I had the chance to sit in the post Indy 500 press conference, after Dan Wheldon won his 2nd race. He sat with team owner Brian Herta and crew chief Steve Newey, and I loved their stunned surprise that they put together a victory out of a team that was only coming together for one, maybe two rides.
I remember being annoyed that such a fine young driver couldn't find a regular team to give him a full-time ride. I was also more than a little pleased that the one-off rider won the entire race, beating the two Death Star teams of Penske Racing and Target Ganassi. I always cheer for the underdog, and this was one of the underdoggiest stories of the year.
So when I saw that Dan Wheldon died doing what he loved, I remembered this footage. I think it represents him at his very best and shows him after the biggest win of his career, achieving the one thing that most of us would never even dream of doing: winning the Indianapolis 500.
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I remember being annoyed that such a fine young driver couldn't find a regular team to give him a full-time ride. I was also more than a little pleased that the one-off rider won the entire race, beating the two Death Star teams of Penske Racing and Target Ganassi. I always cheer for the underdog, and this was one of the underdoggiest stories of the year.
So when I saw that Dan Wheldon died doing what he loved, I remembered this footage. I think it represents him at his very best and shows him after the biggest win of his career, achieving the one thing that most of us would never even dream of doing: winning the Indianapolis 500.
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