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112-526: The series was most famous for producing ex-F1 driver and IndyCar race-winner Justin Wilson , and triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx . In November 2010, Jonathan Palmer announced the end of the series, with the series' chassis being dismantled for use in other areas of the MotorSport Vision organisation. The series was originally set up as a cost-effective rival to Formula Three in

224-431: A Garrett T34 turbocharger with an intercooler . Like virtually all 'Formula' cars, the internal combustion engine is mid-mounted behind the driver, and is orientated longitudinally . The transmission is a magnesium-cased Hewland FGC five-speed transaxle , which includes a limited slip differential . The chassis and body is made of aluminium honeycomb monocoque , the basic structure of which complies with

336-477: A one-make racing series for drivers seeking a modest financial route to Formula One (F1). Wilson entered Formula Palmer Audi in 1998 and was employed as a driving instructor at Bedford Autodrome . With nine victories and four pole positions, he won the inaugural championship over Darren Turner , and was again shortlisted for the Autosport BRDC Award. Wilson's title victory earned him

448-450: A competitor you could ever find", Wilson was friendly, shy, endearing, soft-spoken and highly analytical. His technical shrewdness provided teams with extensive performance alterations to improve a race car. According to Racer ' s Mark Glendenning this made Wilson a driver who "commanded universal respect" from fellow competitors. For DailySportsCar editor Graham Goodwin it created an image of Wilson as "a very rare breed indeed,

560-492: A front-engine or rear-engine car. When the engine is in front of the driver, but fully behind the front axle line, the layout is sometimes called a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, or FMR layout instead of the less-specific term front-engine; and can be considered a subset of the latter. In-vehicle layout, FMR is substantially the same as FR, but handling differs as a result of the difference in weight distribution. Some vehicles could be classified as FR or FMR depending on

672-718: A front-running team. FPA race weekend hospitality was provided on a par with FIA Formula Two Championship , and was able to accommodate 300 guests trackside. Although each driver has their own personal sponsors and paint scheme on their car, all FPA cars were developed and tested, and are maintained and operated by Palmer Sport at their workshop at Bedford Autodrome . And although all cars are prepared for each race weekend in an identical manner, each drivers' car has their own personal mechanic in order to tailor their own personal set-up preferences. The cars operate with an identical weight, with lighter drivers carrying more ballast weight to counter heavier drivers. The telemetry for each car

784-517: A fully funded seat in the International Formula 3000 Championship (IF3000)—F1's feeder series—with Team Astromega for the 1999 season , and Palmer became his manager. He worked to better his engineering skills and relationship with the media. During the season, in which Palmer obtained sponsorship for Wilson from Benetton Formula , he qualified for every race and was several times the highest-placed rookie. He took two points and

896-536: A half reasonable budget you can do a half decent job." Wilson signed with the small-budget Conquest Racing team for the 2004 season . The layout of his Lola car allowed him to lie almost flat on its floor and demonstrated a decent performance in pre-season testing. Wilson had a mixed season driving the No. 34 car; he took eight top-ten finishes, with a year-best of fourth at the season-ending Gran Premio Telmex/Tecate . He generally qualified higher than he finished, taking

1008-573: A loss of control at the rear of his car, which left him 27th. He was third at the Indy Edmonton and achieved his first series victory at the Detroit Indy Grand Prix three races later. Wilson was 11th in the drivers' championship with 340 points, and was second in the rookie of the year standings, behind Hideki Mutoh but ahead of Will Power . Before the 2009 season Newman/Haas co-owner and actor Paul Newman died and

1120-427: A man in the modern age who had competed at the highest level in multiple motorsport disciplines", and a driver who "had the cutting edge". Wilson was fast-witted and used this in his humour. After Wilson's death, the donation of his organs helped to save the lives of five people. On 27 August IndyCar drivers Marco Andretti , James Hinchcliffe , Josef Newgarden , Will Power and Graham Rahal converted what had been

1232-616: A new IndyCar Series contract, he was entered into the all-electric Formula E round in Moscow by Andretti Autosport in June. He replaced Scott Speed , who had an X Games commitment. Wilson finished 10th and scored 1 championship point for a 25th drivers standing finish. A planned drive in a HPD ARX-04b at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June was cancelled because turbocharger failures damaged

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1344-612: A new feature was introduced to the Autumn Trophy - the FPA Shootout. This was a separate competition within the second weekend of the Autumn Trophy at Snetterton where the driver that accumulated the most points from two out of the weekend's three races received automatic nomination for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. In 2007, the FPA Shootout winner was Nick Tandy. At present, Formula Palmer Audi

1456-530: A petrol station, and raced Formula Ford cars from the 1960s until a major accident at Oulton Park in 1975 ended his career. Wilson's younger brother, Stefan , is also a racing driver. He grew up in Woodall , South Yorkshire. From 1989 to the completion of General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations in July 1994, Wilson was educated at Sheffield's private Birkdale School . At age 11, he

1568-457: A photograph of Wilson on the rear of his No. 52 car to promote awareness of eye, organ and tissue donation. A. J. Allmendinger had his former teammate Wilson's name above the window of his vehicle for the final 12 rounds of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series . At the 2016 Indianapolis 500 , Stefan drove the No. 25 KV Racing Technology car in honour of his elder sibling. The name of a hairpin turn on

1680-591: A previously planned promotion for the season-ending Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway by driving their cars across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco into a tribute for Wilson. Andretti drove Wilson's No. 25 car. Honda and Andretti Autosport employed Wilson's close friend and fellow driver Oriol Servià to drive his car in Sonoma. Joey Gase , a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, carried

1792-458: A problem in some cars, but this issue seems to have been largely solved in newer designs. For example, the Saleen S7 employs large engine-compartment vents on the sides and rear of the bodywork to help dissipate heat from its very high-output engine. Mid-engined cars are more dangerous than front-engined cars if the driver loses control - although this may be initially harder to provoke due to

1904-566: A programme allowing investors to support Wilson's career by buying shares in him. This would allow them to raise £1.2 million required for Wilson to drive for Minardi in the season's first two rounds. The investment was floated on the London Stock Exchange from 5 March to 31 May, making Wilson the first racing driver to be listed on it. A total of 900 people invested a minimum of £500, with 10 per cent of Wilson's earnings paid to them until 31 December 2012. He equalled

2016-405: A progressive and controllable manner as the tires lose traction. Super, sport, and race cars frequently have a mid-engined layout, as these vehicles' handling characteristics are more important than other requirements, such as usable space. In dedicated sports cars, a weight distribution of about 50% front and rear is frequently pursued, to optimise the vehicle's driving dynamics – a target that

2128-458: A race. He returned to DCR for 2012 to 2014 , winning the 2012 Firestone 550 and finishing sixth in the 2013 drivers' championship. Late in the 2015 season, in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway , Wilson died after debris from a crashed car struck his helmet. He was the first driver to die from injuries sustained in an IndyCar race since Dan Wheldon in 2011. As of 2024 , it is also

2240-500: A regulation for 2004 prohibiting drivers who had competed in six or more F1 events from participating in Friday test sessions. With the loss of employment in F1, Wilson was disenchanted with his career, and sought a drive in the U.S.-based Champ Car World Series (CCWS) over the rival Indy Racing League (IRL) due to its parity, noting: "Same cars, same engines, so working with the team with

2352-586: A season-high of second at the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland . Wilson finished 11th in the drivers' standings with 188 points , and was second to A. J. Allmendinger in the rookie of the year standings. After the season, Wilson declared his wish to remain in the CCWS for the 2005 season and enquired several teams about employment. Car owner Carl Russo signed him to replace Michel Jourdain Jr. at

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2464-565: A seat fitting at McLaren . Jordan did not employ Wilson to race in the 2002 season due to financial issues, signing the 2001 British Formula Three champion Takuma Sato . Wilson considered going to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), and spoke to the Minardi team before it selected Webber; he did not return to IF3000. For 2002 , he drove in the inaugural World Series by Nissan . The Racing Engineering team chose Wilson, and he accepted. He won races at Autódromo José Carlos Pace and

2576-534: A seat fitting at midnight with a contract written up the day after the British Grand Prix . Having been granted the final five races to convince Jaguar to keep him alongside Webber for 2004 , Wilson found the Jaguar different to handle than his Minardi and did not foresee the change in driving style required to use it. His teammate outperformed him by half a second on average in his first four races with

2688-518: A seat fitting, and became acquainted with Pappas. He signed a contract to drive for DCR one month later. At the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg , Wilson began from second and finished third. He qualified 15th for the Indianapolis 500 ; late in the race, Wilson retired following a collision with a barrier after 160 laps, placing 23rd. Wilson started second at the Grand Prix at

2800-456: A stepped floor and rear diffuser. As indicated by the name of the championship, there is a professional agreement with Audi AG . The cars are powered by a 300 brake horsepower (224 kW; 304 PS) Audi 1.8 litre, inline-four cylinder 20 valve double overhead camshaft turbocharged production petrol engine . Prepared and built by Mountune Racing , the engine also features a driver operated turbo 'boost' button, which temporarily gives

2912-501: A telephone call from Dreyer & Reinbold co-owners Robbie Buhl and Dennis Reinbold and visited their workshop in January 2010. He was impressed by what he observed and signed to the team soon after. Wilson mentored his teammate Mike Conway on oval track racing and advised DRR on road courses. In the first four races he finished second at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Grand Prix of Long Beach . After qualifying 11th for

3024-621: A two-race contract to drive Andretti Autosport's No. 25 car in May's Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis 500 . He started his final Indianapolis 500 from sixth position. During the race a tyre vibration and a pit stop strategy error left him in 21st. Afterwards, Wilson obtained sponsorship to drive the season's final five races for Andretti, finishing a year-high second in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, in an aerodynamically inefficient car. Wilson made his sports car racing debut at

3136-401: A vehicle safer since an accident can occur if a vehicle cannot stay in its own lane around a curve or is unable to stop quickly enough. Mid-engine design is also a way to provide additional empty crush space in the front of the automobile between the bumper and the windshield, which can then be designed to absorb more of the impact force in a frontal collision in order to minimize penetration into

3248-562: A £50,000 scholarship prize intended to help with entry into the next level FIA Formula Two Championship . Furthermore, the top three championship drivers all receive an official Formula Two test. After each FPA season, a mini-series known as the Autumn Trophy is held in early November. Originally called the Winter Series, it involved two meetings of three races each, held at different UK circuits on consecutive weekends - often Brands Hatch and Snetterton. The Autumn Trophy often features

3360-511: Is also included. FPA race weekends normally take place over two days, but may be spread over three if the series is supporting an international event such as A1 Grand Prix , Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters or the World Touring Car Championship . After free practice, drivers take part in two 20-minute qualifying sessions, for which they have an unlimited number of laps at their disposal. The first qualifying session sets

3472-519: Is broadcast on Motors TV , a pan-European subscription satellite station. Highlights and interviews are shown as part of a 30-minute programme. For the Championship, each programme covers one race, while the Autumn Trophy features two races to each programme. Up until the end of the 2006 Championship, the programmes were presented by radio DJ and former Top of the Pops presenter David Jensen . For

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3584-484: Is provided by a Stack data logging system which monitors major parameters of engine operation and G-force , this data can be overlaid post-test/qualify/race sessions with fastest times to evaluate drivers individual performance. The FPA race car is a true 'slicks and wings' package. It uses a custom-developed Avon slick tyre and 13-inch wheels, with 'wet' Avon race tyres also being available. Aerodynamics are assisted with fully adjustable front and rear wings, along with

3696-408: Is typically only achievable by placing the engine somewhere between the front and rear axles. Usually, the term "mid-engine" has been primarily applied to cars having the engine located between the driver and the rear drive axles. This layout is referred to as rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive , (or RMR) layout. The mechanical layout and packaging of an RMR car are substantially different from that of

3808-775: The 2001 FIA GT Magny-Cours 500km , part of the FIA GT Championship . He shared the Coca-Cola Racing Team 's No. 65 Porsche 911 GT3 -RS with Tomáš Enge , finishing third in the N-GT category. He joined fellow British drivers Ben Collins and Christian Vann in a Team Ascari -entered Ascari KZR-1 car in the LMP900 class at the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring (part of the American Le Mans Series), finishing sixth. Two years later, he again entered

3920-502: The 2006 and 2007 drivers' championships. Wilson went to Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing for the 2008 IndyCar Series, winning the Detroit Indy Grand Prix . A move to the low-budget Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) team for 2009 resulted in the team's first open-wheel victory at the Grand Prix at the Glen . Wilson moved to the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing squad from 2010 and 2011 but did not win

4032-546: The 2007 season . He signed a "multi-year" contract with RuSPORT in January 2007. Wilson was persuaded to remain there after his race engineer Todd Malloy left and limitations in the team's budget saw his assistant Mike Talbott promoted. Driving the No. 9 Panoz DP01 - Cosworth XFE he achieved eight top-ten finishes and two pole positions at the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland and the San Jose Grand Prix at Redback Raceway after ten rounds. Wilson led most of

4144-595: The 2008 24 Hours of Daytona with Negri, Patterson and Graham Rahal, driving the Riley Mk.XX-Ford DP vehicle and finishing sixth after starting from pole position. In 2010 , he entered the 24 Hours of Daytona for the third time, this time for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the DP class. The No. 01 Riley Mk.XX- BMW car he shared with Max Papis , Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas finished second after starting fifth. Wilson returned to MSR with Curb/Agajanian for

4256-399: The 2011 24 Hours of Daytona , partnering Allmendinger and Michael McDowell , starting eighth and finishing seventh in the No. 6 Dallara DP01-Ford car. He won the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona with Allmendinger, Negri and John Pew at MSR, completing 761 laps in the No. 60 Riley-Ford DP car. He joined Kelly Racing as Greg Murphy 's international co-driver in its No. 51 Holden Commodore for

4368-441: The 2011 season , Wilson stayed at DRR. An important factor in his decision was the progress he believed the team had made in 2010. Wilson sustained a minor fracture in his left wrist in an accident with Alex Tagliani at the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and wore a carbon fibre brace. He started the Indianapolis 500 from 19th position. Handling and balance difficulties left Wilson in 16th. His best finish of 2011

4480-866: The A1-Ring and the Hungaroring — and achieving 10 podium finishes and scoring 71 points, to become the first British driver to claim the championship. Wilson won by a series-record 32 points over Mark Webber , and the BRDC Gold Medal, the ERA Club Trophy and the Graham Hill Trophy for winning the title. At first F1 teams were not interested in Wilson, but tested for the Jordan squad at Silverstone in September 2001, and had

4592-594: The Bavaria Champ Car Grand Prix for his solitary victory of the season. He ended his CCWS career with consecutive top-ten finishes in the final two rounds to be runner-up in the drivers' championship with 281 points. Wilson won the Greg Moore Legacy Award for the second successive year. Late in the season RuSPORT announced it was closing and informed Wilson and his colleagues. He was put on Newman/Haas' shortlist to replace

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4704-598: The Circuit Ricardo Tormo and achieved six more podium finishes for fourth in the points standings. When Minardi driver Alex Yoong was rested for two races due to poor performance, Wilson was the team's preferred choice to replace him. However, during a seat fitting at Minardi's headquarters in Faenza , Italy, he was unable to fit inside the PS02 car because of his long legs and so Anthony Davidson drove

4816-679: The Gold Coast 600 double header round of the V8 Supercars Championship in October 2012. Wilson visited the team's workshop for a seat fitting as preparation for the round. He and Murphy finished outside of the top ten in both races. Wilson entered the 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Allmendinger, Marcos Ambrose , Negri and Pew at MSR in 2013 , finishing third. He partnered Gustavo Yacamán in MSR's No. 6 Riley-Ford car at

4928-596: The Great Recession cost the team much of its funding. In January 2009 Wilson was released from the team after being informed they could not support two paid drivers without acquiring additional sponsorship. The funded Robert Doornbos replaced him. He contacted Dale Coyne , the co-owner of the privately underfunded Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) team, in February, after a journalist told him DCR had employed engineer Bill Pappas. Wilson visited their workshop for

5040-548: The IMSA SportsCar Championship ), Wilson, Allmendinger, Negri and Pew were 12th in the prototype class and 47th overall due to a gearbox fault in the No. 60 Riley-Ford Ecoboost car. He rejoined Negri and Pew at MSR for the following 12 Hours of Sebring , finishing ninth. In 2015 , Wilson replaced Matt McMurry as co-driver to Negri and Pew in MSR's No. 60 Ligier JS P2 -Honda car at the 12 Hours of Sebring , where they came 42nd. As Wilson waited for

5152-608: The Indianapolis 500 , Wilson led eleven laps and took seventh. Four races later, he took his first IndyCar pole position for the Honda Indy Toronto . The rest of Wilson's season saw him achieve a best of sixth at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma . He was 11th in the drivers' standings with 361 points. Although linked with the Andretti Autosport, KV Racing Technology and Panther Racing teams for

5264-595: The International Formula 3000 Championship (IF3000) with Nordic Racing in 2001 , and co-won the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona for Michael Shank Racing . Wilson began karting at the age of eight and achieved consistent results, before progressing to car racing in the Formula Vauxhall Championship. He won the FPA title and earned a fully funded seat in IF3000, becoming the first British driver to win

5376-645: The Rolex Sports Car Series ), Wilson drove for Michael Shank Racing (MSR) alongside A. J. Allmendinger, Oswaldo Negri Jr. and Mark Patterson in the No. 60 Riley MkXI - Lexus car in the Daytona Prototype (DP) category, completing 733 laps and finishing second. He entered the season-ending round of the 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series , the Sunchaser 1000 , joining Negri and Patterson at MSR and finishing tenth. He returned to MSR for

5488-709: The RuSPORT team in November 2004. Wilson worked with driver coach Barry Waddell, and cautioned his rivals he was ready to win races due to further car and driver development. In the No. 9 Lola-Ford car, Wilson took three fourth-place finishes in the first three rounds before earning his first series pole position at the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland . He led the final ten laps of the Molson Indy Toronto to claim his first series victory. Wilson followed that victory with four more top-ten finishes, and ended

5600-595: The Six Hours at the Glen when regular driver Antônio Pizzonia had sponsorship problems, finishing sixth. With no date conflicts between the IndyCar Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series, Wilson entered the 2013 Rolex Sports Car Series' final four rounds to partner and mentor Yacamán. The duo had a season-best second-place finish at Lime Rock. At the 2014 24 Hours of Daytona (now part of

5712-530: The Snetterton Circuit 's 300 layout was changed from Montreal Corner to Wilson Corner by the track's owners MotorSport Vision in July 2016; a board at the corner features the design of Wilson's multi-coloured rainbow racing helmet and his surname. The Wilson Children's Fund was launched with the support of his widow Julia to ensure their two daughters would be financially secure in the long term following his death. Contributions are raised through

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5824-604: The 1950s and 1960s, e.g. the AEC Reliance . The Ferrari Mondial is to date the only successful example of a true mid-engined convertible with seating for 4 and sports car/supercar performance. A version of the Lotus Evora with a removable roof panel is anticipated but no definite date is known. Like any layout where the engine is not front-mounted and facing the wind, the traditional "engine-behind-the-passengers" layout makes engine cooling more difficult. This has been

5936-671: The 1995 Formula Vaxuhall Junior Championship. Wilson won on his series debut at Pembrey Circuit in South Wales ' first heat aged 16 years and 2 months, and became the first 16-year-old to win an official motor race in the United Kingdom. He remained with Team JLR in 1995. Wilson missed the season's first round after breaking both his legs when the brakes on his racing school car failed at Brands Hatch . A pre-season title favourite, he claimed four victories and tied on points in third position with driver Ben Collins . He won

6048-404: The 2006 Autumn Trophy, the format was changed to a presenter-less magazine-type format, as David's son Viktor Jensen had stopped racing in FPA. All the races are commentated on by David Addison. Many famous names in top-level motorsport have taken part in FPA on their way to the top. These include the following: The following records apply only to Formula Palmer Audi Championship races, and not

6160-732: The CEO of Hulman & Company Mark Miles made the news public at 21:00 that same day. He was the first driver to die from injuries sustained in a racing accident in IndyCar since Dan Wheldon was killed during the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. An autopsy conducted by Andrew Kehm, the Chief Deputy Coroner of the Lehigh County Coroner's Office, on 26 August determined Wilson died of blunt force trauma to his head. On 10 September, he

6272-748: The Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy. Justin Wilson (racing driver) Justin Boyd Wilson (31 July 1978 – 24 August 2015) was a British professional open-wheel racing driver who competed in Formula One (F1) in 2003 , the Champ Car World Series (CCWS) from 2004 to 2007 and the IndyCar Series from 2008 to 2015 . He won the first Formula Palmer Audi (FPA) in 1998,

6384-802: The Formula Vauxhall Junior Challenge Cup category limited to 16-year-olds. Wilson won the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) Chris Bristow Trophy as "the most promising driver to race at Silverstone ", and was a finalist for the Autosport BRDC Award . To better his driving ability, Paul Stewart Racing (PSR) manager Andy Pycock selected him to compete for the team in the 1996 championship. PSR were allowed to move his pedals back and alter its shape for better comfort to accommodate Wilson's 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) frame. He won

6496-483: The Glen and led for 49 out of 60 laps in DCR's first open-wheel victory and his second in the series. With five more top-ten finishes over the rest of the year, he was ninth in the points standings with 354. Wilson drove Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 's (DRR) No. 22 car in the 2010 season . A disagreement over the length of his contract with DCR, the departure of key team personnel and a desire for another experience led him to assess driving elsewhere. Wilson received

6608-529: The IndyCar safety and promotional association alongside Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan , Wilson increased his lobbying for improved safety after the death of Dan Wheldon in 2011. He aspired to have retention walls altered to better deal with airborne crashes, and wrote an online article arguing for the shifting of trackside grandstands to inside racing circuits as a means of shielding spectators from debris. Nicknamed "Bad Ass" by his driving instructor colleagues at PalmerSport in 1999, for being "as fearsome

6720-406: The Team USA Scholarship, a programme set up by Champ Car journalist and commentator Jeremy Shaw to allow promising young American drivers the chance to gain experience of European racing. Originally designed to send American drivers to the Formula Ford Festival , drivers such as Jimmy Vasser , Phil Giebler , A. J. Allmendinger and J. R. Hildebrand have taken part in the Scholarship. In 2007,

6832-421: The UK. After a brief foray into Europe, FPA evolved into a series predominantly for gentleman drivers looking to combine business with pleasure. However, having produced nominees for the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for five consecutive years from 2004 to 2008, including 2007 winner Stefan Wilson , FPA began to re-emerge as a viable option for young aspiring drivers on the path to Formula One . This

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6944-417: The auctioning of motor racing memorabilia on the internet and by public donations. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap; small number denotes finishing position) ( key ) ( key ) Mid-engine design In automotive engineering , a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles , but behind

7056-416: The car a 60 brake horsepower (45 kW; 61 PS) increase. This engine can achieve a 0 to 100 kilometres per hour (0.0 to 62.1 mph) in 2.8 seconds, 0 to 160 kilometres per hour (0.0 to 99.4 mph) in 6.2 seconds, and is capable of propelling the cars to over 270 kilometres per hour (168 mph). Further engine detail includes a Pi Research Pectel motorsport electronic engine control unit and

7168-540: The car instead. Wilson and his manager Jonathan Palmer were eager to arrange a test with the Newman/Haas Racing CART team in September 2002, and Wilson had a seat fitting in a Lola - Toyota car at their Chicago workshop, becoming acquainted with staff members. Wilson made his oval track test debut at Homestead–Miami Speedway on 8 October. He declined Newman/Haas' invitation for a second test at Sebring International Raceway in December. Wilson discussed driving for Minardi in 2003 with its owner Paul Stoddart , who

7280-528: The car's motors. On the 179th lap of the 2015 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway on 23 August, race leader Sage Karam lost control of his car in the first turn after passing a bump in the tarmac surface. He crashed heavily with the front of his car against a wall to the right of the circuit. The car's nose cone was removed with enough force that it ricocheted along the racing surface as other drivers manoeuvred past it. James Jakes slowed faster than Wilson, who turned right to avoid contact with his car. At

7392-463: The case of the Ferrari FF taking power from both ends of the crankshaft with two separate gearboxes. These cars use a traditional engine layout between driver and rear drive axle. Typically, they're simply called MR; for mid-rear (engined), or mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout cars. These cars use mid-ship, four-wheel-drive , with an engine between the axles. These cars are "mid-ship engined" vehicles, but they use front-wheel drive , with

7504-590: The current FIA Formula Three safety regulations. The car was manufactured by, and based on an original design by Van Diemen International . The FPA cars feature fully independent suspension based on a double wishbone design, with geometry which includes anti-squat and anti-dive pushrod operation. Ohlins two-way adjustable dampers , along with adjustable anti-roll bars complete the suspension system. The brakes feature disc brakes all round, with four-piston calipers and radially ventilated and floating discs. A cockpit sited driver adjustable brake bias control

7616-413: The engine placed between the driver and the front axle. This layout, similar to the above FMR layout, with the engine between driver and the front axle, adds front-wheel drive to become a four-wheel drive. An engineering challenge with this layout is getting the power to the front wheels past the engine - this would normally involve raising the engine to allow a propshaft to pass under the engine, or in

7728-508: The established IndyCar teams on oval tracks noting: "We can only judge the competition when we get there, but we have to be realistic. I don't want to overestimate and I don't want to underestimate." While Wilson struggled during his rookie season driving the No. 2 Dallara - Honda car, he took pole position for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach , and rapidly established himself as a road course expert. He qualified 16th for his first Indianapolis 500 . Mid-race, Wilson had an accident due to

7840-445: The factory-installed engine (I4 vs I6). Historically most classical FR cars such as the Ford Models T and A would qualify as an FMR engine car. Additionally, the distinction between FR and FMR is a fluid one, depending on the degree of engine protrusion in front of the front axle line, as manufacturers mount engines as far back in the chassis as possible. Not all manufacturers use the Front-Mid designation. These cars are RWD cars with

7952-431: The final eight races for 15th in the drivers' championship with 278 points. Wilson remained at DCR for the 2013 season after signing a long-term contract; he changed his car number to 19. He began the year with three consecutive top-nine finishes. Wilson qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 14th and finished a career-high fifth. His performance for the rest of 2013 included three podium finishes—two third places at

8064-559: The first Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of Houston , and a season-high second at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma . At the season-ending IndyCar World Championships at the Auto Club Speedway , Wilson was involved in a high speed lateral impact with driver Tristan Vautier , sustaining a minor pulmonary contusion and three non-operable breakages to his pelvis. He was told to avoid bearing weight on his right leg before commencing rehabilitation. Wilson finished

8176-576: The first five rounds. At the season's sixth race, the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto , Wilson won his only pole position that year. At the following West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix of Edmonton he qualified in third place and achieved his only victory of 2006. Wilson took a further three top-eight finishes. He fractured the scaphoid bone in his right wrist in an accident in practice for the Lexmark Indy 300 , requiring him to withdraw from

8288-439: The following: FPA championships are also known for close title battles. In 2004, Jonathan Kennard beat Rob Jenkinson to the series title by just two points. The following year, Joe Tandy and David Epton finished tied on points, with Tandy winning the championship courtesy of having won more races over the course of the season. The 2009 season consisted of 20 races at seven circuits. The championship winning driver receives

8400-439: The fore and aft weight distribution by other means, such as putting the engine in the front and the gearbox and battery in the rear of the vehicle. Another benefit comes when the heavy mass of the engine is located close to the back of the seats. It makes it easier for the suspension to absorb the force of bumps so the riders feel a smoother ride. But in sports cars, the engine position is once again used to increase performance and

8512-485: The front axle. The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of automobiles. A 1901 Autocar was the first gasoline-powered automobile to use a drive shaft and placed the engine under the seat. This pioneering vehicle is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution . Mounting the engine in the middle instead of the front of the vehicle puts more weight over

8624-478: The grid for Race 1, while the second sets the grid for Race 2. Races are 35 miles (56 km) in length, with a time limit of 30 minutes. In the event of three races being held over a weekend, each driver's fastest lap from Race 2 counts at their qualifying time for Race 3. Points are awarded to the first 19 finishers of each race in the following order: Drivers must take the chequered flag to score points. Retirees do not score, even if fewer than 19 drivers finish

8736-457: The most recent fatal accident to have occurred in IndyCar. His organs were donated to save the lives of five people. A hairpin corner at Snetterton Circuit was renamed after him and a memorial fund was established to support his children. Wilson was born in Moorgate, a suburb of Rotherham , South Yorkshire , on 31 July 1978 to Keith and Lynne Wilson. His father owns a solvents company,

8848-633: The outgoing Bourdais for the 2008 season , and was rumoured to be in contention to drive for Andretti Green Racing and did not want to move to the American Le Mans Series . Wilson and Palmer agreed terms to join Newman/Haas in the CCWS before it amalgamated with the IRL to form the IndyCar Series. Wilson said his objective for the season was to perform to the best of his ability and acknowledged Newman/Haas would be disadvantaged against

8960-726: The pace of his more experienced teammate Jos Verstappen ; Wilson generally qualified in a low grid slot and made brisk starts to gain track position before a pit stop . Before the German Grand Prix , Jaguar selected him to replace the under-performing Antônio Pizzonia for the rest of the season. David Pitchforth , Jaguar's managing director, and team principal Tony Purnell were impressed with Wilson's performances and driving; they received feedback from Stoddart and Wilson's mechanics at Nordic Racing. Palmer told Wilson to visit Jaguar's headquarters in Milton Keynes for

9072-443: The passenger compartment of the vehicle. In most automobiles, and in sports cars especially, ideal car handling requires balanced traction between the front and rear wheels when cornering, in order to maximize the possible speed around curves without sliding out. This balance is harder to achieve when the heavy weight of the engine is located far to the front or far to the rear of the vehicle. Some automobile designs strive to balance

9184-536: The potentially smoother ride is usually more than offset by stiffer shock absorbers . This layout also allows the motor, gearbox, and differential to be bolted together as a single unit. Together with independent suspension on the driven wheels, this removes the need for the chassis to transfer engine torque reaction. The largest drawback of mid-engine cars is restricted rear or front (in the case of front-mid layouts) passenger space; consequently, most mid-engine vehicles are two-seat vehicles. The engine in effect pushes

9296-434: The race. Another interesting feature is that each driver is supplied with just one set of slick Avon tyres to last them for the entire weekend of practice, qualifying and racing. While tyres may be replaced in the event of puncture, extensive damage or safety issues, any 'flat-spotting' of tyres done by a driver is not sufficient for an exchange. Formula Palmer Audi has always been run as an 'arrive-and-drive' series, and

9408-410: The race; he was deemed fit by the CCWS medical delegate Chris Pinderski to enter the season-ending Gran Premio Telmex . He qualified on pole position, and led until Sébastien Bourdais passed him on the final lap. Wilson finished runner-up in the championship with 298 points, and won that year's Greg Moore Legacy Award. The Newman/Haas, Forsythe and RuSPORT teams were interested in Wilson for

9520-412: The rear passenger seats forward towards the front axle (if the engine is behind the driver). Exceptions typically involve larger vehicles of unusual length or height in which the passengers can share space between the axles with the engine, which can be between them or below them, as in some vans, large trucks, and buses. The mid-engine layout (with a horizontal engine) was common in single-decker buses in

9632-595: The rear tires, so they have more traction and provide more assistance to the front tires in braking the vehicle, with less chance of rear-wheel lockup and less chance of a skid or spin out. If the mid-engine vehicle is also rear-drive the added weight on the rear tires can also improve acceleration on slippery surfaces, providing much of the benefit of all-wheel-drive without the added weight and expense of all-wheel-drive components. The mid-engine layout makes ABS brakes and traction control systems work better, by providing them more traction to control. The mid-engine layout may make

9744-399: The same time, the nose cone from Karam's car struck Wilson's helmet as he drove through the accident scene. Wilson was knocked unconscious and his car almost immediately veered left out of control towards the inside wall. It left the track, hitting the left-hand side wall coupled with a SAFER barrier after the first turn and continued to slide before stopping. Wilson was unresponsive when

9856-432: The season a series-high sixth in the drivers' standings with 472 points. DCR owner Dale Coyne took up an option to retain Wilson for the 2014 season after recovering from injury and recommenced training. Michael Cannon became his race engineer after Bill Pappas moved to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing . Coyne promised Wilson better resources for him to continue achieving top-ten finishes. His first top ten-finish of 2014

9968-497: The season ended because of their limited budget for a full-time campaign, and sought employment with another team for the 2015 season , saying: "It's one of those things, where I could find out tomorrow, or it could be in another month or two months." Talks with Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti , who was interested in Wilson, about a full-time campaign ended in March 2015 over sponsorship issues. That same month, Wilson signed

10080-535: The season with a second career win at the Gran Premio Telmex/Tecate from pole position. He amassed 265 points to finish third in the drivers' championship; his qualifying results improved with nine top fives. Wilson remained with RuSPORT for the 2006 season . Several pundits predicted he would challenge for the drivers' championship, and he said his objective was to be consistent and win two or three races. He took four-second-place finishes in

10192-430: The season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring , this time joined by Milka Duno and Phil Andrews . Driving a Taurus Racing-fielded Lola B2K/10 they finished 9th in class and 22nd overall. In June, Wilson competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans , with Tom Coronel and Ralph Firman in the No. 16 Racing for Holland Dome S101 - Judd car, retiring after 313 laps with ignition failure. At the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona (part of

10304-548: The season-opening round at Brands Hatch, finished in the top five in every race and took two pole positions to finish runner-up in the championship. The following year, Wilson fell to fourth overall with three victories and seven podium finishes. For the 1997 EFDA Nations Cup at Donington Park in October, he joined fellow driver Warren Carway at the Diamond Racing-run European Union Team, finishing fourth. His performances impressed

10416-517: The seat was lowered to keep his knees away from his chin and moved its pedals forward. He visited Faenza in late November and had no difficulty entering and exiting a mocked-up version of the car. Wilson signed a three-year driving contract with Minardi a month later. It emerged Wilson had not obtained the necessary sponsorship money to pay for his seat at Minardi and his father was close to selling his petrol station. Palmer spent most of January and February 2003 holding meetings with lawyers to develop

10528-547: The series championship in 2001. He moved to the 2002 World Series by Nissan for the Racing Engineering team and finished fourth. Through an investment scheme where the public could purchase shares in Wilson, he drove for the Minardi and Jaguar teams in the 2003 F1 season. He drove for the Conquest Racing and RuSPORT teams in the CCWS from 2004 to 2007, winning four races and finishing runner-up in

10640-412: The superior balance - and the car begins to spin. The moment of inertia about the center of gravity is low due to the concentration of mass between the axles (similar to standing in the middle of a playground roundabout, rather than at the edge) and the spin will occur suddenly, the car will rotate faster and it will be harder to recover from. Conversely, a front-engined car is more likely to break away in

10752-562: The team due to his unfamiliarity with the car, but was consistently within three to four-tenths of a second per lap of Webber's pace by the end of the season. Wilson finished eighth at the United States Grand Prix and was 20th in the drivers' standings with one point . He was linked to three teams for the 2004 season. Jaguar granted Wilson a contract extension until post-season testing ended in December to convince

10864-508: The team to retain him. Jaguar dropped Wilson because its owner, Ford , was not prepared to pour unlimited funds into F1 and advised the team to sign a pay driver. Christian Klien , a Formula Three driver funded by the drink company Red Bull , replaced Wilson. A return to Jaguar as a test driver on race weekends became unfeasible after F1's governing body – the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) – retained

10976-420: The three-time world champion Jackie Stewart and his son Paul. Jackie Stewart concluded Wilson's height would hinder him in single-seaters and advised a move to either sports car or touring car racing . A lack of funding prevented a progression to Formula Three due to its high entry fee. His family wrote to the former driver and commentator Jonathan Palmer for advice. Palmer replied he had established

11088-475: The track safety crew arrived at his vehicle and he had to be extricated from it. A medivac helicopter was called for and transported Wilson to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest in nearby Allentown, Pennsylvania . He was reported to be in a coma with a severe head injury and listed in critical condition. Wilson was declared dead from his injuries the following day, at 17:37 local time on 24 August. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway president J. Douglas Boles and

11200-624: The two met at the Worksop motorway services. Fullerton told him Wilson should cease karting in his category because of his weight, and mentored him in 1994. Wilson finished fifth in the 1994 Formula A British Championship , the United Kingdom's highest-level of kart racing. He was third at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit 's Renault GP race. He progressed to car racing at age 16, competing in the Formula Vauxhall Junior Winter Series with Team JLR, as preparation for

11312-404: Was "accidental". A statement from Wilson's father was read, which described the crash as a "freak accident" and stated: "The car leading the race crashed and was driving at over 200 miles per hour [320 km/h]. The driver was unhurt but debris from his car flew high into the air and a large, heavy piece hit Justin on the head as he approached the scene of the accident. Justin was unconscious, he

11424-519: Was 20th in the drivers' standings. His driving ability attracted Nordic Racing 's attention, and they signed him for the 2000 season . He established a rapport with team owners Chris and Derek Mower, and results improved from 1999, finishing fifth overall with two podiums and five points finishes. He returned to Nordic Racing for the 2001 season , after negotiations with Arden International in late 2000 fell through because of his tall height. Wilson won three times—at Autódromo José Carlos Pace ,

11536-542: Was 24th in the points standings with 183. For the 2012 season , he returned to drive for DCR in its No. 18 Dallara DW12 -Honda car. Wilson had two tenth-place finishes in the first four races. At the Indianapolis 500 , he qualified in 21st and finished 7th. At the Firestone 550 Wilson overtook Graham Rahal, who crashed with two laps to go, for his third career series victory and his first on an oval track. The rest of his season saw him claim two more top-ten results in

11648-484: Was a sixth at the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama . Wilson started 14th at the Indianapolis 500 finishing eight places lower and two laps down in 22nd after debris damaged his front wing late in the race. One race later, Wilson achieved a season-best fourth at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and four top-ten finishes in the final 12 rounds for 15th overall with 395 points. He left DCR after

11760-666: Was aided by scholarship deals that were announced between FPA and the Stars of Tomorrow karting programme, and between FPA and the FIA Formula Two Championship , which established a clear progression path for young drivers into top-level single seaters. FPA used to promote itself as a cost-effective form of open wheel racing, with the 2009 season costing driver £ 55,000 plus VAT , whereas similar series such as Formula Renault or Formula BMW required estimated budgets two to three times higher in order to race with

11872-539: Was extracted from the car and rushed to hospital. He underwent surgery and was kept on a life support machine until the following day. The decision was then taken to switch off the machine and Justin was pronounced deceased." David Tremayne of The Independent described Wilson as an "easy-going and humble" individual who was able to build a rapport with others. According to Alasdair Steven of The Herald : "his cheerful, quietly modest manner, and genuine enthusiasm" made him popular with fans of motor racing. A leader of

11984-622: Was fifth at Edmonton Indy . During practice for the Honda Indy 200 an accident left him with a stable burst fracture of the T5 vertebrae in his back. Wilson was ruled unfit for three months and wore a back brace. For the rest of the season, his substitutes were Simon Pagenaud at Mid-Ohio, Tomas Scheckter at New Hampshire Motor Speedway , Giorgio Pantano on the road and street courses and Townsend Bell in Kentucky and Las Vegas . Wilson

12096-471: Was given a funeral service at St. James The Great Church in Paulerspury , Northamptonshire, England attended by about 500 mourners, which included members of the motor racing community. Wilson was subsequently cremated, and a wake was held for him at Silverstone Circuit. An inquest into his death was held at Northampton General Hospital on the morning of 9 March 2016. The coroner concluded his death

12208-450: Was keen to have him replace the outgoing Mark Webber. He was told to gather £2 million in sponsorship funding to race for Minardi. The capital was raised through Palmer searching for financial partners, whilst Wilson's father mortgaged the family home. With the provision of him bringing the agreed financial settlement, Minardi designed the PS03 car to accommodate Wilson's large frame;

12320-481: Was one of the first major motor-racing series to do so. In order to keep a level playing field as much as possible, all the cars are run by a specialist team of FPA mechanics, rather than having separate teams. This concept of a large group of deliberately equalised cars has since been adopted by A1 Grand Prix . The series has raced on many different circuits in the UK and Europe throughout its ten-year history. These include

12432-488: Was tested for dyslexia , a learning disability that affects how a person reads and writes words; the test was negative. Wilson's mother took him to a clinic for a second test two years later and he was formally diagnosed with the condition at the age of 13. He struggled at school with the disability and received additional tutoring; Wilson's peers perceived him as inept and unintelligent. He married his partner Julia in 2006 and they have two children, Jane and Jessica. Wilson

12544-857: Was the official ambassador for the International Dyslexia Association , and Teen Cancer America. Aged 8 in 1987, Wilson sought a hobby and took up karting , refining his ability at the South Yorkshire Kart Club in Wombwell , Barnsley . His father was his chief mechanic, courier and mentor. In 1989, Wilson finished 7th in the Cadet National British Karting Championship, 12th in the 1991 RACMSA Junior British Championships, improving to 4th in 1992. His father contacted karting expert Terry Fullerton in 1993 and

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