Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of the tragic death of IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon.
Just 4 ½ months after winning the Indianapolis 500 for the second time (also won in 2005), Wheldon was killed on Oct. 16, 2011 in a massive 15-car crash during the then-IZOD IndyCar season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The English native was just 33 years old.
Wheldon’s car went airborne and he was killed almost instantly when his head struck a pole that supported part of the catchfence on the backstretch of the track. The official cause of death was ruled blunt force trauma. The race was immediately red flagged and never resumed out of respect to Wheldon and his family, although a five-lap tribute occurred later that afternoon.
Sadly, on the morning of his death and before the race, Wheldon had signed a multi-year contract to race for Andretti Autosport beginning in 2012. Wheldon had won both the 2005 Indy 500 and that season’s IndyCar championship in a previous stint with the Andretti organization.
Although it’s been five years since his passing, Wheldon’s memory is still alive. A number of drivers and fans, as well as Wheldon’s sister Holly, took to social media on Sunday to remember him. Here are a few of those posts:
