Dan Wheldon killed in Crash at Las Vegas Indy 300

Dan Wheldon killed in Crash at Las Vegas Indy 300

Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died Sunday in a fiery 15-car wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when his car flew over another on Lap 13 and smashed into the wall just outside turn 2.

Wheldon was 33. Drivers were told of Wheldon's death in a meeting about two hours after the fiery, smoky crash that many drivers said was the worst they had ever seen.

He won the Indianapolis 500 twice, including this year.

"IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries," IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race. In honour of Dan Wheldon, the drivers have decided to do a five-lap salute to in his honour."

Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pileup.

The wreck left Townsend Bell upside down and smoldering cars and debris littered the track nearly halfway up the straightaway of the 1.5-mile oval.

The track was red-flagged following the accidents while crews worked on fences and removed smashed cars.

Rookie Toronto driver James Hinchcliffe told ABC: "When we came around after the caution (flag) was thrown, I can't even describe to you what the scene looked like on the race track from our point of view. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before in my life. "

Wheldon started in the back of the pack but quickly worked his way through the 34-car field before the wreck.

"It was like a movie scene which they try to make as gnarly as possible," said Danica Patrick, making her final IndyCar start. "It was debris everywhere across the whole track, you could smell the smoke, you could see the billowing smoke on the back straight from the car. There was a chunk of fire that we were driving around. You could see cars scattered.

Drivers had been concerned about the high speeds at the track, where they were hitting nearly 225 mph during practice.

Their concerns became reality when contact on Turn 2 sent cars flying through the air, crashing into each other and into the outside wall and catch fence.

"I'll tell you, I've never seen anything like it," Ryan Briscoe said. "The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something. I mean, there were just pieces of metal and car on fire in the middle of the track with no car attached to it and just debris everywhere. So it was scary, and your first thoughts are hoping that no one is hurt because there's just stuff everywhere. Crazy."

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• 2011

[KyleBoland]

R.I.P

[princeofdarknessxyz1]

@KyleBoland do u have footage of the crash...i want to see it

[KyleBoland]

@princeofdarknessxyz1 Just go to search its the top one!

[drimple21]

why is there 40dislikes

its like no one gives a shit

about him dying

i mean i aint seen it on the news once!

[gamrguy101]

NASCAR? Okay, first off, it's Indycars. Just lettin you know. And also I believe it's just racing. Tragedy? Yes. But racing. It's happened before and, as much as it kills me to say it, it WILL happen again. However, the sport has become much safer over the years and will continue to get safer for years to come. It is a great sport. Care going 225 6 inches away from each other is incredible. However, one little misjudgment, and we have to talk about things such as these. R.I.P. Dan

[bosingjose]

FUCK U!!!!!! were's the video

[awaud55]

Try talking clearer

[ENTERRAPTURE20]

DAMASCUS SYRIA–OLDEST CITY,NEVER BEEN DESTROYED(ISAIAH 17:1)ISRAEL DIVIDED(JOEL 4:1-4)JESUS SAID,HIS 2ND COMING,IF U SEE DMASCUS DSTROYED & SRAEL DVIDED.IF U THINK QUAKES R COMMON THN BELIEVE THESE 2 PROPHECIES,THESE R IN THE NEWS NOW.JOHN 12:25-26 ANYONE WHO LOVES THEIR LIFE WILL LOSE IT,WHLE ANYONE WHO HATES THEIR LIFE N THIS WORLD WILL KEEP IT FOR ETRNAL LIFE.26 WHOEVER SERVS ME MUST FOLLOW ME& WHRE I AM,MY SERVANT ALSO WILL BE.MY FATHER WILL HONOR THE ONE WHO SERVES ME.HELL IS REAL.REPENT!

[Valldyte222]

You look like the scrawny hipster douchebags i see everyday at school.

[thybigballs]

@baconrules311 Based on the general concensus here, I think it's obvious.

[baconrules311]

@thybigballs why?

[WonderlandAugust13th]

rip

[Yasaernator]

R.i.p