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113-520: Since 2012, all IndyCar races are contested with cars built on a common chassis supplied by Dallara, keeping costs to the fixed $ 349,000 per chassis negotiated by the IndyCar organization. The new specification of chassis also adds safety features, the most prominent being a partial enclosure around the rear wheels. Since 2015, Honda and Chevrolet have offered alternatives to the Dallara aerodynamic kit for

226-534: A blunt trauma to his head. He was the first driver to be killed in IndyCar competition since Paul Dana died in an accident during practice for the 2006 Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead–Miami Speedway. On 22 October, Wheldon was given a funeral at the First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg attended by almost 1,000 mourners. Fellow drivers Franchitti, Dixon, Kanaan and Wheldon's three brothers acted as pall-bearers . The next day, IndyCar held

339-478: A 1999 graduate. He progressed to the 2000 Toyota Atlantic Championship , driving for PPI Motorsports in its No. 3 Swift 008.a vehicle, winning the season-opening Homestead–Miami Speedway round to become the first driver in series history to win on his debut. He won the Laguna Seca race, finishing runner-up in the championship standings with 159 points and a further nine top-ten finishes. Wheldon

452-622: A Wright chassis in 1992. He was later advised by Mark Rose and Terry Fullerton as he progressed to the international level. Wheldon won the 1995 FIA Formula A World Cup with Fullerton's team. Aged 17, he progressed to car racing, competing in the Formula Vauxhall Junior Championship for Team JLR in 1996, winning the Brands Hatch , Silverstone and Oulton Park races and taking seven top-three results to finish second overall. The following year, Wheldon

565-470: A best finish of fourth at Iowa Speedway and three top-tens. He did not attain those results in seven of the last eight races. He was tenth in the championship standings with 354 points, his lowest finish since he placed eleventh in 2003. Wheldon remained with Panther Racing for the 2010 season . During the season-opening São Paulo Indy 300 , he made contact with Alex Tagliani , which sent him into Kanaan; he recovered to finish fifth. Three races later at

678-420: A car from his own low-budget operation, Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA), for Wheldon and he agreed. He drove a Dallara car from 2003 leased to Herta by BHA's technical partner Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Curb-Agajanian Motorsports . He qualified in sixth place; in the race, Wheldon was in second place on the final lap when Hildebrand crashed leaving turn four. He took the lead to become the first driver to win

791-523: A favourite amongst motor racing fans and the media, despite being unrecognisable in England due to Formula One being the country's most popular motor racing series. Wheldon was a keen learner, and was focused on accomplishing his objectives. Two days after his death, Dallara named their new one-specification chassis in Wheldon's honour. The DW12 , with the new bumper/ nerf bar section being featured,

904-462: A further four podium results during this period. Wheldon left the team at the conclusion of the season. He drove part-time for Bryan Herta Autosport and later Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the 2011 season. He won his second Indianapolis 500 in May of that year. At the season-ending IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway , Wheldon was killed in a collision with a fence post alongside

1017-596: A hybrid system for the existing 2.2 liter V6 engines was introduced during the 2024 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course . It has a 60 hp (45 kW), 33 lb⋅ft (45 N⋅m) electric motor coupled to a 320 kJ (90 Wh), 60-volt capacitor. The DW12 was the second Dallara IndyCar Series chassis to suffer a fatality in IndyCar Series to date. At the 2015 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway , Justin Wilson died after being hit on his helmet by

1130-611: A meeting in August 2005. His AGR contract expired on 31 October and formal discussions began soon after. CGR resigned Wheldon for the 2006 season and the team changed manufacturers from Panoz to Dallara and engine suppliers to Honda after Toyota withdrew. Wheldon made the switch because he wanted to ensure his stay in the IRL and remain competitive. To begin the season, Wheldon won the Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead–Miami Speedway. At

1243-468: A new chassis in the near future, with previous plans to debut a new chassis for the 2024-25 seasons delayed to 2027 due to the impact of the pandemic delaying initial design and development from the January 2021 timeframe, with no immediate word on a replacement for the current IR18. In December 2022, IndyCar announced that the new engine formula scheduled to debut in 2024 had been delayed to 2027. Instead,

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1356-550: A physical confrontation with Patrick following a collision on the 88th lap; the two reconciled after a private meeting with IndyCar president Brian Barnhart . The rest of Wheldon's season was modest, with four retirements and two further third-place finishes in the SunTrust Indy Challenge and the Detroit Indy Grand Prix . He came fourth in the final points standings with 466 accrued. For

1469-700: A public memorial service for him at Conseco Fieldhouse (now Gainbridge Fieldhouse) in Indianapolis attended by members of the motor racing community and his family and fans. A second memorial service for Wheldon took place at the All Saints' Church in his home town of Emberton on 6 November. He is buried at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Clearwater, Florida . Three days after the accident, series' organisers with assistance from

1582-468: A qualifying time because his car did not pass a technical inspection; he finished 14th. On the morning of 16 October, he signed a multi-year contract to replace Patrick at Andretti Autosport from 2012 on. Wheldon made his endurance racing debut at the 2005 24 Hours of Daytona , sharing the No. 2 Howard-Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford DP03 with Dario Franchitti, Marino Franchitti and Milka Duno in

1695-515: A race seat for the 2007 season; he also felt emotionally attached to the United States. Wheldon also turned down an offer to compete for Great Britain in the inaugural A1 Grand Prix season . In 2006, Wheldon returned to compete in the season-opening 24 Hours of Daytona for Chip Ganassi Racing with Scott Dixon and Casey Mears in the DP class. The trio won overall, completing 734 laps in

1808-605: A race-high 177 laps to win the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway, his second of the season. After qualifying sixth for the Indianapolis 500 , he retired from the rain-shortened race after a late-event collision with Marco Andretti , losing Wheldon the lead of the drivers' championship. His third-place finish in the ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225 at Milwaukee Mile was overshadowed by

1921-408: A season. In the 2006 season , he moved to CGR, tying Sam Hornish Jr. in points but finishing second because of count-back on the number of victories taken by both drivers. During the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Wheldon's form lowered but he won four additional races to place fourth overall in both years. He returned to Panther Racing for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, failing to win a race but taking

2034-448: A settlement on 1 October. Wheldon did not have a full-time seat for the 2011 season , and he missed the season's first four races as he sought employment with another team to compete in the Indianapolis 500 . Talks with several teams, including with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing co-owner Robbie Buhl to share a car with Mike Conway fell through. He then spoke to his friend and former AGR teammate Bryan Herta who offered to assemble

2147-728: A sister. Wheldon's family was connected to motorsport; his father had competed in karting from an early age and his mother acted as Clive's timekeeper. He went to the Bedford School until he completed his GCSE examinations at the age of 16. Wheldon attained good reading grades and excelled in cross-country running , rugby and squash . He was also captain of the school cricket team. He married his long-time personal assistant Susie Behm of Armstrong, British Columbia , in 2008. They have two children, Sebastian and Oliver, who compete in go-karting events. Their sons have been supported by Andretti Autosport since 2021. Wheldon

2260-529: A total of about twelve days. The second test was held August 18 at Barber , and the third was held on the USGP road course at Indianapolis on September 1. Oval tests took place in September at Iowa and Indianapolis . Honda ( Scott Dixon ) and Chevrolet ( Will Power ) began Phase II of on-track testing at Mid-Ohio in early October. A scheduled test at Las Vegas was cancelled after Wheldon lost his life in

2373-463: A wall in which each of the winners of the race was etched. Four months later, Autosport magazine named Wheldon one of the 50 greatest drivers to have never raced in Formula One. The Wheldons were honoured with the "Dan and Susie Wheldon Make a Difference Award" in September 2014. This included a $ 1,000 donation to charity and became part of the annual IndyCar Series prize-giving banquet. During

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2486-485: A water crossing with adjustable water level, and 20 ft (6.1 m) of concrete stairs that are 10 ft (3.0 m) wide. There is an observation deck bordering the obstacle course for people to view the course below. Garden club park tours take place at Barber Motorsports Park year-round and utilize an open-air tram and tour guide. The tour starts off in front of the Barber Museum. The garden tours contain

2599-668: Is also located across from the Salvador Dalí Museum . Franchitti won the 2012 Indianapolis 500 on 27 May and dedicated his victory to Wheldon and wore white sunglasses in his honour. That year Wheldon was memorialised by a resolution passed by the Indiana Senate . A memorial plaque featuring his likeness and career achievements was unveiled in St. Petersburg outside the second turn of its street track in March 2013 and

2712-460: Is an 880 acres (360 ha) racing facility in Birmingham, Alabama . It was built by George W. Barber , and includes the 230,000-square-foot (21,000 m ) Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. It has been the site of the IndyCar Series ' Grand Prix of Alabama since 2010 . The Annual Barber Vintage Festival has taken place at the park each October since 2005. Barber Motorsports Park is also

2825-454: Is noted for its landscaping and greenery; the track has been referred to as "The Augusta National of Motorsports". The IndyCar Series had tests at Barber in 2007 and 2009. The track had also been nominated by the FIA as the official test track for the now-closed down US F1 Team . The 14 acres (5.7 ha) Barber Proving Ground opened in 2014 to serve as an additional test facility for

2938-492: Is open to any manufacturer, with all packages to be made available to all teams for a maximum price. ICONIC committee member Tony Purnell gave an open invitation to car manufacturers and companies such as Lockheed Martin and GE to develop kits. The IndyCar Safety Cell will be capped at a price of $ 349,000 and will be assembled at a new Dallara facility in Speedway, Indiana . Aero Kits will be capped at $ 70,000. Teams have

3051-481: The 1968 French Grand Prix . The 2012 season saw the implementation of the Indy Racing League's new ICONIC Plan (Innovative, Competitive, Open-wheel, New, Industry-relevant, Cost-effective), the biggest change to the sport in recent history. The car used through 2011, a 2003/2007-model Dallara IR-05, and naturally aspirated V8 engines (required since 1997) were permanently retired. The ICONIC committee

3164-471: The 2008 season , Wheldon stayed with CGR. He began the year finishing third at the season-opening Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300 at Homestead–Miami Speedway after moving through the field starting from 22nd. Wheldon won the RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway three races later, becoming IndyCar's first driver to claim two consecutive victories at the track. He started second in

3277-568: The 2016 Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, pit lane reporter Jamie Little and motorsport publicist Brent Brush placed a Dan Wheldon Memorial plaque outside turn two, near the point where he was killed. In May 2016, a book on his life and career with contributions from the motor racing community entitled Lionheart: Remembering Dan Wheldon was published. Wheldon was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in May 2019. His death and legacy are

3390-464: The American Dream ." Although he had a brash and confident persona that made him "cocky yet likeable", journalist Maurice Hamilton noted that Wheldon was seen by many as "a devoted family man, deeply respected and universally liked despite, or perhaps because of, a cheeky sense of self-awareness and a clever cultivation of his image". He had charisma, a sense of humour and warmth that made him

3503-617: The Automobile Competition Committee for the United States , the United States' national governing body of motor racing, and motorsport's world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , began subjecting the race to a full investigation. The results of the investigation into Wheldon's death were released on 15 December 2011. According to the report, there was no single cause for Wheldon's crash. Contributing factors included

Dallara DW12 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3616-539: The Daytona Prototype (DP) class. Their car finished 16th in its class and 33rd overall after Duno crashed with less than six hours to go. In the 2005 off-season, he competed as a wild card entrant in the 2005 Race of Champions , being eliminated from the round of 16 by Sébastien Bourdais . That year, he was offered a test driver role with BMW's Formula One squad by team principal Mario Theissen . He declined when he discovered that he would not be assured

3729-770: The Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch. It was during this period he developed a rivalry with fellow driver Jenson Button . Wheldon did not have the necessary level of funding from his father and sponsors to further his career in the United Kingdom and progress into either the British Formula 3 International Series or the British Formula Renault Championship . At the suggestion of his former team principal and car manufacturer Ralph Firman Sr. , he flew to

3842-528: The Indianapolis 500 finishing ten places lower in twelfth due to handling problems in the final 50 laps. Wheldon took his second (and final) victory of the season in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway . He donated his winnings to help the victims of the recent tornadoes and flooding which had occurred in Iowa . As IndyCar had become more orientated towards road and street circuits following

3955-399: The Indianapolis 500 , he qualified in third place, and led a race-high 148 laps before falling to fourth because he had to make a pit stop to replace a puncture on the 183rd lap. Wheldon achieved eight top-ten finishes and two pole positions (at Kansas Speedway and Nashville Speedway ), and entered the season's final round at Chicagoland Speedway as one of four drivers in contention for

4068-551: The Indianapolis 500 ; he led 26 laps to finish the rain-shortened race third. His second win of the season came at Richmond International Raceway after holding off Team Penske 's Hélio Castroneves on the last lap. Wheldon took four top-ten finishes in four of the next six races, before achieving his third series victory in Nazareth Speedway 's final motor race to move into second in the drivers' championship. His title challenge to his teammate Tony Kanaan ended in

4181-613: The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (now Sonoma Raceway), Wheldon made contact with Bertrand Baguette 's car during a warm-up lap before the start of the event. He flipped upside down and pirouetted several times but emerged unhurt. His best finish of the year was a second place in the Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. He came ninth at the season-ending Cafés do Brasil Indy 300 at Homestead–Miami Speedway, to rank ninth in

4294-518: The Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi , Wheldon qualified fifth and finished the accident-shortened race seventh. Wheldon qualified fifth for his first Indianapolis 500 . Late in the race, he struck a concrete retaining wall and somersaulted into the air before landing upside down, which relegated him to finishing 19th. After Franchitti returned, Wheldon was retained as a driver following

4407-515: The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach , Wheldon took a second top-ten result with a ninth. In the Indianapolis 500 , Wheldon started from eighteenth. He advanced through the field on pit stop strategy to come second for the second year in a row. Wheldon remained competitive all year; challenging for wins on oval tracks. Despite strong showings, he could not claim a race victory during his time with Panther Racing, which frustrated Barnes. In

4520-581: The 1980s and 1990s. In addition, teams would save money as they no longer have to buy different base undertray chassis strictly for superspeedways such as Indianapolis. The same chassis can accommodate aero kits for both road/street/short oval courses and the longer ovals. For the cockpit section, all IndyCar Series entrants began to utilize the all-new Cosworth CCW Mk2 steering wheel and also-new Configurable Display Unit 4.3 display dashes. Due to cost reasons, several smaller IndyCar Series teams (including part-timer and Indianapolis 500 -only) still carried over

4633-564: The 2011 race held at the track , resulting in Dallara renaming the chassis, a practice adopted from Ligier, which named its race cars "JS" for Jo Schlesser . Testing resumed in late October and continued through February at several venues including Sebring , Fontana , Homestead , Phoenix , and Sonoma . Lotus first took to the track on January 12 at Palm Beach , and testing by individual teams began on January 16. A full-field official open test took place on March 5–6 and 8–9, 2012 at Sebring International Raceway . The Dallara DW12's race debut

Dallara DW12 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4746-412: The 2020-adopted aeroscreen) with V-6 twin-turbocharged engine powerplant, was originally expected to be retired at the end of the 2023 season. It was to be replaced by a hybrid powerplant for 2024. However, series officials have delayed the rollout of the hybrid formula until an unspecified date after the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Therefore the same cars from 2023 will be utilized for the first several races of

4859-405: The 2024 season. The IndyCar Series is currently testing updated 2.4 liter V6 powertrains with 100bhp hybrid ERS units provided by German manufacturer Mahle, who has provided such power units to various motorsport categories, such as DTM and in automotive applications. The powertrains are currently in active development after being delayed from the originally scheduled 2023 debut due to the impact of

4972-485: The Barber Museum. The track and adjacent 150-foot-by-350-foot wet/dry skid pad are used for a variety of purposes, including defensive driver training, safety instruction, product debuts, and vehicle testing. Located on the hill overlooking the proving ground is a two-level, 9,800-square-foot (910 m ) building that provides rental space for meetings, luncheons, product introductions, and seminars. Two garage units totaling 16,800 square foot (1,560 m ) also stand in

5085-689: The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization . It opened to the public in its original Southside Birmingham, Alabama location in 1995 (29 years ago)  ( 1995 ) . In 1997 the Barber Museum sent 21 motorcycles to New York's Guggenheim Museum for exhibit in The Art of the Motorcycle ; the exhibit also traveled to Chicago and the Guggenheim Museum Bilboa . After

5198-536: The COVID-19 global pandemic affecting availability of manufacturing capacity for the hybrid power units to allow for manufacturer testing, as well as the desire from IndyCar manufacturer participants Chevrolet and Honda to delay the introduction of the hybrid powertrain to 2024 to allow for more testing, development and security in having the necessary parts to supply participating teams with the new powertrains. As of November 2022, there are currently no plans to introduce

5311-523: The Chevrolet aero kit, the Honda kit saw numerous changes, with the front wing being altered from a stacked triple element, to a simpler dual element section, with a new endplate section introduced. In addition, new sidepods were introduced on the road course kit, while a new tyre ramp was introduced with it, and vents were added to the rear wing endplates. The Chevrolet Aero Kit was less dominant, compared to

5424-426: The Dallara aerodynamic package in 2012, and delay the introduction of multiple aero kits until 2013. On August 14, 2011, IndyCar confirmed that the introduction of multiple Aero Kits would be delayed until 2013 for "economic reasons", and furthermore, it was put off for 2013 as well. Chevrolet and Lotus had already announced their intention to build aero kits. 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon carried out

5537-431: The Indianapolis 500 leading only the final lap. Wheldon's contract expired at midnight on 30 May. He then became a color commentator and pit lane reporter for the cable television channel Versus (now NBCSN) for three IndyCar Series events (Iowa, Texas and Toronto ), believing he would not race again in 2011. He impressed viewers with his expertise, quick wit and ease in interacting with other commentators. Wheldon

5650-538: The Indy Japan 300 for the second successive year. His season highlight was the Indianapolis 500 where he exchanged the lead with Danica Patrick until she slowed due to a lack of fuel. Wheldon made the race-victory overtake with seven laps to go to become the first British driver to win the event since Graham Hill in 1966 . He continued to drive consistently in the top six in the next seven races. At Pikes Peak International Raceway , Wheldon took his fifth win of

5763-666: The No. 02 Riley MkXI Lexus . He returned with the same team for the following year's race , again partnered by Dixon, and they were joined by Memo Rojas . The trio retired after 538 laps because Rojas crashed the No. 2 entry on the saturated track in the race's 21st hour. They were classified 21st in class and 41st overall. Wheldon returned for a fourth time to participate in the 24 Hours of Daytona for Chip Ganassi Racing with Dixon, Alex Lloyd and Salvador Durán . Their car, starting in tenth in its category and overall, finished 44th overall (18th in its class) after it retired with 515 laps completed due to sustaining three accidents during

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5876-629: The No. 15 Dallara IR02 Chevrolet V8 and finished tenth in his first IRL race, the Delphi Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway . He came 15th in the season-closing Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway to finish his two-race campaign 36th in the points standings with 35 accrued. When funding for a second Panther Racing car fell through, Andretti Green Racing (AGR) co-owner Kim Green contacted Wheldon in October and asked him to test its IRL car and develop its Honda engine at Homestead–Miami Speedway

5989-529: The Pi Research Sigma Wheel digital display for one more season. The driver seats are slightly reprofiled to improve driver comfort as well as modifications such as a slight increase of cockpit length and width to better accommodate driver body height and weight. IndyCar Series was also in talks on the use of cockpit protection for the 2019 season such as the aeroscreen to avoid fatal crashes such as that of Justin Wilson in 2015. The aeroscreen

6102-606: The Robo-Pong 200 endurance karting event that Wheldon won in 2005, named the trophy the Dan Wheldon Cup in 2012. The Wheldon family added a Wheldon Memorial Pro-Am to the event in 2013. On 7 March 2012, Wheldon's widow Susie and mayor Bill Foster unveiled a street sign in St. Petersburg, Florida . Named "Dan Wheldon Way", the sign was placed at the corner of Bayshore Drive and Albert Whitted Park (turn ten). A permanent memorial

6215-500: The United States in January 1999 to test a Formula Ford 2000 car. Wheldon also observed an Indy Lights and Toyota Atlantic test session for future preparation. His funding was provided by Jayhard/Primus Racing owner Jon Baytos and Van Diemen. He competed in the U.S. F2000 National Championship in 1999 in Jayhard/Primus Racing's Van Diemen Ford RF99 car, achieving six wins and eleven top-ten finishes to become

6328-594: The age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to open-wheel car racing in the U.S. F2000 National Championship , the Toyota Atlantic Championship and Indy Lights . He began driving in IndyCar with Panther Racing in 2002. The following year, Wheldon moved to AGR, finishing as runner-up in the 2004 championship . He won the drivers' title in 2005 with the record for most victories (including that year's Indianapolis 500) during

6441-410: The airbox and rear-wheel guards, would be removed. The latter were jettisoned as research and on-track results indicated that they were largely ineffective in reducing large crashes and would often break easily, as would other extraneous winglets. The new kits were designed to ensure that more downforce comes from ground effects than the wings, and the visuals were inspired by classic Indy car designs from

6554-422: The car saw 136 lead changes, including a track-record 68 in 2013 . For the 2015 season, the universal aero kit provided by Dallara was retired, and replaced with individual manufacturer's aero kits. Honda and Chevrolet introduced their own in-house designed aero kits, in partnership with Wirth Research (Honda) and Pratt & Miller ( Chevrolet ), respectively. The first official test of Chevrolet's aero kit

6667-428: The catchfence around the track, and the unlimited track movement while racing that increased contact between cars, making it difficult to predict what would occur around the drivers, and increased the likelihood of a major accident. "Whilst several factors coincided to produce a perfect storm, none of them can be singled out as the sole cause of the accident. For this reason it is impossible to determine with certainty that

6780-428: The championship. Wheldon won the race but lost the championship on tiebreak to Sam Hornish Jr, who had won four races to Wheldon's two. Wheldon remained with CGR for the 2007 season . He began the season with pole position at the season-opening XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 at Homestead–Miami Speedway, and led 177 of 200 laps to win his third successive event at the track, a new series record. Wheldon went on to lead

6893-456: The chassis. The chassis is named after Dan Wheldon , who was the car's test driver, and who was killed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16, 2011, the final race of the previous IR-05. The new front section is designed to prevent similar single-seater crashes such as the one that killed Wheldon. The nomenclature recalls that of the old Formula One team Ligier , whose cars were labeled JSxx after French F1 driver Jo Schlesser , who died in

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7006-409: The circuit on the race's eleventh lap. He was 33 years old and the first driver to die in IndyCar competition since Paul Dana in 2006. Wheldon was born in the village of Emberton near the town of Olney, Buckinghamshire , England on 22 June 1978. He was the son of plumber and domestic heat electrician Clive Wheldon and his wife Sue. Wheldon was of Irish descent. He had three younger brothers and

7119-451: The concrete wall behind the SAFER barrier alongside the track. He collided with a fence post along his car's right-hand side, creating a deep defect in the chassis that went from the upper pedal bulkhead and through the cockpit. That deformed its roll hoop and the top of the chassis above the fuel cell compartment , which were sheared from the car. The post penetrated the cockpit and struck

7232-488: The drivers' standings with 388 points. After the season, Wheldon left Panther Racing because of a lack of sponsorship and the No. 4 car was driven by rookie J. R. Hildebrand . He filed a $ 383,400 lawsuit against Barnes in Marion County Superior Court on 18 August for late payment of his salary and of his share of earnings from his on-track achievements as well as taxation issues. The two reached

7345-425: The event. IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard set up a challenge for the season-ending 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 16 October. A prize of $ 5 million would be divided equally between a driver and a randomly selected fan if the driver won from the back of the grid. He was unable to get an international racing driver so he offered the challenge to Wheldon who accepted. He

7458-429: The final decision was made public, with organisers accepting the Dallara proposal. Under the new ICONIC regulations, all teams will compete with a core rolling chassis, called the "IndyCar Safety Cell", developed by Italian designer Dallara . Teams will then outfit the chassis with separate body work, referred to as "Aero Kits", which consist of front and rear wings, sidepods, and engine cowlings. Development of Aero Kits

7571-522: The first British and European series champion. Wheldon's early performance was affected by jet lag from constant travel to the United Kingdom to visit his family and his desire to compete in Formula Three. He stopped doing so after about three months, when Baytos urged him to concentrate on racing. Wheldon was named the series' Rookie of the Year, and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2012 as

7684-619: The first official test of the Dallara chassis at Mid-Ohio in August 2011. Following Wheldon's death at the season-ending race in Las Vegas , Dallara announced that the 2012 chassis would be named the DW12 in his honor. The first official test of the Dallara IR-12 chassis was carried out by Dan Wheldon at Mid-Ohio on August 8, 2011. Phase I of testing involved Wheldon, and was planned to involve three road courses and three ovals, over

7797-409: The flipping incidents of Chevrolet-powered cars at the 2015 Indianapolis 500 , domed skids were introduced. Zylon bodywork tethers were also added to the cars, to prevent loose bodywork from leaving a car, and striking another competitor, following the death of Justin Wilson , who was struck by loose bodywork. In addition, bodywork updates were issued by both manufacturers to their aerokits. Compared to

7910-548: The following month. Wheldon was signed to be the team's test driver in November as they sought sponsorship to enable his participation in the 2003 season . The lack of sponsorship prevented him from starting the season though he was called up to drive when regular driver Dario Franchitti broke his vertebrae in a motor bike accident in Scotland. In his first race driving the No. 27 Dallara IR-03 Honda HI3R V8 car, at

8023-419: The full-time one-car Panther Racing team for the 2009 season following an agreement with his management and team owner John Barnes in mid-August. He struggled to perform in the first three races, but he took his first top-ten finish with a fifth at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach . At the Indianapolis 500 , Wheldon qualified in eighteenth and finished second. The rest of Wheldon's season saw him achieve

8136-731: The home of the Porsche Track Experience. The track has hosted numerous motorsport races including the IndyCar Series, Grand-Am , Vintage Racing Series events, American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association ( AHRMA ) racing, and MotoAmerica . It serves as the home of the Porsche Track Experience. It has hosted the Keith Code California Superbike School and the Yamaha Champions Riding School. Barber

8249-550: The intervals before switching to a 100cc kart later on. Wheldon was inspired by racing driver Nigel Mansell , and he was sponsored by All Kart owner Bruno Ferrari and his father helped to better his son's driving ability at Rye House Kart Circuit . He won the RAC British Cadet Karting Championship three times in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Wheldon went on to win the British B Junior title driving

8362-473: The largest motorcycle museum in the world, as well as the largest collection of Lotus race cars . The motorcycle collection includes bikes dating from 1904 to present production. More than 900 motorcycles are on display. They come from 16 countries and represent over 140 different marques from as far away from the US as Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. As of September 2024, the fastest official race lap records on

8475-494: The lower portion of the right-hand side of Wheldon's helmet in an impact measured at −30 Gs lateral, 47Gs longitudinal, and −25Gs vertical to the chassis as he sustained "two distinct impacts" to his head. The race was stopped after one caution lap. He was extricated from his car by the trackside safety team and airlifted to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada for his critical injuries. Wheldon

8588-586: The merger of it and the Champ Car World Series, his performance diminished in the remaining races since his driving on such tracks were not as good as on ovals. He achieved one further podium finish, a second-place at Nashville Speedway, and five top-seven finishes for fourth in the drivers' championship with 492 points. Wheldon planned to extend his CGR contract when Chip Ganassi provided him with an offer in May 2008. He decided against doing so when he learnt AGR's Kanaan had begun discussions with

8701-582: The motocross include product introductions by off-road vehicle manufacturers. Vehicle Off-Road Course: The vehicle off-road course consists of approximately seven miles of trails confined to a 50 acres (20 ha) site adjoining the Barber Proving Ground. It can be configured into different layouts and is also multi-directional. The trails have varying terrain and provide moderate-to-extreme elevation conditions. Natural features such as water, rock, and bridge crossings have been incorporated into

8814-429: The nose cone of Sage Karam 's crashed car. Dan Wheldon Daniel Clive Wheldon (22 June 1978 – 16 October 2011) was a British motor racing driver who won the 2005 IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship for Andretti Green Racing (AGR). He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011 , and was co-winner of the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR). Wheldon began competitive karting at

8927-443: The option of buying a complete Dallara safety cell/aero kit for a discounted price. On May 12, 2011, Dallara unveiled the first concept cars, one apiece in oval and road course Aero Kit configuration. On April 30, 2011, IndyCar owners voted 15–0 to reject the introduction of multiple Aero Kits for the 2012 season, citing costs. Owners expressed their desire to introduce the new chassis/engines for 2012, but have all participants use

9040-434: The park’s plant collections, such as the 17 cloned Hightower Willow Oaks, which only exist in two places other than Barber Motorsports Park. The infield of the track has a number of large sculptures, including a series of large steel spiders and dragonflies created by artist Bill Secunda, a pair of lions , and a sisyphean figure pushing a boulder. The Turns 5 & 6 complex is referred to as Charlotte's Web because of

9153-409: The pile-up and flying debris. Meira, Kimball and Viso blocked Wheldon's path, and he decelerated to 10% of throttle usage before he hit the left-rear tyre of Kimball's car at 165 mph (266 km/h). He was launched semi-airborne for approximately 325 ft (99 m) and rotated towards the right-hand side catchfence . Wheldon's vehicle rotated and travelled parallel to the catchfence above

9266-403: The presence of a large spider sculpture prominently placed in the infield near the turn and because it is one of the track's prime passing opportunities. Barber Motorsports Park features five large steel gates fabricated by Branko Medenica that bear motorsports and wildlife themes. A functional kinetic , wind-powered sculpture created by artist Edward Lee Hendricks is located nearby a pond along

9379-535: The previous season. For the 2017 season, a developmental freeze was implemented, ahead of a planned introduction of a new universal aero kit for 2018. In March 2017, the IndyCar Series announced that the DW12 would receive a redesign and facelift of its aerodynamic system, with all cars running a universal aero kit starting in 2018. Named the UAK-18 (Universal Aero Kit 2018), the base Dallara Safety Cell chassis would remain as-was: however, several components, including

9492-400: The result would have been any different if one or more of the factors did not exist." Marcus Simmons, a writer for the British motor racing magazine Autosport , called Wheldon "one of a golden crop of richly-talented British drivers to graduate from karting to junior single-seaters in the mid to late-1990s", and, "a man who embodied the ideal of the immigrant to the ' New World ' fulfilling

9605-475: The retirement of team owner and mentor Michael Andretti . He drove well thereafter with another eight top-ten finishes. Starting tenth at Chicagoland Speedway, Wheldon led for a season-high 38 laps and came fourth. He ended the season finishing third at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring 312 points for 11th in the point standings. Wheldon's performances enhanced his reputation, and he demonstrated an accord with oval track racing that many European drivers lacked. He

9718-459: The same time Meira lost control, Tomas Scheckter was also attempting to avoid the first crash by rapidly slowing down on the outside. This led to Paul Tracy crashing into the back of Scheckter and a rapidly approaching Pippa Mann to launch over the top of Tracy after jerking to the outside to avoid crashing into Alex Lloyd . Wheldon was in 24th and travelling on the left-hand side of the track at 224 mph (360 km/h) in an attempt to avoid

9831-466: The season (after leading 67 laps) to equal Sam Hornish Jr. 's 2002 record of five victories during a season. Two races later, at Chicagoland Speedway, he led a race-high 88 laps to surpass Hornish's series record with his sixth win of the year. Wheldon won the championship before starting the season's penultimate round by setting a single practice lap of Watkins Glen International . Since the last place finisher scored 12 points, his 102-point lead clinched

9944-597: The season's penultimate round at California Speedway , but secured second overall from Buddy Rice at the season-ending Texas Motor Speedway race with 533 points. For the 2005 season , Wheldon again drove for AGR. He started from eleventh to lead a race-high 158 of 200 laps of the Homestead–Miami Speedway season-opener to win. After that, Wheldon went on to win consecutive races at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (his first road course series win), and

10057-443: The season. However, at Indianapolis , three Chevy entries experienced frightening flip-over crashes, prompting a delay in pole qualifying, tweaks to the qualifying rules, and a safety examination during the offseason. Midway through the season, both manufacturers introduced updates to their aero kits, with Honda losing its front wing endplates on safety grounds, and Chevrolet introducing an additional winglet. In 2016, in response to

10170-660: The subject of the 2023 sports documentary The Lionheart . The Dan Wheldon International Driver Trophy was awarded to the best performing international driver over the race weekend of the Australian V8 Supercars Gold Coast 600 . The trophy was named after Wheldon following his death, which took place a week prior to the 2011 event in which he was scheduled to participate with the Holden Racing Team . The international drivers' trophy had been unnamed when it debuted in 2010. The trophy

10283-481: The success of The Art of the Motorcycle, Barber set out to create a unique facility complete with a track. In designing the complex, Barber consulted with world champion racers John Surtees and Dan Gurney . In 2003, the Barber Museum was relocated to its permanent home in Barber Motorsports Park. The museum contains more than 1,600 vintage and modern motorcycles and racing cars. It is considered

10396-463: The team. Though Kanaan ultimately ended up staying with AGR, Wheldon felt betrayed and began talking to other teams. Wheldon told CGR three months later in Detroit of his decision to leave them at the season's conclusion. On 2 September, CGR announced that Wheldon would be released from his contract at the end of the season as Dario Franchitti left NASCAR and returned to IndyCar. Wheldon returned to

10509-432: The title with one race remaining. With a sixth-place finish at the season-closing California Speedway round, Wheldon won the championship with 628 points. He was awarded the 2005 Autosport British Competition Driver of the Year. When Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) owner Chip Ganassi was informed of rumours that Wheldon might leave AGR, he engaged in informal discussions with him, which led to an agreement in principle at

10622-441: The track's perimeter road. Another art commission by Hendricks is located at the nearby Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport . Standing in front of the Barber Museum are three stainless steel monuments by sculptor Theodore Gall, called The Chase. The Gall installation took over a year to create and collectively weighs close to five tons. George Barber had a serious interest in vintage motorcycles and recognized that there

10735-412: The trail system. Obstacle Course: Consisting of unique obstacles for off-road vehicles and ATVs , the obstacle course is a natural trail consisting of a loop with nine features. These features are a railroad crossing, a concrete course with potholes, a 45-degree off-camber trail, a 15-degree concrete slope with three sets of rollers, a switchback, a 150 ft (46 m) “rock crawl,” an articulation,

10848-526: The vicinity of the Barber Proving Grounds. The garages support the Porsche Track Experience, Mercedes-Benz USA Brand Immersion Program, promoters’ events, and other programs in the park. Vintage Motocross: Barber Motorsports Park has a 0.7-mile (1.1 km) vintage motocross course. The inaugural event on the motocross took place during the 11th Annual Barber Vintage Festival with AHRMA presenting vintage motorcycle racing. Other uses of

10961-628: Was a guest voice over for the television series Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 , and assisted in the physics development for Ignite Game Technologies' online simulation racing game Simraceway . He partook in philanthropic activities, such as raising money for Alzheimer's disease research , contributed to the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation , and met unwell children at the Peyton Manning Children's Cancer Hospital in Indianapolis every year. Wheldon

11074-463: Was a spokesperson for the National Guard 's Youth Challenge Program , which provides services to vulnerable young Americans. He edited and published a coffee table book of photographs of his life, called Lionheart in 2010. Wheldon began go-kart racing at the age of four but did not partake in competitive racing until he was eight due to age limits. He drove a self-built 60cc kart during

11187-559: Was also employed by IndyCar, car manufacturer Dallara and designer Tony Cotman to test and develop the official prototype model of a new one-specification chassis that debuted at the beginning of the 2012 season . In early October, he drove Tagliani's No. 77 Sam Schmidt Motorsports car for the Kentucky Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway as preparation for the season-ending IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway . Wheldon qualified in 28th-place after failing to set

11300-412: Was at the 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25, 2012. Team Penske 's Will Power won the inaugural pole and Hélio Castroneves won the first race with the DW12. Full-field oval open tests also took place on April 4, 2012, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and May 7, 2012, at Texas Motor Speedway . The car's Indianapolis debut came in the 2012 Indianapolis 500 . In its first three 500s

11413-416: Was awarded the 2003 IndyCar Rookie of the Year , and was voted the 2003 Autosport Rookie of the Year . Wheldon returned to AGR for the 2004 season . At Phoenix International Raceway , the season's second race, Wheldon won his first career pole position and finished third. He took his first series win at Twin Ring Motegi, leading an event-high 192 laps from pole position. Wheldon qualified second for

11526-486: Was composed of experts and executives from racing and technical fields: Randy Bernard (INDYCAR CEO), William R. Looney III (military), Brian Barnhart (INDYCAR), Gil de Ferran (retired Indy 500 champion), Tony Purnell (motorsport), Eddie Gossage (Texas Motor Speedway), Neil Ressler, Tony Cotman (NZR Track Consulting) and Rick Long (motorsport). IndyCar accepted proposals from BAT Engineering, Dallara , DeltaWing , Lola and Swift for chassis design. On July 14, 2010,

11639-559: Was conducted at COTA by Will Power on October 17, 2014, followed by preseason testing at NOLA on March 14, 2015. The manufacturer's aero kits race debut was at the 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 29, 2015. Team Penske 's Will Power won the inaugural pole and Juan Pablo Montoya won the first race with the DW12 Chevrolet aero kit. In the first season of use, the Chevrolet aero kits had an edge over Honda, with Chevrolet teams winning all but six races during

11752-702: Was designed to prevent many similar single-seater crashes such as the one that killed him. A charity race in Wheldon's honour was held in Milton Keynes on 6 December with drivers such as Franchitti, Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson competing. Proceeds from the event were donated to a charity selected by Wheldon's family. That month, Wheldon was posthumously awarded the Gregor Grant Award for his lifetime career achievements that his father Clive and Franchitti collected. Former racing driver Mark Dismore 's New Castle Motorsports Park, which organises

11865-2015: Was discontinued after 2012 when regulation changes removed the need for compulsory international co-drivers in the race. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position and italics indicate fastest lap; small number denotes the finishing position) (DNF signifies Did Not Finish ) ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position, Results are overall / class ) 1979 : R. Mears (CART) 1980 : J. Rutherford (CART) 1981 : R. Mears (CART) 1982 : R. Mears (CART) 1983 : A. Unser Sr. (CART) 1984 : Ma. Andretti (CART) 1985 : A. Unser Sr. (CART) 1986 : B. Rahal (CART) 1987 : B. Rahal (CART) 1988 : D. Sullivan (CART) 1989 : E. Fittipaldi (CART) 1990 : A. Unser Jr. (CART) 1991 : Mi. Andretti (CART) 1992 : B. Rahal (CART) 1993 : N. Mansell (CART) 1994 : A. Unser Jr. (CART) 1995 : J. Villeneuve (CART) 1996 : B. Calkins & S. Sharp 1996 : J. Vasser (CART) 1996–97 : T. Stewart 1997 : A. Zanardi (CART) 1998 : K. Bräck 1998 : A. Zanardi (CART) 1999 : G. Ray 1999 : J. Montoya (CART) 2000 : B. Lazier 2000 : G. de Ferran (CART) 2001 : S. Hornish Jr. 2001 : G. de Ferran (CART) 2002 : S. Hornish Jr. 2002 : C. da Matta (CART) 2003 : S. Dixon 2003 : P. Tracy (CART) 2004 : T. Kanaan 2004 : S. Bourdais (Champ Car) 2005 : D. Wheldon 2005 : S. Bourdais (Champ Car) 2006 : S. Hornish Jr. 2006 : S. Bourdais (Champ Car) 2007 : D. Franchitti 2007 : S. Bourdais (Champ Car) 2008 : S. Dixon 2009 : D. Franchitti 2010 : D. Franchitti 2011 : D. Franchitti 2012 : R. Hunter-Reay 2013 : S. Dixon 2014 : W. Power 2015 : S. Dixon 2016 : S. Pagenaud 2017 : J. Newgarden 2018 : S. Dixon 2019 : J. Newgarden 2020 : S. Dixon 2021 : Á. Palou 2022 : W. Power 2023 : Á. Palou Barber Motorsports Park Barber Motorsports Park

11978-802: Was fourth in both the British Formula Ford Championship and the European Formula Ford Championship for Andy Welch Racing, with three victories in the British series. He was named a finalist for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award in 1996 and 1997. Wheldon improved to third in those two series with the Van Diemen team, driving a Mygale in 1998. That year, he finished second in

12091-454: Was frustrated about his car being more than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) slower than others and felt it would be difficult to remain with the pack if the issue was not resolved. Wheldon was also ABC 's in-race reporter and spoke in defence of his participation in the event and IndyCar to the network's commentary team during the warm-up laps. On lap 11 out of the planned 200, a fifteen-car accident occurred between turns one and two in which Wheldon

12204-503: Was involved. The accident began when James Hinchcliffe was clipped by Wade Cunningham . Cunningham and J. R. Hildebrand then collided when Cunningham swerved and Hildebrand drove over the rear of his car. Hildebrand's car became airborne and Cunningham collected Jay Howard on the inside and then Townsend Bell on the outside before crashing into the wall. Attempting to avoid the crash ahead, Vítor Meira lost control, spinning inward collecting both Charlie Kimball and E. J. Viso . At

12317-583: Was named the 2001 Indy Lights Rookie of the Year. After his objective of obtaining a seat in Championship Auto Racing Teams (later Champ Car World Series ) went unfulfilled, he began his association with the rival Indy Racing League (IRL) by joining Panther Racing as its test driver in June 2002. He brought capital to the team and drove their second car for the final two races of the 2002 season . Wheldon qualified seventh in

12430-496: Was named the series' Rookie of the Year. For the 2001 season, Wheldon moved to the PacWest Lights team to compete in the higher-tier Indy Lights Championship. In the No. 1 Lola T97/20 - Buick 3800 V6 , he won two races in the championship's second half ( Gateway Motorsports Park and Road Atlanta ) and placed in the top-ten in all twelve events to finish runner-up in the drivers' championship with 149 points. Wheldon

12543-408: Was no museum that reflects the history of motorcycles around the world. He wanted to preserve motorcycle history in the United States in a way that represents an international aspect and to supply examples of motorcycles that until then could only have been seen in books and magazines. The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum began in 1988 as Barber's private collection. However, in 1994, he established

12656-547: Was pronounced dead on arrival. After input from drivers and team owners, officials declared they would abandon the race. A five-lap, three-wide formation salute was held in Wheldon's honour, along with " Danny Boy " and " Amazing Grace " played on the bagpipes in the background. His No. 77 was displayed alone atop of the scoring pylon. An autopsy conducted by the Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy on 17 October determined that Wheldon died of

12769-416: Was tested by Scott Dixon at ISM Raceway on February 9, 2018 and then by Josef Newgarden at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 30, 2018. The initial new cockpit protection called "Advanced Frontal Protection" made its debut at the 2019 Indianapolis 500 , while the new radical Aeroscreen cockpit protection was introduced for 2020 season developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies . The UAK-18 (with

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