Hello, readers! Though we normally try to write our Top 10 lists to keep you chuckling, this week, we pause to remember Dan Wheldon. Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family, friends and everyone in the racing community after the tragedy that unfolded Sunday out in Las Vegas (Oct. 16).
10. A champion truly worthy.
9. The “Danica Who?” t-shirts he had made when he won his first Indy 500 and she got the cover of SI instead.
8. Wheldon doing an interview on Wind Tunnel and suddenly a door opens and Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti and Bryan Herta – then his teammates – coming in and sitting down all around him wearing hats that said “Dan Fan.” Wheldon’s reaction when he saw them coming in? “Oh, I hate those guys.”
7. Robby Gordon as his one-time teammate at Indy messing up Wheldon’s locker every single day because it was too neat (he was OCD neat). That resulted in Wheldon having to completely fix it every single day as his other teammates watched and chuckled.
6. Taking cameras on a tour of his house, the highlight of which was his closet where all the shirts and pants were hung neatly, sorted by color and style and all the shoes were still in their boxes and stacked neatly, also sorted by color and style.
5. Trying to say what teams might do on pit stops when he was commentating this year and getting it wrong almost every single time and saying, “Now you know why I just drive the cars.”
4. His surprise win in this year’s Indy 500 driving for a small, one-off team.
3. His ever-present smile.
2. Pouring the milk over his head when he won the Indy 500 (both times) because he wanted to be different.
1. As a man who, while passionate about his chosen profession, was even more passionate about his wife and sons.
Folks, a simple list such as this cannot possibly encompass all that Dan meant to those who knew and loved him. While he was not in our little niche we call NASCAR, he was a racer, a title that transcends across all lines of motorsports. From all of us here at Frontstretch, we extend our thoughts and prayers to Dan’s family. Dan Wheldon will NOT be forgotten.
The Frontstretch Staff is made up of a group of talented men and women spread out all over the United States and Canada. Residing in 15 states throughout the country, plus Ontario, and widely ranging in age, the staff showcases a wide variety of diverse opinions that will keep you coming back for more week in and week out.