http://www.yardbarker.com/indycar/players/dan_wheldon/79236 Recent articles about Dan Wheldon en-us The city of St. Petersburg honored Dan Wheldon on Thursday with a monument to the late driver on the street circuit in his adopted hometown. The monument at Turn 10 includes bricks from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, stones from his native England and the handprints of his wife and two sons. It's located near the sign marking ''Dan Wheldon Way'' that was dedicated last year. ''Me and the boys were able to make our handprints in the concrete and I am so grateful to be able to make moments like that, just so they are able to know what a great driver and champion Dan was, but more importantly what he meant as a human being and father to us,'' Susie Wheldon said as son Oliver, who turned 2 on Tuesday, played with the microphone at the podium. Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in the 2011 season finale at Las Vegas. All of the current IndyCar drivers were on hand for the unveiling and many posed for photos with Susie Wheldon after. She's scheduled to w Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:23:14 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/dan_wheldon_monument_unveiled_on_st_pete_course/13202818 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/dan_wheldon_monument_unveiled_on_st_pete_course/13202818 Dan Wheldon monument unveiled on St. Pete course http://www.yardbarker.com/indycar/articles/dan_wheldon_monument_unveiled_on_st_pete_course/13202818 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/7/4768ff5ca4460b0c149d8b46fddcaa5ee0a403cd/mini/Argent_Mortgage_Indy_bed9.jpg The widow of Dan Wheldon will wave the green flag for IndyCar's season-opening race at St. Petersburg. Susie Wheldon will also participate in the prerace activities at the March 24 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. She left St. Pete, the city she and Wheldon called home, during race weekend last year. Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, was killed in an accident during the 2011 season finale at Las Vegas. Susie Wheldon and the couple's two sons still live in St. Petersburg, and a portion of the street course was renamed Dan Wheldon Way in his honor. The Grand Marshal for the race is U.S. Army Specialist and St. Pete resident Charlie Lemon, a double-amputee combat veteran and ambassador for national charity Wish for Our Heroes. Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:19:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/susie_wheldon_to_wave_green_flag/13130929 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/susie_wheldon_to_wave_green_flag/13130929 Susie Wheldon to wave green flag http://www.yardbarker.com/indycar/articles/susie_wheldon_to_wave_green_flag/13130929 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The widow of Dan Wheldon will wave the green flag for IndyCar's season-opening race at St. Petersburg. Susie Wheldon will also participate in the pre-race activities at the March 24 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. She left St. Pete, the city she and Wheldon called home, during race weekend last year. Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, was killed in an accident during the 2011 season finale at Las Vegas. Susie Wheldon and the couple's two sons still live in St. Petersburg, and a portion of the street course was renamed Dan Wheldon Way in his honor. The Grand Marshal for the race is U.S. Army Specialist and St. Pete resident Charlie Lemon, a double-amputee combat veteran and ambassador for national charity Wish for Our Heroes. Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:44:46 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/susie_wheldon_to_wave_green_flag_at_st_pete/13120963 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/susie_wheldon_to_wave_green_flag_at_st_pete/13120963 Susie Wheldon to wave green flag at St. Pete http://www.yardbarker.com/indycar/articles/susie_wheldon_to_wave_green_flag_at_st_pete/13120963 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Dan Wheldon died tragically in the season finale of the IndyCar season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Now, the league will plan to honor last year's Indy 500 winner by handing out white sunglasses to all in attendance for the race on Sunday.ABC 6's sports reporter Dave Furst shows us what the sunglasses will look like:This is a great way for IndyCar to do a great tribute to Wheldon. It will be an exciting race, but also a sad one without the presence of a fan favorite in Wheldon.Look out for these sunglasses on your television or in person if you are attending the race.Evan Sidery is a beat writer for FootBasket. He is a fan of the Colts and Pacers. You can see more about him by following him on Twitter.  Sat, 26 May 2012 22:14:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/2012_indy_500_fans_to_receive_white_sunglasses_in_honor_of_dan_wheldonphoto/10881992 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/2012_indy_500_fans_to_receive_white_sunglasses_in_honor_of_dan_wheldonphoto/10881992 2012 Indy 500: Fans to Receive White Sunglasses in Honor of Dan Wheldon (Photo) http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/2012_indy_500_fans_to_receive_white_sunglasses_in_honor_of_dan_wheldonphoto/10881992 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Dr. Christopher Carr, who has worked with IndyCar drivers as well as Olympic, professional and collegiate athletes during a 30-year career, wouldn't define the sport of racing as "dangerous" despite the chance of death. He says that's because it's risky in a controlled environment. "From just an environmental standpoint, different sports have different expectations of danger,'' Carr said. "Soccer players don't expect a fatality during a match. But in motor racing and sports like downhill skiing, they just all know there's a potential for negative consequences every time they compete.'' "I realize that this is a part of it,'' said Ganassi Racing driver Graham Rahal, the 2008 St. Petersburg winner, whose father, Bobby, is a former Indy 500 and series champion. "I know the risks that go along with it. I'm not going to have any second thoughts. It does put things in perspective, though, and makes you kind of realize you need to enjoy Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:33:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wheldon_wreck_still_on_drivers_minds/10381345 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wheldon_wreck_still_on_drivers_minds/10381345 Wheldon wreck still on drivers' minds http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/wheldon_wreck_still_on_drivers_minds/10381345 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/7/4768ff5ca4460b0c149d8b46fddcaa5ee0a403cd/mini/Argent_Mortgage_Indy_bed9.jpg Racing returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first time since IndyCar star Dan Wheldon was killed in a fiery crash last fall. NASCAR doesn't plan to have any memorials at the track, but the two-time Indy 500 champion will likely be in the back of everyone's minds this weekend. Wheldon was killed on the 12th lap of IndyCar's season finale on Oct. 16, when his car became entangled in a 15-car pileup and sailed into a catch fence. Wheldon died after his head hit a post on the fence. The weekend figures to be an emotional one for Danica Patrick, who's last IndyCar race before switching to NASCAR full-time was when Wheldon was killed. Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:14:02 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wheldons_death_looms_as_racing_returns_to_vegas/10270750 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wheldons_death_looms_as_racing_returns_to_vegas/10270750 Wheldon's death looms as racing returns to Vegas http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/wheldons_death_looms_as_racing_returns_to_vegas/10270750 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/a/1a2443e2c42b25f28415816d40cc40d6594b8292/mini/Suntrust_Indy_Challenge_07e5.jpg The late Dan Wheldon was honored Wednesday in his adopted hometown with a street named after him along the St. Petersburg race course. The corner of Bayshore Drive and Albert Whitted Park is now known as Dan Wheldon Way. It's in Turn 10 on the course, and is the place where Wheldon passed Ryan Briscoe in 2005 to win the inaugural Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Wheldon later jumped into the Tampa Bay to celebrate the victory. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in an accident in last October's season finale. His wife, Susie, helped unveil the new street sign in a ceremony during IndyCar's annual media day. She was hugged by nearly every active driver when she arrived at the event. Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:40:47 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/street_in_st_petersburg_named_for_dan_wheldon/10255879 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/street_in_st_petersburg_named_for_dan_wheldon/10255879 Street in St. Petersburg named for Dan Wheldon http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/street_in_st_petersburg_named_for_dan_wheldon/10255879 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/7/4768ff5ca4460b0c149d8b46fddcaa5ee0a403cd/mini/Argent_Mortgage_Indy_bed9.jpg An auction dedicated to the late Dan Wheldon raised more than $600,000 that will go to his wife and two young sons. The final total of $627,203 was released Friday by organizers of the Dan Wheldon Auction. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in an accident in the Oct. 16 IndyCar season finale. IndyCar driver Graham Rahal announced after the accident that he planned to auction off his helmet from the race and donate the proceeds to Wheldon's wife, Susie. As word spread about his gesture, the entire racing community began donating items for Rahal to auction off. Within just a few days, the auction grew too big for Rahal to handle alone. It was taken over by eBay, which waived all fees, and Auction Cause, an auction management agency. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:48:50 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wheldon_auction_raises_more_than_600k/9322862 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wheldon_auction_raises_more_than_600k/9322862 Wheldon auction raises more than $600K http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/wheldon_auction_raises_more_than_600k/9322862 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/6/761cc443a86757d03baea38f75d694d0476497f3/mini/GettyImageProxy.ashx_requestUrl_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f90144572.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0515FC9782EE33EEE5C612DC6B2353133EB5A5D9CAB147E76.jpg IndyCar announced Thursday that the cause of Dan Wheldon’s tragic death at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16 was contact that created a "non-survivable injury" when Wheldon’s head hit a post in the fencing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wheldon, a two-time Indy 500 champion, was collected in a massive 15-car crash on lap 11. Wheldon hit another car, causing his car to launch into the air. Wheldon sailed through the air into the catchfence, leading to the fatal hit. IndyCar recently announced it would not be competing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011. Prior to this season, the last race at the track was in 2000. The season finale was only the second event Wheldon entered in 2011. In his only other start of the year, Wheldon won the Indy 500. For a detailed and lengthy version of the report’s official findings, continue reading. The report is 60 pages long, but the following sections detail the events surrounding the fatal crash of Wheldon’s No. 77 car. Impact Amo... Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:25:50 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_reveals_cause_of_dan_wheldons_tragic_death/8762647 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_reveals_cause_of_dan_wheldons_tragic_death/8762647 IndyCar Reveals Cause of Dan Wheldon's Tragic Death http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/indycar_reveals_cause_of_dan_wheldons_tragic_death/8762647 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/a/1a2443e2c42b25f28415816d40cc40d6594b8292/mini/Suntrust_Indy_Challenge_07e5.jpg Saying the death of Dan Wheldon was "an incredible tragedy," Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said Thursday he wasn't entirely surprised by the findings of IndyCar's investigation into the driver's fatal crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But he remains convinced that the current fencing system at Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks such as Texas and Las Vegas is still the best available setup. And while IndyCar has decided not to return to Las Vegas in 2012, Gossage said he has had talks with IndyCar as recently as Wednesday night and is hopeful he will sign a race contract with the series in the near future. The holdup in finalizing a deal for a June race at Texas' high-speed, 1.5-mile oval, which is similar to that of Las Vegas, was not tied to any findings included in the Wheldon crash investigation, he said. "What I take from the investigative report is that it was a racing incident," Gossage said. "No one wants to trivialize something so significant a Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:05:19 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/are_ovals_safe_enough_for_indycar/8760550 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/are_ovals_safe_enough_for_indycar/8760550 Are ovals safe enough for IndyCar? http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/are_ovals_safe_enough_for_indycar/8760550 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/6/761cc443a86757d03baea38f75d694d0476497f3/mini/GettyImageProxy.ashx_requestUrl_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f90144572.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0515FC9782EE33EEE5C612DC6B2353133EB5A5D9CAB147E76.jpg This morning, INDYCAR revealed the findings of their investigation into the massive 15-car crash on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that claimed the life of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon.In a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, series president of operations Brian Barnhart said that Wheldon was killed when, after going airborne during the incident, a pole in the track's fencing system intruded into the cockpit of his No. 77 machine and impacted his head. According to the findings, it was the second of two head "forces" that the Englishman sustained in the accident.The fencing system at Las Vegas has the poles on the inside of the mesh fabric, instead of on the outside of the fabric. Barnhart noted that while the series "saw some benefits" if the poles had been on the outside, it would have made no difference on the outcome of Wheldon's accident due to the forces involved.Other elements played a role in the accident, includi... Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:00:19 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/findings_of_wheldon_crash_investigation_revealed/8751904 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/findings_of_wheldon_crash_investigation_revealed/8751904 Wheldon crash investigation findings released http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/findings_of_wheldon_crash_investigation_revealed/8751904 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/d/cd525c8376c4905aedd8b11a83867321f3ffda41/mini/dan-wheldon.jpg Dan Wheldon was killed when his head hit a post in the fencing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, contact that created a ''non-survivable injury'' to the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. IndyCar officials released Thursday their findings of the Oct. 16 accident in the season finale. Wheldon was killed in an early 15-car accident when his car launched into the catchfence. The reports finds several factors contributed to what became a ''perfect storm,'' and no one reason could be singled out as the sole cause of the accident. IndyCar found it is ''impossible to determine with certainty that the result would have been any different if one or more of the factors did not exist.'' The race had a season-high 34 cars and was held on a high-banked oval, and IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard says the size of the field and the banking itself were not solely responsible for the accident. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:28:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_analysis_of_wheldon_crash/8750896 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_analysis_of_wheldon_crash/8750896 IndyCar analysis of Wheldon crash http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/indycar_analysis_of_wheldon_crash/8750896 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/a/1a2443e2c42b25f28415816d40cc40d6594b8292/mini/Suntrust_Indy_Challenge_07e5.jpg IndyCar officials plan to announce Thursday their initial findings from the investigation into Dan Wheldon's fatal accident. Wheldon was killed in the opening laps of the Oct. 16 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was involved in a 15-car accident, and his car sailed into the catchfence. Many elements of the event have been criticized in the wake of the accident, and IndyCar hasn't released its 2012 schedule as officials wait for the results of the investigation. One of the issues they hope will be addressed is if the IndyCar is compatible with high-banked ovals. The series came to an agreement last week with Las Vegas to buy its way out of the portion of the contract that called for IndyCar to end 2012 at Las Vegas. A possible return in 2013 for the final year of the contract will be addressed a later date, and after at least one test session at the track. But what the report will likely show is that a combination of factors -- a perfect storm, per se Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:33:40 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_to_announce_wheldon_findings/8743012 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_to_announce_wheldon_findings/8743012 IndyCar to announce Wheldon findings http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/indycar_to_announce_wheldon_findings/8743012 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/2/c253dc078ab1cc19c0092776c7af5658f5c05b9b/mini/GettyImageProxy.ashx_requestUrl_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f85124599.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d17A4AD9FDB9CF1932C5816113BCD9D3CA180E02F6C6E9652.jpg IndyCar officials plan to announce Thursday their initial findings from the investigation into Dan Wheldon's fatal accident. Wheldon was killed in the opening laps of the Oct. 16 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was involved in a 15-car accident, and his car sailed into the catchfence. Many elements of the event have been criticized in the wake of the accident, and IndyCar hasn't released its 2012 schedule because officials have been waiting for investigation to be complete. Among the concerns is learning if the IndyCar is compatible with high-banked ovals. The series came to an agreement last week with Las Vegas to buy its way out of the portion of the contract that called for IndyCar to end 2012 at Las Vegas. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:28:23 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_to_announce_wheldon_investigation/8741935 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indycar_to_announce_wheldon_investigation/8741935 IndyCar to announce Wheldon investigation http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/indycar_to_announce_wheldon_investigation/8741935 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/a/cac517824bab13a7298695b5d29d04d53f29a71d/mini/93rd_Indianapolis_500_5e90.jpg SCOTT JACOBS Admittedly I know very little about racing. If you read our site on a consistent basis you would know that we have probably never written a single article on the sport. That said, we cover stories first and foremost over the particular sport, and today the world of sports lost a very big name: Dan Wheldon. Killed in the 12th lap of a race he didn’t even need to be in, on the final day of the Indy racing calendar, Wheldon was a 2 time Indy 500 Champion, whose life was tragically cut short in the spectacle of the public eye. Today was yet another reminder how dangerous the sport of racing is. How weaving your car just inches, and sometimes millimeters on a very narrow track between 20 other cars going speeds upwards of 200 miles an hour, is unbelievably unsafe. In that regard, every time they take the track these guys have to know that it could be their last race. But it’s not often that tragedy strikes the sport. Today it did in a fiery blaze of sadness. And after hear... Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:10:32 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/goodbye_dan_wheldon/7460584 http://network.yardbarker.com/indycar/article_external/goodbye_dan_wheldon/7460584 Dan Wheldon dies after Indy crash http://www.yardbarker.com/indycar/articles/goodbye_dan_wheldon/7460584 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/d/cd7207be847430e914cb40cb4fe5cb190f763368/mini/YB-Wheldon.jpg