I was in the paddock area at the St. Pete Grand Prix in 2009, and my brother and I were looking around enjoying the scenes. Dan sped walked past us looking very worried and busy, but I wanted a picture. Never had gotten one with a driver before in my life and he was the closest I had ever been to one. I was too scared to say anything but my brother shouted "hey can my brother get a quick picture?" He stopped, turned around, gave that big fulfilling smile of his, looked at just me and said "Anything for a fan." That picture has been on my desk since that day and it won't ever be taken off.
What if you got rid of the desk? What plans do you have for it if/when that happens? Serious question, not written for laughs. Also, you're extremely lucky to get that photo. Cherish it.
This race changed my life. My dad was in 22 dreyer&reinbold car filling in for Justin Wilson. I was 8yrs old and I remember watching this race with my grandfather and not realizing that I had just watched a family friend lose his life. It wasn’t until I matured and realized what had happened that day. I am thankful to have known DW and watch him win the 500 months before this race. Lionheart 4ever
Jaxon- i was 27 when this race happened and there was a lot of bad judgement calls from the people that manage the racing organization that your dad runs. Hopefully your dad is doing well.
I am so sorry. I am new to the racing fandom, but I have only heard good things about Mr. Wheldon: I can’t imagine your loss. You were blessed to meet him, and cursed to lose him: the cruel irony of life…
I think it’s unfair that Bernard was made a scapegoat by the media and the owners. A promoter’s job is to promote and he did that well. Those in charge of rules packages should be the determining factor for these kinds of safety related decisions, and those decisions shouldn’t be made by the people doing the promoting if they’re not well-engrossed in the technical and engineering aspects of the sport.
Thing is, everything about that event could have been good if they'd have run the old Vegas Street circuit, Champ Car had in 2007 that was actually really good.
I'm far from a CEO fanboy; but you're right. The guy's job was to get eyes on the sport; not become a technical expert in every aspect of it. The team owners and IRL staff were supposed to be the experts, and have issues like race safety in hand. They would've had the language + credibility to work with Bruton Smith about resolving as many issues as possible before this race went on. They did not, and when the worst happened they let Bernard take the fall.
Will Power is the most important man in the sport when it comes to his interviews. When he sees a problem he does not hesitate to speak his mind. I will always appreciate him for that.
Jackie Stewart's opinions were not always appreciated either, but someone has to speak up. Someone needs to be the asshole if it means no one dies during the race.
I still can't believe it's been 10 years since Dan Wheldon passed away... He will never ever be forgotten and will always be in our hearts. On a side note, this documentary is very amazing and well made.
Everyone will eventually be forgotten. It is just a reality of life. The longer back you go, the less names survive history. Even Cesar, and Napoleon will in the end be over shadowed by those yet to come.
16 year old me was shattered, felt empty after this. Dan was one of my favorites growing up and to be old enough to understand what it was that I saw nearly killed my love for Motorsports completely. Vegas doesn’t really haunt me as a fan or anything, but hearing Amazing Grace on bagpipes will forever make me think of this moment and will always produce tears.
Empty is the perfect word to describe the feeling after this. I was 17 watching it, hadn’t really seen death in racing even though I had watched it all through my childhood. I was super excited for this race too, not knowing the danger. I’ve never felt the way I felt after seeing the first image of Wheldon’s roll hoop sheered off and immediately knowing it was unsurvivable. Turned me off of motorsport for a solid two or three years afterwards.
This was one of the most well-produced documentaries - amateur or otherwise - I’ve ever seen. Difficult subject, but you’ve handled it with factual observations, eloquence, and grace. Bravo.
I was looking for the excitement that led up to the race. In my opinion this race was equivalent to the excitement that led up to the 2001 Daytona 500. I dont need to go into anymore detail that occurred in that race.
Thank you nascarman, Brock. Its like ripping off a bandaid, but something we shouldn’t forget. Everything related to this event makes me immensely sad. Dan Wheldon winning the 500 that year though, im not a religious man but that really feels like something special happened. Thank you again,
@@jefferyrobertson7520 I was a Goodyear fan too. I managed to win an eBay bid last July 2020 of a Gil De Ferran 1:18 scale Superspeedway trimmed Valovline ChampCar and its like my fav top 5 or 6. I can still hear those screaming single sided V8 turbo going 245+ on the Superspeedway with that diecast. It just puts a smile in my face. 🙂
I watched the race live, I was 12 and it forever changed my view on motorsports. I had never witnessed a tragedy like this live and I will forever remember it. I'll miss you Dan, I'll never forget how cool you were and the times I got to meet you and get your autograph.
Same, it was my first live race, so excited to see them in person. The racing was awesome. But on that 12th lap, I new it was bad. Definitely an emotional day.
I used to hate Will Power’s bitching and moaning about pack racing but this provides some great context and I actually agree with him now, thank you for this video
He speaks up a lot and it can be very annoying but if you really pay attention to him he always seems to have a good point, especially when he is concerned for the safety of the racing.
1. The DW12 could go to Texas because it was harder to drive and less prone to pack racing. This makes me wonder if they could have gotten away with this race if Firestone had brought a much harder, less grippy tire compound. Of course, that would have required enough foresight to know there was a problem. Was there any testing at Vegas that year? I don’t remember. 2. After the way he treated Rockingham and North Wilkesboro, we already knew that empathy wasn’t part of Bruton Smith’s character, but trying to force IndyCar to keep racing at Las Vegas after what happened there… That was a new low, even for Bruton Smith.
tire choice might help a little bit , but if everyone is on the same compound its not really going to split the field up that much . plus you have the problem of people pushing the tires and setups and risking blistering blow outs. probably best to play it safe with tires on a fast oval and go with the most durable and usable option you have.
@@AlistairMaxwell77 if tyres are less grippy, drivers will have a harder time going full throttle in the wake of the car ahead. That alone disrupts pack racing. BTW, it would have helped if the engines were a bit more powerful... 650hp was a joke. If the engine doesn't push the car to the limit on a big oval, pack racing is what you get.
It's sad that we've seen it happen enough that we know exactly what it means... The only positive is that at least we learn from these tragedies as a sport and have made huge leaps forward In driver safety from what these accidents taught us
Randy was a good CEO. He wanted the best for everybody and cared for his fans. Would've been the most fantastic year for Indycar had Dan not died. Everybody's words now seem more and more scary.
@@lordshankracing4724 Yeah. He had very good intentions & really tried his hardest to get Indycar out there. Just unfortunate & flawed execution that ended up in the worst way possible. Had Wheldon survived or better yet not happen at all & the race ended smoothly, i think the direction they would've been pushed towards would be through the roof, but unfortunately it went the opposite way.
Anyone notice how prior to Dale’s death, Dale had said “you’re gonna see something you ain’t never seen on fox before,” and then Dan said “this is a great way to go out”…?
The moment I realized he was the $5 million challenger... My heart sunk man. I know the story and watched countless videos but that detail somehow slipped me. You've done a beautiful job the first 23 minutes and I'm sure this only gets better.
Thank you this was excellent. As an IndyCar fan, I remember thinking that 2011 was going to be their breakout year. The 2011 fight between Power, and Franchitti for the championship was one of the most epic battles in all of racing. Dan Wheldon winning the Indy 500 and Randy Bernard only added to the massive drama that was going on that year. It was also good to see video clips of Bob Jenkins and Robin Miller who we lost just this year. If Robin Miller were still alive today, he would be proud of the work you did on this video. Rest in Peace Dan Wheldon Bob Jenkins Robin Miller
I remember this race quite vividly. I think anyone who was around Motorsports, understood that Dan Weldon did not survive immediately. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. I commend you nascarman HISTORY for another brilliant documentary.
Bernard was a critical force in pushing for what became the DW12 car. The DW12 fixed the issues the original Dallara Crapwagon had. Overall the DW12 is more suited to oval racing than the Crapwagon was because it simply was safer, and outside of Fontana 2015 (which in itself was a bonkers race) hasn't seen the pack racing replicated since. Yes the DW12 had problems out of the gate, but any car will. The new version of the DW12, which is essentially what they run now, is probably the safest/best racing producer the series has had. One can't fault Bernard for that. Bernard's main downfall was the fact that he was an outsider, and while he did his research, he didn't know enough about the sport. Bernard also wanted to drastically increase the profile of IndyCar far quicker than I think the sport could have. Had Vegas had gone down without a hitch, the race still would have been seen as a failure because the crowds didn't show up. Bernard had a marketing mindset that I don't think Indycar was ready for. Heck, they may not ever be ready for that kind of marketing. IndyCar now (with more ovals) is what I think Bernard wanted way back in 2012. But the writing was on the wall that the viewership wasn't going to grow that fast.
At the end of the day Randy Bernard is a promoter and businessmen, like Bernie Ecclestone was in F1, not an engineer. Where was the IndyCar chef stewart in all this? He should of gotten most of the blame since they are responsible for the technical aspects of the sport, not Randy Bernard. That’s why you had Wally Dallenbach Sr. in CART. This was just very sad and I cannot believe that this happened over ten years ago. May Dan Wheldon continue to Rest In Peace.
It’s pretty fucked up what happened to randy after all this too. He was bold and did his job well, and earned the respect of all the drivers and teams. He had big ideas for Indycar and what it should be and I believe he could have propelled it to the world stage. It’s a truly beautiful, diverse, and brave sport and he was going to show it to the world. The accident was not his fault but I guess someone has to take the blame. Shame.
I’ve never seen a car like Dan’s after the crash. The entire top, roll hoop down to most of the engine, was completely gone. All that remained was his helmet. Unsurvivable crash. Such a sad day. Miss him greatly. One of the most underrated drivers ever
Last time something like this happened, it was with helmutt koenigg, and years later after dan's death it was Jules Bianchi, and it almost happened with Grosjean recently, thankfully the halo saved his life.
@@Bitterman5868 Greg Moores roll bar was completely torn off his car in his fatal crash at Fontana ten years earlier. He went top side first into the infield wall after his car flipped when his wing dug into the infield grass, the wall tore the roll bar off his car and his head hit the wall. Moore's crash also happened at the last race of the season, early in the race, with a championship on the line, only difference was it was a CART sanctioned IndyCar race and they finished the race announcing his death to the fans during the waning laps. Montoya would win the championship, in the post race interview you can see his smile completely disappear when his crew chief whispered into his ear that Greg had died.
@@chrish931 I was at that race. When they announced Greg’s death, it took the energy out of the crowd. I actually got up and left. Wasn’t fun anymore. I just wasn’t in the mood anymore. Sad day.
@@chrish931 I wouldn’t call the hoop on Moore’s car torn off, but it was certainly deformed. In the end, it didn’t matter, hoop or aeroscreen. If Moore’s wreck were to happen today, it would still be fatal and it’s not even a question.
I was nearing 10 years old when I watched the race. I reacted to the wreck as naively as anyone that age would. However, as time passed, then they send Jamie Little to the hospital to check on Dan, then the drivers started crying, it seemed like said naïveté withered little by little until it was brought to its knees by Marty Reid’s very words: “Dan Wheldon… killed today here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway…” I remember not sleeping well that night.
I attended this race back when I was 11, I remember seeing 2 fireballs and the helicopter taking Dan Wheldon. When it was announced that Dan passed everyone could not believed it. When they did the 5 lap salute, everyone was silent. It was my first and only IndyCar I have ever been to.
@@rareapple3 mine as well go on back to another race... may be exciting and safer now. i almost went to one this year at laguna seca ... but i got covid and couldnt do anything =(
Wheldon was one of my favorites I had turned 18 the week before he got killed when it happened i almost walked away as a fan but during that off-season I gave it a lot of thought and decided it would be wrong to not watch or go to a race again it would be dishonoring him so I've still stuck it out and watched every race from then to present go to the 500 every year and have been to Texas the last few years still hard to believe we're coming up on the 12 year anniversary of this
Something I just realized today was that Justin Wilson was the driver who won the first IndyCar 1.5 mile oval race held since Wheldon's death (June 2012 at Texas) and he was also the next driver to die in an on-track accident in the series (Pocono 2015, hit in the head by flying debris)
I think that's what happened to Darrell Russell in 2004. I don't know if his autopsy ever was made public. His accident didn't seem very bad. It was hard to imagine that he was killed. But they immediately made changes and it wasn't hard to figure out from those changes what must have happened.
@@brendanschuett I didn't remember that's who he was racing.Blaine Johnson's was tough. He was leading the points and he gets killed. Lee Sheppard. How different is Bob Glidden's career with Lee Sheppard around. Darryl Gwynn ending up in a chair. When he came up to TF it was the start of the season. His dragster wasn't even painted. It was bare metal. First round, he does his burnout, and waves to the fans as he's backing up! Kind of odd different cool. Then he proceeds to whip everybody's ass.
@@brendanschuett Eric Medlin, who actually had a lot of similarities to Darrell Russell, was the next NHRA driver to lose his life in a crash after Darrell after a testing crash in 2007. Scott Kalitta's crash was the following year.
Thank you nascarman and Brock for this beautifully done documentary on one of the ugliest days in our sport's history. And here's another haunting tidbit: At 54:02, I believe the gentleman Dario was hugging was Ric Moore, father of Greg Moore. I recall reading or hearing that this was the first open wheel race Ric attended since his son was killed at Fontana almost exactly 12 years earlier. Needless to say, he couldn't have picked a worse one for his return.
Just when I didn't think that day could have been any sadder. I can't imagine what that was like for Ric. I quit watching open-wheel racing after Robert Wickens was paralyzed. It's the same crash again and again. They can make everything else as safe as they want, but if there is open-wheel racing, there will be open-wheel launches, the most dangerous crashes in racing.
The 2011 Indycar season finale at Las Vegas still feels like it was yesterday. It is one of those races where you remember where you were and what you were doing. Watching the practice sessions and 11 laps still bring the same level of anxiousness that I felt watching it live. The few seconds of Dan Wheldon's onboard (just before and as he went airborne) that weren't shown live and or in replays were extremely tough to watch. A devastating day for so many. I thought I knew a lot about this race but this documentary put everything into perspective as to how we got there. This was incredibly well done and I thank everyone who helped make this video. R.I.P. Dan Wheldon.
In retrospect, with so many cars crammed into the field at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it was like an accident waiting to happen. As a Brit, it especially hurt that Dan was the driver who paid the ultimate price. It was a nice touch that Dellara gave the car Dan tested extensively the type number "DW12" in his honour. Most of the time, in the UK anyway, Motorsport in the US doesn't get mentioned on TV, but when Dan died, it was headline news
My first proper exposure to IndyCar was the BBC report that night. In 2012, I was watching the series. Pretty morbid way to come into the series but it's a good 11 years.
Excellent video on a very sad subject. I must admit I hadn't realised the full story behind the $5 million challenge that put Wheldon in the race, or the amount of hype and publicity surrounding the event. It feels a particularly cruel irony that, after developing a car to prevent airborne accidents, the final race using the old car would produce a fatality in exactly those circumstances.
That "Wind Tunnel" segment with Robin Miller is also a symbol of things and people no longer with us...SPEED Channel got turned into FS1 (aka Dollar Store ESPN), and Miller passed away this year...
Exactly one month after this race I traveled to Vegas to visit a friend of mine. He’s in the military so they let us drive inside the track and sat on pit road watching the Richard Petty driving experience. After a while we visited turn 2 and it was beyond upsetting looking at the skid marks/crash scene. It will be something I will never forget I guess we’ll never understand why amazing people are taken so soon
Well done piece. Looking back, Bernard may not have been out on the track, but he still made the decision to go fly fighter jets in a gymnasium (as Jeff Hammond would say). I remember at the time the 5M challenge was issued, people questioned the safety aspect of an inexperienced open wheel driver being on track. Could you have imagined someone like Pastrana or James Stewart out there in an IndyCar in those conditions? Bernard couldnt allow the race to restart because one fatality was enough for the day. Its such a shame it was Wheldon. His TV work that year was incredible, such a breath of fresh air to the booth. I was looking forward to the day Wheldon made TV his full time job for good. Thats what happens when you put a bull riding businessman in charge of Indycar. If its too dangerous for the cars to all practice at the same time, its too dangerous for them to race at the same time. Seeing how they split the cars at practice, Im shocked the raceday program wasnt converted into smaller heat races. Once these cars started surpassing 230 at Indy the sanctioning bodies have worked to slow them down, yet 220 at Vegas was ok? When that oval was flat, open wheel was much safer to run there.
I remember that race. Since there was no NASCAR Race that day. My brother and I decided to tune in to watch the Indycar race. Hard to believe its almost 11 years. RIP Dan Wheldon. You are truly missed.
Between Earnhardt in 2001 and this in 2011, it was heartbreaking watching these live as a kid. My family grew up sprintcar racing on the west coast, and I personally knew alot of the World of Outlaw drivers at the time. I grew up in a racecar, but never went on to pursue any professional career out of it because I had seen too many bad crashes that it honestly made me fear for my life the first time I tested a big motor car on a big track. I did about 5 laps, pulled in and told my parents I'm not doing this anymore, and to be competitive you can't be afraid. My mother was good friends with Bryan Clauson and his family and after his death that was a big blow to everyone in our racing community. I love racing, and will continue to support all types of racing, but safety always has to come before anything else. Too many great drivers have lost their lives or had their careers cut short because safety was either overlooked or ignored completely. Honestly, with how these younger drivers in NASCAR race now, I'm surprised we haven't seen another death (though Newman at Daytona really did scare me watching that race live)
My condolences first to you and your family for your loss. I can tell you that a coworker and I both were in our office watching that Daytona 500 with Newman’s wreck at the end. We both saw Newman’s crash live and when LaJoie hit Newman like that, I thought for sure he was gone. It did not look survivable, and the way Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer were sounding in the booth sounded eerily similar to the way that the Fox trio in 2001 sounded after Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash. It was beyond a relief when I heard about two hours later that Newman was gonna be alright.
I just remember such an eerie feeling during pre race. The national anthem was one of the best i ever heard, and very unique and it has just stuck with me. Then lap 11....... It is so odd how you could just feel something was off about this event just minutes before it began. Rest in Peace Dan Wheldon
Great documentary of a sad day. This vid captures that era of IndyCar so well, with Randy, Dan, Wind Tunnel and Dave Despain and of course Robin Miler. Such a tragedy.
I was watching the race on May 1, 1994 from the Imola circuit. That was the track that took one of the greatest F1 drivers life. His name was Aryton Senna. I was also watching this race on October 16 2011 where Dan Wheldon lost his life. In both instances we had drivers lose their live. The crash at Imola the curve was removed and turned into a chicane, whereas Indy car took a bit of time off from the 1.5 mile Ovals but went back. Please remember loss of life should ot be repeated for idiotic reasons, like going back to dangerous tracks. God Bless the Wheldon and Senna families.
You can see and hear the tension, the anxiety and even the fear in the drivers faces and voices in those interviews before the race. They knew it was way too dangerous. Seems like they were more worried about the consequences of the race then in the results itself. In a way, it reminds me the Formula 1 race in Imola 1994, when the legendary Ayrton Senna passed away. Everyone knew the danger, but money talks and the show had to go on, regardless how unsafe it could be. And we know what happened in both cases: two champions gone (but not forgotten)... Anyway, great documentary. Congratulations and thank you for posting this.
@@mrkipling2201 There were concerns about track dynamics, unevenly matched cars and part-time drivers. Add to that the $5 million dollar incentive for Wheldon to race from last to first.
Yep I remember that whole weekend at Imola in 94’ being a complete disaster. Barrichello was lucky to survive his crash in practice and Ratzenberger had his fatal crash in qualifying. That race should’ve never happened.
Way I felt after the crash. Earliest memory for me was 2001 Daytona 500. Looking back at that race when I watch. It’s eerie. This race on the twelfth anniversary it’s still eerie. If only the Aeroscreen was on 77 that day in 2011.
The DW12/IR18 is a legacy that Dan Wheldon could be proud of if he were still with us today, as there has only been one death in the car's lifetime and that one death was actually no fault of the car itself (Justin Wilson at Pocono when a piece of debris struck him in the head)
I mean one could argue why did the piece come off, or why did it hit him on the head. The aero screen was partially built to stop that from happening again.
@@michaelsorber7859 exactly, I doubt that anyone could have predicted a piece of bodywork to come out of the sky and just happen to strike a driver in the head.. Wilson's death was rather similar to Felipe Massa's accident in Hungary in 2009, a total freak accident that couldn't have been prevented, it's not the fault of Pocono Raceway, IndyCar, Chevrolet, Honda or Dallara
The day my childhood ended. That wreck scarred 13 year old me it took a few years just for me to watch an Indycar race again. I remember sitting downstairs in my moms old apartment in tears. The emotion and pain I felt on that day I will never forget
In that entire clip the best and most remember-able words came from Wheldon himself. "When your time is up it's up". Is not a callous take on things and NO he didn't want to die. It's what he did for a living and he loved it. He went out the way a lot of great drivers go out. Be thankful for all the time you got to watch him drive. He was VERY special in his form of motorsport.
23:10 what Dan says here hits me hard. I started watching in 2004 and I chose Wheldon as my favourite driver because I’m also English like he was. I miss him a lot, RIP Dan
Let’s not forget the other Motorsports tragedy that day… the plane crash that killed off-road racer Rick Huseman and 2 others on their way home from this race.
This video never ceases to amaze me. The racing was so dangerous that the race director was on the radio the whole time telling the drivers to take it easy. They only made it 10 laps before someone was killed. This event never should’ve happened. Blaming the drivers for being too aggressive over the people that put together despite the risk of danger is ridiculous. Everyone knew the risk, everyone knew someone would get hurt. They needed ratings. Randy was right to be let go after this happened. It was a failure on all accounts
There is no driver that doesn't think "they're talking to everyone else about taking it easy, not me, I know what I'm doing". If the racing or track and cars allowed that much aggression and speed then the drivers were going to give it everything up to the razors edge. That's absolutely racing.
@@tractorback76 yep you can't put it on the drivers because they're out there to race and have careers and goals to meet. It is the series that has the responsibility to account for safety especially when the drivers themselves are all concerned. I don't think Bernard was purposely negligent. He doesn't strike me as that type of person although I don't know much about the man. What I do think is that he took on a difficult challenge after a difficult period for open wheel racing in the US and I think the pressure on him to succeed blinded him to the inherent realities of the sport. Couple that with his own lack of knowledge about the sport and disaster was imminent. The series should have had a retired panel of drivers to approve his decisions.
33 cars at Indy is one thing. The cars get spread out going 220mph+ now. 34 cars at The Vegas with these cars. To quote Cheever. Pure lunacy. It’s a bowl as Robin Miller said once.
I remember Jacques Villeneuve telling he’s going to step down of that race because it was crazy to get all those cars in that track or something like this
I didnt see the race live, I was working that day but when I heard the news it made me immediately think of Greg Moore's fatal crash at Fontana ten years earlier, because of the similarities of being the last race of the season with the championship on the line. Say what you will about the job Randy did but at least he didn't make the same mistake CART officials made and called off the race. I will never forgot the look on Montoya's face when he went from smiling over winning the CART title to being told by his crew chief that Greg had died.
This gave me a new light on this race. The officials were definitely trying to calm things down but it’s still no excuse for all the red flags way beforehand. The new halo could put ovals into consideration again, provided the halo is incredibly strong. The Indycar upload of the 2012 St. Pete race also had testimonials from the drivers. Wheldon apparently passed on the helicopter and TK drove with part of Dan’s seatbelt on the parade laps.
2007. Kansas Speedway my first ever race of any series with my dad. Dan Weldon won. We said that was our guy. Fast forward to Vegas 2011, I could not believe what happened. I'll never forget Dan.
Well, first off, I can't believe it's been 10 years since this senseless tragedy happened. I remember watching this and being totally stunned by Dan Wheldon's death. However, my most vivid memories of that extremely sad day occurred after Marty Reid's closing words to the original ABC Broadcast. 1. I remember almost immediately after the telecast was over, I turn on my PlayStation 3, and all of my PlayStation Network friends at the time that were all racing fans all had the exact same thIng written on their info blurb thing on the PSN square (I forgot what it was called): "RIP Dan Wheldon". All down my friend list, "RIP Dan Wheldon, RIP Dan Wheldon, RIP Dan Wheldon". I still get chills just thinking about it. 2. When I had to go back to work the day after it happened, one of my co-workers who was a huge racing fan watched the race and watched the whole thing, including Dan Wheldon's death. Needless to say, he was Devastated, and he carried around all day the local newspaper that had the story of the tragedy on the front page. But the most poignant thing that he did was when he wrote a section for the newsletter that my workplace used to do every month. (I never participated in that because I was usually off of work on the day that they put together the newsletter). Obviously he wrote about Dan Wheldon's death, and I never forgot what he wrote about it. "I am a huge sports fan, and I watch all the races. I watched the IndyCar season Finale at Las Vegas where Dan Wheldon was killed. I saw the accident happen on TV, I was totally stunned; He was like a friend to me. Wheldon was an excellent race car driver. He won two Indy 500s, including (the 2011 race)." RIP Lionheart, you will never be forgotten.
I remember watching this, seeing the crash, and just had that bad feeling. When it was announced Dan had passed, like most I was just in shock. That turned to sadness and even tears after seeing Dario crying in his cockpit before the tribute laps. God speed, Dan.
There were several ironic moments leading up to this tragedy. Dan saying, "this is a great way to go out..." for example. But for me, the most ironic aspect was the roulette wheel which was painted on Dan's helmet. He probably walks away from the crash if not for the collision with the other vehicle at 50:55. It turns out that the collision with the other car as the two vehicles crashed into the wall was what forced Dan's helmet into the post. The series of unfortunate events leading to Dan's death show how open-wheel racing at those speeds is essentially like playing russian roulette. RIP Dan.
I remember watching it live, I was a freshman in college and my parents had just left from visiting for a weekend that morning. I called them in tears explaining what had happened. I wasn’t even a big indycar fan at the time but it was just devastating
10 years already huh? Man, time really does get away from us. It's a damn shame everything turned out the way it did that horrible weekend and unfortunately Wheldon wasn't the last IndyCar driver to die during the race. Hopefully with all the effort that's been put into safety, we'll never see another death in open-wheel racing. R.I.P. Dan Wheldon.
I’ve been watching IndyCar since 1972 as a seven year old however, I would only watch the Indy 500 and none of the other races. That all changed in 2011 with that year’s 500 and the absolute madness, excitement and disappointment of that race….I found myself needing more and not being able to wait a full year for the next time I watched an IndyCar race so I did tune into the next week’s race at Belle Isle fully expecting to be bored but I was hooked and have watched every race since then. The final race of my new found love of the entire series in that year was shattering. After the coverage was over I just shut the tv off and felt completely numb. And this extremely well done doc took me back to maybe the darkest day in my fandom of any sport. I almost think it was more difficult watching Dan Wheldon promote this race than seeing the actual crash again. Just the hindsight sense of foreboding is horrible.
Incredibile production! I remembering watching this race live, I didn't follow so much back in those days and still today I can't watch all the races (I'm in Italy, so bad timezone), so I didn't know all the backstory behind this event. Anyway, I heard about DW because of the Indy Codemasters' game, and I was in complete shock watching these image live, like I am today rewatching them. And a week after we had Simoncelli, for me those 7 days are probably one of the darkest weeks of Motorsport history
As someone who isnt into IndyCar, never really watched it or knew much about it. However this infamous race crossed continents, crossed series/type preference barriers so I was curious about this documentary. I was totally hooked, so well edited and produced that not being a fan didn't matter as it was just so interesting and well made.
Absolutely amazing video. Rest in peace Dan, you absolute legend. His was the first death in motorsport that I ever saw(Senna passed a few months before I was born, and we didnt get NASCAR here in Sweden at the time so I was spared of seeing Dale's crash at the young age I was at when it happened),and it affected me profoundly. Gave me a whole new perspective on motorsport. I mean, sure, my dad had told me about all the legends of F1 who died like flies back in the day, like our national racing hero Ronnie Peterson, but y'know, none of that ever felt real to me. It was all so far back in the past to me that I couldn't even really imagine it. And then, I saw Dan consumed by an inferno of fire and molten metal. That's when it got real for me. Thank you for this great documentary, man. Oh and by the way, props for pronouncing Kenny Bräck's last name way better than most yankees 🙂
I've been watching motorsports since I was in diapers and this day has stuck with me for 10 years. Absolutely horrific. I was certain we lost multiple drivers that day... RIP, Dan. You are missed.
Well made, well researched, well edited with a good choice of interviews and clips. I think the most poignant one was Eddie Cheever's. I knew of Dan from before he came to the US from his Formula Ford days. It was a terrible loss.
Fantastic documentary! Enough said. I'll never forget that day and all the other days I've watched drivers pass away. I'm 43 and have been a racing fan since 1992. So I've seen my fair share. Thank you for making this. It brought back a lot of emotions.
I remember watching that race live and feeling really anxious after the green flag dropped. The racing was just insane. And when the crash happened... I had never seen a fatal racing accident live before. That was a sad, sad day. RIP Lionheart.
Was there in the Petty terrace. Didn’t go to a race again until I moved to Texas again this year. And I had been to darn near ever Vegas race for 11 years in NASCAR. My parents back home are getting the fridge replaced. We’ve had it for 11 years. Found my RIP Dan Lionheart shirt in the bag still. I stashed it because I didn’t want to see it damaged. My first and only Indy Race ever. And to learn he was taken to the same hospital I was born in. It’s just devastating.
@@nolancain8792 that is true. I speculate though if he would’ve been killed in today’s car. The windscreen might have saved him. It was such a violent impact and there was intrusion into the cockpit, specifically his head that I doubt he would have survived. We’ll never know. I’m sure glad they have the windscreen because I believe it has already saved lives and significant injury. The HANS device has definitely saved lives although it’s unprovable but logic tells me it has. I don’t think there have been any injuries or deaths from brain stem trauma since it was started. The SAFER barrier has been a huge help. I don’t know how much more safety they can build into the cars but they’ll keep looking. Unfortunately it takes a death or critical injury for some weak points to appear. I still think the current catch fence designs are dangerous but I don’t know the alternatives.
i used to change tires for my uncle that used to drive dirt stock cars, and saw one driver die in a wreck and saw a pit member from another team die buy being run over in the pits i was near where that happened it was the worst thing i have ever seen, later that year i saw dale earnhardt die at daytona, and i also watched this race on tv had a feeling weldon was dead i still love racing but its dangerous no matter what type of car
I was 10 when this happened. I was a month old for Dale, so this was the motorsport tragedy of my childhood. It's hard to believe it was half my life ago.
This is a great video nascarman thanks for posting it. I would love to see the NTT Indy Car series go back to this track in Vegas maybe limit the speed and see if they can really make it work now several years later. With the right promotion I think this would be a great finale race for the series as it was originally intended to be. Right now Laguna Seca is a really nice road course but I think most Indy Car fans would like to see the series end on an Oval short or large doesn't matter.
i wouldn't be shocked if more people go to laguna seca for that finale then when they went to vegas/fontana/homestead for those finales. it's all on the fans.
I remember that 500 well, I was moving out of my apt that day. Listened to the broadcast and heard the call for Dan. Never would have thought he'd be gone a few months later
Remember every emotion! What a terrible day it was...:( Dan was just so unlucky that day in Las Vegas... #RIP Lionheart! Thank You so much for making this Docu on the event, very well made! An amazing tribute to Dan
I was there, with my nephew. All we could see from the stands was smoke on the back stretch. The paddock area just after the crash was littered with broken bodywork. I saw a front wing in a trash bin. It was so quiet down there. We didn’t know that Dan had been killed. The parade laps at the end were hard to watch.
I was in the paddock area at the St. Pete Grand Prix in 2009, and my brother and I were looking around enjoying the scenes. Dan sped walked past us looking very worried and busy, but I wanted a picture. Never had gotten one with a driver before in my life and he was the closest I had ever been to one. I was too scared to say anything but my brother shouted "hey can my brother get a quick picture?" He stopped, turned around, gave that big fulfilling smile of his, looked at just me and said "Anything for a fan."
That picture has been on my desk since that day and it won't ever be taken off.
😥
That's the worst part about this whole video. Dan seemed like such a charismatic and genuine dude...
This hits different.
Jesus...
What if you got rid of the desk? What plans do you have for it if/when that happens? Serious question, not written for laughs.
Also, you're extremely lucky to get that photo. Cherish it.
This race changed my life. My dad was in 22 dreyer&reinbold car filling in for Justin Wilson. I was 8yrs old and I remember watching this race with my grandfather and not realizing that I had just watched a family friend lose his life. It wasn’t until I matured and realized what had happened that day. I am thankful to have known DW and watch him win the 500 months before this race. Lionheart 4ever
Is your Dad Townsend Bell?
@@DepravedCoTApologist yeah
Jaxon- i was 27 when this race happened and there was a lot of bad judgement calls from the people that manage the racing organization that your dad runs.
Hopefully your dad is doing well.
Wasnt your dad one of the upside down cars after the crash?
I am so sorry. I am new to the racing fandom, but I have only heard good things about Mr. Wheldon: I can’t imagine your loss. You were blessed to meet him, and cursed to lose him: the cruel irony of life…
I think it’s unfair that Bernard was made a scapegoat by the media and the owners. A promoter’s job is to promote and he did that well. Those in charge of rules packages should be the determining factor for these kinds of safety related decisions, and those decisions shouldn’t be made by the people doing the promoting if they’re not well-engrossed in the technical and engineering aspects of the sport.
Thing is, everything about that event could have been good if they'd have run the old Vegas Street circuit, Champ Car had in 2007 that was actually really good.
@Rob F 34 cars on a street circuit... I don't think so
I'm far from a CEO fanboy; but you're right. The guy's job was to get eyes on the sport; not become a technical expert in every aspect of it. The team owners and IRL staff were supposed to be the experts, and have issues like race safety in hand. They would've had the language + credibility to work with Bruton Smith about resolving as many issues as possible before this race went on. They did not, and when the worst happened they let Bernard take the fall.
@@dsnodgrass4843the sport is a disgrace. Las Vegas is a dump and should be nuked.
@@jacobmassey3897 [citation needed].
Will Power is the most important man in the sport when it comes to his interviews. When he sees a problem he does not hesitate to speak his mind. I will always appreciate him for that.
I cannot stand Will Power as a driver since he wrecked my favorite #9 at Baltimore in 2013. However I strongly agree with your statements.
This Aussie is proud of that Aussie
41:25
Jackie Stewart's opinions were not always appreciated either, but someone has to speak up. Someone needs to be the asshole if it means no one dies during the race.
I still can't believe it's been 10 years since Dan Wheldon passed away... He will never ever be forgotten and will always be in our hearts.
On a side note, this documentary is very amazing and well made.
Everyone will eventually be forgotten. It is just a reality of life. The longer back you go, the less names survive history. Even Cesar, and Napoleon will in the end be over shadowed by those yet to come.
@@alltheusernameswastaken8936 Okay and?
nice Rimi Ushigome profile avatar!
@@alltheusernameswastaken8936 can you just shut up PLEASE you don't know him I know him and you dont
16 year old me was shattered, felt empty after this. Dan was one of my favorites growing up and to be old enough to understand what it was that I saw nearly killed my love for Motorsports completely. Vegas doesn’t really haunt me as a fan or anything, but hearing Amazing Grace on bagpipes will forever make me think of this moment and will always produce tears.
Empty is the perfect word to describe the feeling after this. I was 17 watching it, hadn’t really seen death in racing even though I had watched it all through my childhood. I was super excited for this race too, not knowing the danger. I’ve never felt the way I felt after seeing the first image of Wheldon’s roll hoop sheered off and immediately knowing it was unsurvivable. Turned me off of motorsport for a solid two or three years afterwards.
I also saw this live, and was crying so hard I could hardly see the tribute lap; also haunts me as was so unnecessary . . . now we have the Halo
Dude exact same story right here bro I feel you
I felt the same in 2001 as a 21 year old Earnhardt fan and then to see this race when I was 31 bad nightmare. I could relate
The bagpipes. I can keep it -cool- *under control* until the bloody bagpipes..
This was one of the most well-produced documentaries - amateur or otherwise - I’ve ever seen. Difficult subject, but you’ve handled it with factual observations, eloquence, and grace. Bravo.
Agree 100%
I agree, I knew nothing before this video and now I am kinda into racing cars!
Agreed!
I was looking for the excitement that led up to the race. In my opinion this race was equivalent to the excitement that led up to the 2001 Daytona 500. I dont need to go into anymore detail that occurred in that race.
Thank you nascarman, Brock. Its like ripping off a bandaid, but something we shouldn’t forget. Everything related to this event makes me immensely sad. Dan Wheldon winning the 500 that year though, im not a religious man but that really feels like something special happened. Thank you again,
Greatest Decade In IndyCar History The Early 90s ☺
@@jefferyrobertson7520 CART Indycar racing throughout the whole decade (90s) was just perfect.
@@ariansmovies My Favorite Tire Brand IndyCar Is Goodyear From The 70s 80s And Early 90s
@@jefferyrobertson7520 I was a Goodyear fan too. I managed to win an eBay bid last July 2020 of a Gil De Ferran 1:18 scale Superspeedway trimmed Valovline ChampCar and its like my fav top 5 or 6. I can still hear those screaming single sided V8 turbo going 245+ on the Superspeedway with that diecast. It just puts a smile in my face. 🙂
@@ariansmovies That Was Amazing
I watched the race live, I was 12 and it forever changed my view on motorsports. I had never witnessed a tragedy like this live and I will forever remember it. I'll miss you Dan, I'll never forget how cool you were and the times I got to meet you and get your autograph.
That was a rough day...
I was 12 too.
I was once 12... not on that day though
Same, it was my first live race, so excited to see them in person. The racing was awesome. But on that 12th lap, I new it was bad. Definitely an emotional day.
I was 11 when I saw Greg Moore crash and pass away, those things change you.
I used to hate Will Power’s bitching and moaning about pack racing but this provides some great context and I actually agree with him now, thank you for this video
He speaks up a lot and it can be very annoying but if you really pay attention to him he always seems to have a good point, especially when he is concerned for the safety of the racing.
23:10 the irony in his statement here is actually heartbreaking.
Wow yeah
Exactly what I was thinking
That is scary.
Slapped my head, didnt remember him saying this,but in canada here we only got the qualify and races on speed network. Hated how it ended.
My heart broke when he said that.
Will Power's body language before the race throughout the weekend was very telling. He looks incredibly anxious and not happy in every interview
Yeah you're right, he looks incredibly anxious.. Sadly we know it was for good reason.
It’s still hilarious
1. The DW12 could go to Texas because it was harder to drive and less prone to pack racing. This makes me wonder if they could have gotten away with this race if Firestone had brought a much harder, less grippy tire compound. Of course, that would have required enough foresight to know there was a problem. Was there any testing at Vegas that year? I don’t remember.
2. After the way he treated Rockingham and North Wilkesboro, we already knew that empathy wasn’t part of Bruton Smith’s character, but trying to force IndyCar to keep racing at Las Vegas after what happened there… That was a new low, even for Bruton Smith.
there was testing but it did not indicate these speeds. Briscoe and Dixons test speeds were way below what the field was running.
tire choice might help a little bit , but if everyone is on the same compound its not really going to split the field up that much . plus you have the problem of people pushing the tires and setups and risking blistering blow outs. probably best to play it safe with tires on a fast oval and go with the most durable and usable option you have.
@@AlistairMaxwell77 if tyres are less grippy, drivers will have a harder time going full throttle in the wake of the car ahead. That alone disrupts pack racing. BTW, it would have helped if the engines were a bit more powerful... 650hp was a joke. If the engine doesn't push the car to the limit on a big oval, pack racing is what you get.
Bruton has no soul only money see the shit he pull to get his drag strip at charlotte
Basically, they did the same mistake CART did in 2001 with Texas.
51:35 tarp, something that you *NEVER* want to see at an auto race
Its for bloods yeah
@@sandordomonkos8351correct
It makes it actually interesting plus it’s pretty hilarious 😂
@@sandordomonkos8351or death and an investigation?
It's sad that we've seen it happen enough that we know exactly what it means... The only positive is that at least we learn from these tragedies as a sport and have made huge leaps forward In driver safety from what these accidents taught us
23:08 that's just haunting to hear that back
Yea..
The irony there
So true :(
Lmfao
Randy was a good CEO. He wanted the best for everybody and cared for his fans.
Would've been the most fantastic year for Indycar had Dan not died.
Everybody's words now seem more and more scary.
Wheldon's quote at 23:09 is the most disturbing one to hear considering what happened imo
@@jeffgordonfan2462 there is a thing I notice when a driver dies, most of their pre race interviews all seem to be so eery
He would have been a success as a CEO, I believe, but the Las Vegas disaster permanently damaged his reputation.
@@philipdawson7800 and he was very shaken after it
@@lordshankracing4724 Yeah. He had very good intentions & really tried his hardest to get Indycar out there. Just unfortunate & flawed execution that ended up in the worst way possible.
Had Wheldon survived or better yet not happen at all & the race ended smoothly, i think the direction they would've been pushed towards would be through the roof, but unfortunately it went the opposite way.
Anyone notice how prior to Dale’s death, Dale had said “you’re gonna see something you ain’t never seen on fox before,” and then Dan said “this is a great way to go out”…?
yeah
out for the indycar champion ship, you say this as he wanted that big one
@@robertomorais187 not what I’m implying. Same with Dale. Simply just morbid irony
@@nathanwichman5114 ohh sorry man
23:14 "I'm gonna keep it on all four."
Man that sent me chills!
He didn’t do a very good job of it 😂
The moment I realized he was the $5 million challenger... My heart sunk man. I know the story and watched countless videos but that detail somehow slipped me. You've done a beautiful job the first 23 minutes and I'm sure this only gets better.
Hard to believe how things can change in an instant… Hard to believe that instant has been 10 years…
RIP Dan, you’re still deeply missed. 🙏
Thank you this was excellent. As an IndyCar fan, I remember thinking that 2011 was going to be their breakout year. The 2011 fight between Power, and Franchitti for the championship was one of the most epic battles in all of racing. Dan Wheldon winning the Indy 500 and Randy Bernard only added to the massive drama that was going on that year. It was also good to see video clips of Bob Jenkins and Robin Miller who we lost just this year.
If Robin Miller were still alive today, he would be proud of the work you did on this video.
Rest in Peace
Dan Wheldon
Bob Jenkins
Robin Miller
I remember this race quite vividly. I think anyone who was around Motorsports, understood that Dan Weldon did not survive immediately. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. I commend you nascarman HISTORY for another brilliant documentary.
Randy Bernard did a heck of a lot of good for INDYCAR. If not for Vegas, he’d probably still be there and revered as open wheel’s savior.
Doing what exactly?
Bernard was a critical force in pushing for what became the DW12 car. The DW12 fixed the issues the original Dallara Crapwagon had. Overall the DW12 is more suited to oval racing than the Crapwagon was because it simply was safer, and outside of Fontana 2015 (which in itself was a bonkers race) hasn't seen the pack racing replicated since. Yes the DW12 had problems out of the gate, but any car will.
The new version of the DW12, which is essentially what they run now, is probably the safest/best racing producer the series has had. One can't fault Bernard for that.
Bernard's main downfall was the fact that he was an outsider, and while he did his research, he didn't know enough about the sport. Bernard also wanted to drastically increase the profile of IndyCar far quicker than I think the sport could have. Had Vegas had gone down without a hitch, the race still would have been seen as a failure because the crowds didn't show up.
Bernard had a marketing mindset that I don't think Indycar was ready for. Heck, they may not ever be ready for that kind of marketing. IndyCar now (with more ovals) is what I think Bernard wanted way back in 2012. But the writing was on the wall that the viewership wasn't going to grow that fast.
At the end of the day Randy Bernard is a promoter and businessmen, like Bernie Ecclestone was in F1, not an engineer. Where was the IndyCar chef stewart in all this? He should of gotten most of the blame since they are responsible for the technical aspects of the sport, not Randy Bernard. That’s why you had Wally Dallenbach Sr. in CART. This was just very sad and I cannot believe that this happened over ten years ago. May Dan Wheldon continue to Rest In Peace.
17:57 I bet that guy filming the finish never amounted to much lol
It’s pretty fucked up what happened to randy after all this too. He was bold and did his job well, and earned the respect of all the drivers and teams. He had big ideas for Indycar and what it should be and I believe he could have propelled it to the world stage. It’s a truly beautiful, diverse, and brave sport and he was going to show it to the world. The accident was not his fault but I guess someone has to take the blame. Shame.
I’ve never seen a car like Dan’s after the crash. The entire top, roll hoop down to most of the engine, was completely gone. All that remained was his helmet. Unsurvivable crash. Such a sad day. Miss him greatly. One of the most underrated drivers ever
Last time something like this happened, it was with helmutt koenigg, and years later after dan's death it was Jules Bianchi, and it almost happened with Grosjean recently, thankfully the halo saved his life.
@@Bitterman5868 now he’s nearly won in Indycar, can’t wait to see him finally win in an open wheel car.
@@Bitterman5868 Greg Moores roll bar was completely torn off his car in his fatal crash at Fontana ten years earlier. He went top side first into the infield wall after his car flipped when his wing dug into the infield grass, the wall tore the roll bar off his car and his head hit the wall. Moore's crash also happened at the last race of the season, early in the race, with a championship on the line, only difference was it was a CART sanctioned IndyCar race and they finished the race announcing his death to the fans during the waning laps. Montoya would win the championship, in the post race interview you can see his smile completely disappear when his crew chief whispered into his ear that Greg had died.
@@chrish931 I was at that race. When they announced Greg’s death, it took the energy out of the crowd. I actually got up and left. Wasn’t fun anymore. I just wasn’t in the mood anymore. Sad day.
@@chrish931 I wouldn’t call the hoop on Moore’s car torn off, but it was certainly deformed. In the end, it didn’t matter, hoop or aeroscreen. If Moore’s wreck were to happen today, it would still be fatal and it’s not even a question.
I was nearing 10 years old when I watched the race. I reacted to the wreck as naively as anyone that age would. However, as time passed, then they send Jamie Little to the hospital to check on Dan, then the drivers started crying, it seemed like said naïveté withered little by little until it was brought to its knees by Marty Reid’s very words: “Dan Wheldon… killed today here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway…” I remember not sleeping well that night.
I attended this race back when I was 11, I remember seeing 2 fireballs and the helicopter taking Dan Wheldon. When it was announced that Dan passed everyone could not believed it. When they did the 5 lap salute, everyone was silent. It was my first and only IndyCar I have ever been to.
You're about 22 now,I bet you will remember this when you're 82.
@@richardmorris7063 Definitely.
@@rareapple3 mine as well go on back to another race... may be exciting and safer now. i almost went to one this year at laguna seca ... but i got covid and couldnt do anything =(
Wheldon was one of my favorites I had turned 18 the week before he got killed when it happened i almost walked away as a fan but during that off-season I gave it a lot of thought and decided it would be wrong to not watch or go to a race again it would be dishonoring him so I've still stuck it out and watched every race from then to present go to the 500 every year and have been to Texas the last few years still hard to believe we're coming up on the 12 year anniversary of this
Grew up 12 minutes from LVMS. Oct 16th is a day local race fans won't forget...
Dan and Robin back running the pit road in heaven! RIP guys we miss you.
Something I just realized today was that Justin Wilson was the driver who won the first IndyCar 1.5 mile oval race held since Wheldon's death (June 2012 at Texas) and he was also the next driver to die in an on-track accident in the series (Pocono 2015, hit in the head by flying debris)
I think that's what happened to Darrell Russell in 2004. I don't know if his autopsy ever was made public. His accident didn't seem very bad. It was hard to imagine that he was killed. But they immediately made changes and it wasn't hard to figure out from those changes what must have happened.
@@bbigjohnson069 And... the driver racing against him was Scott Kalitta... who also died (I think he was the next to die) in 2007.
@@brendanschuett I didn't remember that's who he was racing.Blaine Johnson's was tough. He was leading the points and he gets killed. Lee Sheppard. How different is Bob Glidden's career with Lee Sheppard around. Darryl Gwynn ending up in a chair. When he came up to TF it was the start of the season. His dragster wasn't even painted. It was bare metal. First round, he does his burnout, and waves to the fans as he's backing up! Kind of odd different cool. Then he proceeds to whip everybody's ass.
@@brendanschuett Eric Medlin, who actually had a lot of similarities to Darrell Russell, was the next NHRA driver to lose his life in a crash after Darrell after a testing crash in 2007. Scott Kalitta's crash was the following year.
Thank you nascarman and Brock for this beautifully done documentary on one of the ugliest days in our sport's history.
And here's another haunting tidbit: At 54:02, I believe the gentleman Dario was hugging was Ric Moore, father of Greg Moore. I recall reading or hearing that this was the first open wheel race Ric attended since his son was killed at Fontana almost exactly 12 years earlier. Needless to say, he couldn't have picked a worse one for his return.
Geez! What a horrible circumstance for Rick Moore to return to a track. Thanks for the detail.
#99
Just when I didn't think that day could have been any sadder. I can't imagine what that was like for Ric. I quit watching open-wheel racing after Robert Wickens was paralyzed. It's the same crash again and again. They can make everything else as safe as they want, but if there is open-wheel racing, there will be open-wheel launches, the most dangerous crashes in racing.
@@beenaplumber8379 thank god wickens is starting to regain movement i was almost sure wickens had died on live tv during that crash
@@godzillaeditsbackup That's great news! The body's capacity to heal is such a mystery.
The 2011 Indycar season finale at Las Vegas still feels like it was yesterday. It is one of those races where you remember where you were and what you were doing. Watching the practice sessions and 11 laps still bring the same level of anxiousness that I felt watching it live. The few seconds of Dan Wheldon's onboard (just before and as he went airborne) that weren't shown live and or in replays were extremely tough to watch. A devastating day for so many. I thought I knew a lot about this race but this documentary put everything into perspective as to how we got there. This was incredibly well done and I thank everyone who helped make this video.
R.I.P. Dan Wheldon.
Hard to believe this was 10 years ago
RIP Dan Wheldon 🙏
In retrospect, with so many cars crammed into the field at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it was like an accident waiting to happen. As a Brit, it especially hurt that Dan was the driver who paid the ultimate price. It was a nice touch that Dellara gave the car Dan tested extensively the type number "DW12" in his honour.
Most of the time, in the UK anyway, Motorsport in the US doesn't get mentioned on TV, but when Dan died, it was headline news
My first proper exposure to IndyCar was the BBC report that night. In 2012, I was watching the series. Pretty morbid way to come into the series but it's a good 11 years.
Excellent video on a very sad subject. I must admit I hadn't realised the full story behind the $5 million challenge that put Wheldon in the race, or the amount of hype and publicity surrounding the event. It feels a particularly cruel irony that, after developing a car to prevent airborne accidents, the final race using the old car would produce a fatality in exactly those circumstances.
When Amazing Grace started playing in this video, I started sobbing like I did on that day in 2011. We miss you, Dan.
That "Wind Tunnel" segment with Robin Miller is also a symbol of things and people no longer with us...SPEED Channel got turned into FS1 (aka Dollar Store ESPN), and Miller passed away this year...
Exactly one month after this race I traveled to Vegas to visit a friend of mine. He’s in the military so they let us drive inside the track and sat on pit road watching the Richard Petty driving experience. After a while we visited turn 2 and it was beyond upsetting looking at the skid marks/crash scene. It will be something I will never forget I guess we’ll never understand why amazing people are taken so soon
The aero screen would have saved Justin Wilson, too.
Kept it together like a boss til 55:14 epic piece of content
Thanks bud
Cymotorsport makes some hard hitting F1 shit. Between the both of you, now I know everything
I was 6 when this happened, and I just remembered watching that on tv and not understanding what happened
I'm not crying your crying
@@TheFoyer13 I’m crying, you’re crying. I was there when it happened. I was crying then. I’m crying now.
Well done piece. Looking back, Bernard may not have been out on the track, but he still made the decision to go fly fighter jets in a gymnasium (as Jeff Hammond would say). I remember at the time the 5M challenge was issued, people questioned the safety aspect of an inexperienced open wheel driver being on track. Could you have imagined someone like Pastrana or James Stewart out there in an IndyCar in those conditions? Bernard couldnt allow the race to restart because one fatality was enough for the day. Its such a shame it was Wheldon. His TV work that year was incredible, such a breath of fresh air to the booth. I was looking forward to the day Wheldon made TV his full time job for good. Thats what happens when you put a bull riding businessman in charge of Indycar. If its too dangerous for the cars to all practice at the same time, its too dangerous for them to race at the same time. Seeing how they split the cars at practice, Im shocked the raceday program wasnt converted into smaller heat races. Once these cars started surpassing 230 at Indy the sanctioning bodies have worked to slow them down, yet 220 at Vegas was ok? When that oval was flat, open wheel was much safer to run there.
Race probably should’ve been called like CART Texas race in 2001.
Then the drivers felt uneasy about it.
Plug should’ve been pulled here.
I remember that race. Since there was no NASCAR Race that day. My brother and I decided to tune in to watch the Indycar race. Hard to believe its almost 11 years. RIP Dan Wheldon. You are truly missed.
I remember watching this race and being shocked by the death of Dan Wheldon! It felt like when Dale Sr. Died all over again cuz Wheldon was so loved!
Between Earnhardt in 2001 and this in 2011, it was heartbreaking watching these live as a kid. My family grew up sprintcar racing on the west coast, and I personally knew alot of the World of Outlaw drivers at the time. I grew up in a racecar, but never went on to pursue any professional career out of it because I had seen too many bad crashes that it honestly made me fear for my life the first time I tested a big motor car on a big track. I did about 5 laps, pulled in and told my parents I'm not doing this anymore, and to be competitive you can't be afraid. My mother was good friends with Bryan Clauson and his family and after his death that was a big blow to everyone in our racing community. I love racing, and will continue to support all types of racing, but safety always has to come before anything else. Too many great drivers have lost their lives or had their careers cut short because safety was either overlooked or ignored completely. Honestly, with how these younger drivers in NASCAR race now, I'm surprised we haven't seen another death (though Newman at Daytona really did scare me watching that race live)
My condolences first to you and your family for your loss.
I can tell you that a coworker and I both were in our office watching that Daytona 500 with Newman’s wreck at the end. We both saw Newman’s crash live and when LaJoie hit Newman like that, I thought for sure he was gone. It did not look survivable, and the way Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer were sounding in the booth sounded eerily similar to the way that the Fox trio in 2001 sounded after Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash. It was beyond a relief when I heard about two hours later that Newman was gonna be alright.
I just remember such an eerie feeling during pre race. The national anthem was one of the best i ever heard, and very unique and it has just stuck with me. Then lap 11....... It is so odd how you could just feel something was off about this event just minutes before it began.
Rest in Peace Dan Wheldon
Great documentary of a sad day. This vid captures that era of IndyCar so well, with Randy, Dan, Wind Tunnel and Dave Despain and of course Robin Miler. Such a tragedy.
50:10 trying to get as much out of that last draw as possible before running off towards disaster is immediately relatable
This is definitely one of the best videos that you guys have produced. RIP Dan, IndyCar hasn’t been the same without you.
I was watching the race on May 1, 1994 from the Imola circuit. That was the track that took one of the greatest F1 drivers life. His name was Aryton Senna. I was also watching this race on October 16 2011 where Dan Wheldon lost his life. In both instances we had drivers lose their live. The crash at Imola the curve was removed and turned into a chicane, whereas Indy car took a bit of time off from the 1.5 mile Ovals but went back. Please remember loss of life should ot be repeated for idiotic reasons, like going back to dangerous tracks. God Bless the Wheldon and Senna families.
Danger is an unfortunate reality of motorsport, the legendary Imola circuit should not have had it's most iconic corner removed.
@@PointNemo9 Sadly it already has been removed. It was done before they went back in 1995. there is not a trace of it now.
The only 1.5 mile they've run since is Texas.
You can see and hear the tension, the anxiety and even the fear in the drivers faces and voices in those interviews before the race. They knew it was way too dangerous. Seems like they were more worried about the consequences of the race then in the results itself.
In a way, it reminds me the Formula 1 race in Imola 1994, when the legendary Ayrton Senna passed away. Everyone knew the danger, but money talks and the show had to go on, regardless how unsafe it could be. And we know what happened in both cases: two champions gone (but not forgotten)...
Anyway, great documentary. Congratulations and thank you for posting this.
What was the apprehension regarding the race in Las Vegas??
@@mrkipling2201 There were concerns about track dynamics, unevenly matched cars and part-time drivers. Add to that the $5 million dollar incentive for Wheldon to race from last to first.
Yep I remember that whole weekend at Imola in 94’ being a complete disaster. Barrichello was lucky to survive his crash in practice and Ratzenberger had his fatal crash in qualifying. That race should’ve never happened.
Way I felt after the crash.
Earliest memory for me was 2001 Daytona 500.
Looking back at that race when I watch.
It’s eerie.
This race on the twelfth anniversary it’s still eerie.
If only the Aeroscreen was on 77 that day in 2011.
The DW12/IR18 is a legacy that Dan Wheldon could be proud of if he were still with us today, as there has only been one death in the car's lifetime and that one death was actually no fault of the car itself (Justin Wilson at Pocono when a piece of debris struck him in the head)
I mean one could argue why did the piece come off, or why did it hit him on the head. The aero screen was partially built to stop that from happening again.
T.b.f. wilson was just a very weird freak accident that I'm sure even when the DW12 was in development no one would have thought would ever happen
@@michaelsorber7859 exactly, I doubt that anyone could have predicted a piece of bodywork to come out of the sky and just happen to strike a driver in the head.. Wilson's death was rather similar to Felipe Massa's accident in Hungary in 2009, a total freak accident that couldn't have been prevented, it's not the fault of Pocono Raceway, IndyCar, Chevrolet, Honda or Dallara
@@Gregrs400 I mean, IndyCars are designed to have their bodywork come off during a crash to dissipate energy
@@patrickracer43 I understand that, just I thought that was one of the pieces less likely to fall off, but that's my mistake.
Could've been IndyCar Series, best season in years....
Do You Like Stanton Barrett
I have no idea, that dude is
@@Ryeblue Stanton Barrett Was NASCAR Drivers Hollywood Actor and Stunt maker ☺
It still was
@@PointNemo9 Oh Yeah
The day my childhood ended. That wreck scarred 13 year old me it took a few years just for me to watch an Indycar race again. I remember sitting downstairs in my moms old apartment in tears. The emotion and pain I felt on that day I will never forget
Thanks for making this. At 16 it was one of the first Indy car races I watched and never really looked back into this race after it happened
I was able to hold it together for 55 minutes and 10 seconds. But when the bagpipes starting playing I couldn't hold back the tears. Incredible video.
11 years ago today wow…Had the pleasure to meet him in Toronto back in 09. Still have his autograph up on my wall. R.i.p Dan
In that entire clip the best and most remember-able words came from Wheldon himself. "When your time is up it's up". Is not a callous take on things and NO he didn't want to die. It's what he did for a living and he loved it. He went out the way a lot of great drivers go out. Be thankful for all the time you got to watch him drive. He was VERY special in his form of motorsport.
23:10 what Dan says here hits me hard. I started watching in 2004 and I chose Wheldon as my favourite driver because I’m also English like he was. I miss him a lot, RIP Dan
Let’s not forget the other Motorsports tragedy that day… the plane crash that killed off-road racer Rick Huseman and 2 others on their way home from this race.
Excellent, thank you so much for making this. Can’t believe it’s already been 10 years. Miss you, Dan
This video never ceases to amaze me. The racing was so dangerous that the race director was on the radio the whole time telling the drivers to take it easy. They only made it 10 laps before someone was killed. This event never should’ve happened.
Blaming the drivers for being too aggressive over the people that put together despite the risk of danger is ridiculous. Everyone knew the risk, everyone knew someone would get hurt. They needed ratings. Randy was right to be let go after this happened. It was a failure on all accounts
There is no driver that doesn't think "they're talking to everyone else about taking it easy, not me, I know what I'm doing". If the racing or track and cars allowed that much aggression and speed then the drivers were going to give it everything up to the razors edge. That's absolutely racing.
@@tractorback76 yep you can't put it on the drivers because they're out there to race and have careers and goals to meet. It is the series that has the responsibility to account for safety especially when the drivers themselves are all concerned.
I don't think Bernard was purposely negligent. He doesn't strike me as that type of person although I don't know much about the man. What I do think is that he took on a difficult challenge after a difficult period for open wheel racing in the US and I think the pressure on him to succeed blinded him to the inherent realities of the sport. Couple that with his own lack of knowledge about the sport and disaster was imminent. The series should have had a retired panel of drivers to approve his decisions.
33 cars at Indy is one thing.
The cars get spread out going 220mph+ now.
34 cars at The Vegas with these cars.
To quote Cheever.
Pure lunacy.
It’s a bowl as Robin Miller said once.
This is the second Dan Wheldon doc I saw posted today. Keep em coming everyone. Can never get enough Dan.
23:11 that quote is haunting
I remember Jacques Villeneuve telling he’s going to step down of that race because it was crazy to get all those cars in that track or something like this
Wow, just wow. This is a truly professionally made documentary and was so engrossing. Thank you for this, and RIP Dan.
I didnt see the race live, I was working that day but when I heard the news it made me immediately think of Greg Moore's fatal crash at Fontana ten years earlier, because of the similarities of being the last race of the season with the championship on the line. Say what you will about the job Randy did but at least he didn't make the same mistake CART officials made and called off the race. I will never forgot the look on Montoya's face when he went from smiling over winning the CART title to being told by his crew chief that Greg had died.
My whole family watched this race, and we all knew it was inevitable... but never thought that it would have been that bad. RiP Dan You were awesome
This gave me a new light on this race. The officials were definitely trying to calm things down but it’s still no excuse for all the red flags way beforehand.
The new halo could put ovals into consideration again, provided the halo is incredibly strong.
The Indycar upload of the 2012 St. Pete race also had testimonials from the drivers. Wheldon apparently passed on the helicopter and TK drove with part of Dan’s seatbelt on the parade laps.
2007. Kansas Speedway my first ever race of any series with my dad. Dan Weldon won. We said that was our guy. Fast forward to Vegas 2011, I could not believe what happened. I'll never forget Dan.
Even 10 years later, it still hurts... 😢
RIP Dan
Well, first off, I can't believe it's been 10 years since this senseless tragedy happened. I remember watching this and being totally stunned by Dan Wheldon's death. However, my most vivid memories of that extremely sad day occurred after Marty Reid's closing words to the original ABC Broadcast.
1. I remember almost immediately after the telecast was over, I turn on my PlayStation 3, and all of my PlayStation Network friends at the time that were all racing fans all had the exact same thIng written on their info blurb thing on the PSN square (I forgot what it was called): "RIP Dan Wheldon". All down my friend list, "RIP Dan Wheldon, RIP Dan Wheldon, RIP Dan Wheldon". I still get chills just thinking about it.
2. When I had to go back to work the day after it happened, one of my co-workers who was a huge racing fan watched the race and watched the whole thing, including Dan Wheldon's death. Needless to say, he was Devastated, and he carried around all day the local newspaper that had the story of the tragedy on the front page. But the most poignant thing that he did was when he wrote a section for the newsletter that my workplace used to do every month. (I never participated in that because I was usually off of work on the day that they put together the newsletter). Obviously he wrote about Dan Wheldon's death, and I never forgot what he wrote about it.
"I am a huge sports fan, and I watch all the races. I watched the IndyCar season Finale at Las Vegas where Dan Wheldon was killed. I saw the accident happen on TV, I was totally stunned; He was like a friend to me. Wheldon was an excellent race car driver. He won two Indy 500s, including (the 2011 race)."
RIP Lionheart, you will never be forgotten.
I remember watching this, seeing the crash, and just had that bad feeling. When it was announced Dan had passed, like most I was just in shock. That turned to sadness and even tears after seeing Dario crying in his cockpit before the tribute laps. God speed, Dan.
There were several ironic moments leading up to this tragedy. Dan saying, "this is a great way to go out..." for example. But for me, the most ironic aspect was the roulette wheel which was painted on Dan's helmet. He probably walks away from the crash if not for the collision with the other vehicle at 50:55. It turns out that the collision with the other car as the two vehicles crashed into the wall was what forced Dan's helmet into the post. The series of unfortunate events leading to Dan's death show how open-wheel racing at those speeds is essentially like playing russian roulette. RIP Dan.
Saw this live and instantly knew he was gone. My eyes were instantly drawn to the car with no roll hoop and I knew it was bad news.
I remember watching it live, I was a freshman in college and my parents had just left from visiting for a weekend that morning. I called them in tears explaining what had happened. I wasn’t even a big indycar fan at the time but it was just devastating
10 years already huh? Man, time really does get away from us.
It's a damn shame everything turned out the way it did that horrible weekend and unfortunately Wheldon wasn't the last IndyCar driver to die during the race.
Hopefully with all the effort that's been put into safety, we'll never see another death in open-wheel racing.
R.I.P. Dan Wheldon.
I’ve been watching IndyCar since 1972 as a seven year old however, I would only watch the Indy 500 and none of the other races. That all changed in 2011 with that year’s 500 and the absolute madness, excitement and disappointment of that race….I found myself needing more and not being able to wait a full year for the next time I watched an IndyCar race so I did tune into the next week’s race at Belle Isle fully expecting to be bored but I was hooked and have watched every race since then.
The final race of my new found love of the entire series in that year was shattering. After the coverage was over I just shut the tv off and felt completely numb. And this extremely well done doc took me back to maybe the darkest day in my fandom of any sport. I almost think it was more difficult watching Dan Wheldon promote this race than seeing the actual crash again. Just the hindsight sense of foreboding is horrible.
Incredibile production!
I remembering watching this race live, I didn't follow so much back in those days and still today I can't watch all the races (I'm in Italy, so bad timezone), so I didn't know all the backstory behind this event. Anyway, I heard about DW because of the Indy Codemasters' game, and I was in complete shock watching these image live, like I am today rewatching them.
And a week after we had Simoncelli, for me those 7 days are probably one of the darkest weeks of Motorsport history
Second darkest, after the death of Dale Earnhardt
As someone who isnt into IndyCar, never really watched it or knew much about it. However this infamous race crossed continents, crossed series/type preference barriers so I was curious about this documentary.
I was totally hooked, so well edited and produced that not being a fan didn't matter as it was just so interesting and well made.
Absolutely amazing video. Rest in peace Dan, you absolute legend. His was the first death in motorsport that I ever saw(Senna passed a few months before I was born, and we didnt get NASCAR here in Sweden at the time so I was spared of seeing Dale's crash at the young age I was at when it happened),and it affected me profoundly. Gave me a whole new perspective on motorsport. I mean, sure, my dad had told me about all the legends of F1 who died like flies back in the day, like our national racing hero Ronnie Peterson, but y'know, none of that ever felt real to me. It was all so far back in the past to me that I couldn't even really imagine it. And then, I saw Dan consumed by an inferno of fire and molten metal. That's when it got real for me. Thank you for this great documentary, man.
Oh and by the way, props for pronouncing Kenny Bräck's last name way better than most yankees 🙂
I've been watching motorsports since I was in diapers and this day has stuck with me for 10 years. Absolutely horrific. I was certain we lost multiple drivers that day...
RIP, Dan. You are missed.
I met him the day before his passing. He was so cool and personable.
This is the definitive document to this event that still seems like yesterday. Great job.
"It's fun for these guys"
*DID YOU NOT HEAR ALL THE DRIVER COMPLAINTS*
Well made, well researched, well edited with a good choice of interviews and clips. I think the most poignant one was Eddie Cheever's. I knew of Dan from before he came to the US from his Formula Ford days. It was a terrible loss.
This was a brilliantly put together documentary, well done.
Fantastic documentary! Enough said. I'll never forget that day and all the other days I've watched drivers pass away. I'm 43 and have been a racing fan since 1992. So I've seen my fair share. Thank you for making this. It brought back a lot of emotions.
I remember watching that race live and feeling really anxious after the green flag dropped. The racing was just insane. And when the crash happened... I had never seen a fatal racing accident live before. That was a sad, sad day. RIP Lionheart.
Was there in the Petty terrace. Didn’t go to a race again until I moved to Texas again this year. And I had been to darn near ever Vegas race for 11 years in NASCAR. My parents back home are getting the fridge replaced. We’ve had it for 11 years. Found my RIP Dan Lionheart shirt in the bag still. I stashed it because I didn’t want to see it damaged. My first and only Indy Race ever. And to learn he was taken to the same hospital I was born in. It’s just devastating.
@@natereg9747 thankfully the cars are so much safer now.
@@nolancain8792 that is true. I speculate though if he would’ve been killed in today’s car. The windscreen might have saved him. It was such a violent impact and there was intrusion into the cockpit, specifically his head that I doubt he would have survived. We’ll never know. I’m sure glad they have the windscreen because I believe it has already saved lives and significant injury. The HANS device has definitely saved lives although it’s unprovable but logic tells me it has. I don’t think there have been any injuries or deaths from brain stem trauma since it was started. The SAFER barrier has been a huge help. I don’t know how much more safety they can build into the cars but they’ll keep looking. Unfortunately it takes a death or critical injury for some weak points to appear. I still think the current catch fence designs are dangerous but I don’t know the alternatives.
i used to change tires for my uncle that used to drive dirt stock cars, and saw one driver die in a wreck and saw a pit member from another team die buy being run over in the pits i was near where that happened it was the worst thing i have ever seen, later that year i saw dale earnhardt die at daytona, and i also watched this race on tv had a feeling weldon was dead i still love racing but its dangerous no matter what type of car
Great work, man. This film you've made is absolutely professional quality.
I was 10 when this happened. I was a month old for Dale, so this was the motorsport tragedy of my childhood. It's hard to believe it was half my life ago.
It’s so heartbreaking, 10 years ago today, thank you for investing the time to create this video. I saw the race live and it was such a tragedy.
This is a great video nascarman thanks for posting it. I would love to see the NTT Indy Car series go back to this track in Vegas maybe limit the speed and see if they can really make it work now several years later. With the right promotion I think this would be a great finale race for the series as it was originally intended to be. Right now Laguna Seca is a really nice road course but I think most Indy Car fans would like to see the series end on an Oval short or large doesn't matter.
i wouldn't be shocked if more people go to laguna seca for that finale then when they went to vegas/fontana/homestead for those finales. it's all on the fans.
I remember that 500 well, I was moving out of my apt that day. Listened to the broadcast and heard the call for Dan. Never would have thought he'd be gone a few months later
Remember every emotion! What a terrible day it was...:( Dan was just so unlucky that day in Las Vegas...
#RIP Lionheart!
Thank You so much for making this Docu on the event, very well made! An amazing tribute to Dan
This is such exceptional content. I'm coming here as a casual fan and looking for detail, this channel is perfect. Thankyou
I was there, with my nephew. All we could see from the stands was smoke on the back stretch. The paddock area just after the crash was littered with broken bodywork. I saw a front wing in a trash bin. It was so quiet down there. We didn’t know that Dan had been killed. The parade laps at the end were hard to watch.
"Give Rahal a call" 19:40
Legendary line from Letterman in future context.
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