheldon was loved among followers of thesport

THE INDYCAR DRIVERS WHO DIED FOR THEIR LOVE OF SPEED

IndyCar has not had a fatality since Paul Dana was killed at the Homestead-Miami track in 2006.Another driver had lost control and gone into a spin during a morning warm-up. Dana died when hehit the other car at 200mph.

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American driver Tony Renna was killed in 2003 in Indianapolis. During tire testing his car spun andbecame airborne, smashing into the fence. Renna died instantly.

In 1996 Scott Brayton a veteran driver who had competed in 14 Indy 500s since 1981, was killed inpractice after qualifying for the pole position for that years race.

Champion driver Greg Moore was fatally injured in a violent 1999 crash during the Marlboro 500,the CART season finale in Fontana, California.

Gonzalo Rodriguez, a Uraguayan driver, died during the practice session for only his second CARTrace, at Laguna Seca, California, in 1999. At the notorious Corkscrew corner, his car went off thetrack flipping over concrete the barrier and landing upside down on the other side of the wall.

American race car driver Jeff Krosnoff was killed in a race in Toronto in 1996. A wheel-to-wheeltouch with another car sent his vehicle over the barrier striking a light post. The accident also left atrack volunteer dead after he was struck by a wheel.

Filipino driver Jovy Marcelo who came from a racing family well known in Asia, was killed in practicefor the 1992 Indy 500 race.

Two drivers were killed in 1982. Jim Hickman died in a qualifying accident in Milwaukee after astuck throttle caused his car to slam into the wall. Earlier in 1982 he had been named Rookie of theYear.

Gordon Smiley died during qualification for the 1982 Indy 500 after his car slid off a turn and hit thewall at nearly 200 mph. Smiley was also a promising Formula 1 driver.

'I saw two cars touch each other up in front of me and then I tried to slow down, couldn't slowdown,' driver Paul Tracy said.

'Then Dan's car, from what I saw in the videos, came over my back wheel and over top of me. Just ahorrendous accident.'

Even as a former series champion and one of the sport's top names, Wheldon did not have thefinancial backing to secure a full-time ride for himself this season.

He kept himself busy by working as a commentator for some races and testing prototype cars thatthe IndyCar series will be using in the future.

IndyCar will have new cars in 2012, much of the changes done with a nod for safety.

It had been a passion of Wheldon's in recent months, and he once quipped that he was a 'testdummy' for the new cars by working with engineers as often as he was.

Mr Wheldon moved to the United States in 1999, quickly trying to find sponsor money to fund hisdream, and by 2002 - after stints in some lower-profile open-wheel series, such as the F2000championship, Toyota Atlantic Series and IndyLights - he was on the IndyCar grid for the first time.

Wheldon got his first IndyCar Series ride, in 2002, for two races with Panther Racing, then replacedMichael Andretti when Andretti retired the next season and won Rookie of the Year.

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His first victory came the next season, in Japan, and he finished second in the championshipstandings behind Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan.

The next year, he was its champion. NASCAR teams talked to him about changing series. So didFormula One organizations.

In the end, he decided IndyCar was his calling.

'The biggest thing for me is the Indianapolis 500,' Wheldon said in 2005, not long after becoming thefirst Englishman since Graham Hill in 1966 to prevail at the Brickyard. 'It would be really difficult toleave this series because of that race.'

As evidenced by the difficulty in finding sponsorships this season, it was also difficult for him to stayin the series.

Even though he finished among the top 10 in IndyCar points annually from 2004 through 2010,Sunday was only Wheldon's third start of 2011.

Off the track, Wheldon had varied interests, some of which had almost nothing to do with his driving.

In 2010, he released a photo book he called Lionheart, a coffee table book that he described as'almost like a photo biography from my career in IndyCars up until this point.'

He spent years editing the book, which included dozens of photos of his life away from the track,including images from his wedding.

'I wanted it to have a lot of my input,' Mr Wheldon said last year. 'Obviously, it's a reflection of me.'

He also wanted that book to provide his fans with a glimpse of his life that they would never haveknown otherwise.

'There's a lot of my wedding in there,' Wheldon said.

'I wanted there to be a lot of photos of mywife. She was the most beautiful bride on herwedding day the world had ever seen.'

Fellow

In a statement McLaren team principleMartin Whitmarsh, said: 'Dan Wheldonstragic death highlights the bitter contrastthat sometimes exists between the highs andlows of motorsport.

'His rapid ascent to the very top ranks of US motorsport, capped by two fantastic Indy 500 victoriesand the 2005 Indy Car title, are the lasting legacy of a hugely talented driver and champion.

'The motorsport world is now in mourning following Dan's passing. On behalf of everyone at

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McLaren Mercedes, I pass on my condolences to his family and friends.'

Although great strides have been made in the safety of motor racing, Dan Wheldon's death is areminder of the dangers inherent in the sport.

Hundreds of drivers, crew members, officials and spectators have lost their lives as a result ofcrashes over the years.

Ayrton Senna, a three-time Formula One world champion, famously died in 1994 while leading theSan Marino Grand Prix.

He suffered fatal skull fractures when his car lost control and smashed into a wall at 135mph. TheBrazilian was the last driver to die at the wheel of a Formula One car. His death came a day afterfellow competitor Roland Ratzenberger was killed while qualifying for the event.

One of the biggest tragedies in motorsport was in 1955, when Frenchman Pierre Levegh, aMercedes-Benz factory driver, was killed in a crash at Le Mans that also cost the lives of 83spectators.

After he collided with another car and was sent flying in the air, parts of his vehicle flew into thecrowd and the fuel tank exploded.

Canadian Gilles Villeneuve was killed while qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982.

The horrific accident saw him crash into a slower car before he was reportedly thrown more than 50metres from the wreckage after his car flew into the air and somersaulted several times.

Shockwaves were sent around the world when Jim Clark, a Scotsman, died at the Formula TwoDeutschland Trophae in 1968. During the event at the Hockenheimring in Germany, his Lotus carcame off the track and ploughed into trees, leaving him with a broken neck and fractured skull.

Dan Wheldon was the first IndyCar series driver to die since Paul Dana's death in 2006. The 30-yea--old American driver smashed into a stationary car during a practice session in Miami. The vehiclebroke on impact and he was pronounced dead at hospital two hours later.

Another notable death was that of seven-time Nascar champion Dale Earnhardt, who was killed in2001 at the Daytona 500. The tragedy led to sweeping safety improvements in Nascar, the world'slargest governing body for stock car racing.

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