There was shock and sadness in US newspapers and online as
writers and fans tried to come to terms with the death of the
British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon. The 33-year-old, a
two-time winner of the country's most prestigious race, the Indy
500, died after suffering multiple injuries in a 15-car crash at
the season finale in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Wheldon had lost his seat this season, but took part in the race
as part of a special promotion that might have seen him split a
US$5m prize with a fan if he had come from the back of the field to
win.
On Sports Illustrated's website, Bruce Martin wrote: "It was
supposed to be a day of potential glory and fortune for Dan Wheldon ...
Instead, it became one of the darkest days in the history of the
sport as the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in a
horrific crash."
ESPN was one of several outlets to report that Wheldon had
earlier in the day agreed a deal to join Michael Andretti's race
team for next season. "He was a very close friend and we had just
literally inked it this morning," Andretti said. "We had great
plans to do fun things together. I'm going to miss him. There was a
lot of life in that guy. He was part of the glory days here. We had
a combination that has never been put together in the sport of auto
racing, in my opinion.
"But it's part of our sport. He knew the risks; we all know the
risks when we get in the car. It probably touches me a little more
because of everything that was going on. It's a terrible thing, but
unfortunately in our sport we've had a lot of days like these. They
suck, but that's the way it is."
The New York Times' Dave Caldwell described Wheldon as "a
popular and congenial race-car driver from England".
He added: "Wheldon, 33, is probably the most well-known driver
to die in a race in the United States since Dale Earnhardt died on
the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500."
Indianapolis is the spiritual home of IndyCar racing, and there the
Indianapolis Star carried several articles on the crash. The
reporter Curt Cavin described the shock at the track in Las Vegas
as the cars performed a five-lap salute after the race had been
abandoned.
"The drivers gathered and decided the salute was the best they
could do at the moment. Fans remaining in the grandstand stood,
reverently at first, then applauding as Amazing Grace played on the
speedway's public address system. Those involved with the sport
stood at the edge of pit road, holding hands as the cars rolled by.
There were hugs, tears, stares. How could this be? There were no
answers."
The columnist Bob Kravitz said the time will come for an
investigation and review into the incident, but argued it should
not be rushed. "In the coming days there will surely be questions
about the speed, the number of cars, the composition of the field,
and that's to be expected," he wrote.
"We should ask hard questions, should take lessons from these
grim teaching moments. The 2000 death of Dale Earnhardt helped
NASCAR build in several safety enhancements to its sport. But there
is still plenty of time for that. For now, it's time to
grieve."
In Wheldon's adopted home of St Petersburg, Florida, the mayor,
Bill Foster, told the Tampa Tribune there would be a tribute
organised.
"He was our hometown hero when it came to racing," Foster said.
"He allowed us to come into his family ... to come into his world
and celebrate with him. He was just like us. He didn't want the
limelight ... when he took the helmet off."
