Dan Wheldon, RIP, you may be gone, but never forgotten.

I have friends, and ex-friends, who know what today’s blog entry is suppose to mean.  So, if I miss the point, I’ll state it up front.   Life is short, and isn’t going to end when you think it is.   Actions will always speak louder than words and Dan exemplified this.  To steal a line from my favorite Oasis song, It’s Good To Be Free…”It’s not in what you say it’s in what you do.”  Well Dan, you will always be remembered for what you did.

You know who you are so for what it’s worth, this short, but important blog is also to simply to acknowledge the accomplishments and untimely death of Dan Wheldon, some one I greatly admired.   I get it, Dan was a race car driver and racing cars, under the best circumstances, is dangerous.  Dan knew the risks.  He also may have died at only 33, but from what I have read about him, he lived 100 years of life.

What most of you don’t know is how important the Indy 500 was to my family growing up.  In some ways, it was like Christmas.  The whole family would gather around to see who was going to win the biggest single sporting event in history.  This year, with one last turn to go, J.R Hildebrand crashed while leading on the final turn, of the final lap, to give Wheldon his second Indy 500 Championship.

Wheldon was very emotional after the win, due to not having a ride for the rest of the season.  Additionally, his mother had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease to whom he partially dedicated his victory.  In other words, he had one chance to try a get a job and the world largest stand to tell his mom “I love you.”  It was Wheldon’s first series win in three seasons.  What absolutely blew me away was the emotion that poured out of Dan as he came into Victory Circle.  The officials could not get him out of the car.  He could not stop crying.  I haven’t been that touched very many times in my life, and have become a Dan Wheldon fan ever since.

Dan, you left us way too soon, but not before you touched the lives of millions.  My heart goes out to Dan’s family and friends.

Daniel Clive “Dan” Wheldon (22 June 1978 – 16 October 2011.)