The Most Painful Win: The Story of the 2011 Indy 500

[@AidanMillward]

Mentioned this in the Multi 21 video the other day but I might as well put it here too: If you're still needing some 2023 F1 gear for the season, I now have an affiliate link with the F1 store, so there'll be some discounts here and there through the year and if you buy stuff, I get an iddy biddy kickback too. You’ll have to put it in English cos it defaults to French. No clue. Might have to email my man. It's here, if you're interested: f1.pxf.io/kj7Wjx

[@AndrewGeierMelons]

This is the way I will order F1 gear from now on.

[@Chappers-hd3di]

i would swap this win for dan surviving vegas any day. dan is the reason i became interested in indycar to begin with. his emotion at the end of the 500, not because he won but because his mum was seriously unwell back in the UK always hits hard. even harder when vegas comes into it all. "People ask me why, when I sign off I say 'until we meet again'. Because goodbye is always so final. Goodbye Dan Wheldon." - Marty Reid

[@AidanMillward]

That was the line! Almost had it, I wasn't going to go back and watch it because I watched that footage more times than necessary for the crash video.

[@Chappers-hd3di]

@@AidanMillward my overriding memory of that race was not the crash but TK sat on the wall crying like a kid before it had been announced. marty reid may not have been the best commentator at times but with this one line he nailed his place in the hearts of indycar fans

[@AidanMillward]

@@Chappers-hd3di TK and Franchitti crying like they did was just something else. Especially so because Greg Moore was a good friend too.

[@Chappers-hd3di]

@@AidanMillward dario being strapped into the car....i almost forgot that one. the next two indy 500 winners next to dan - dario and TK. have you done a TK indy 500 video before? with him retiring this year might be worth looking at

[@corbinselanne7990]

@@AidanMillward October 2011 saw not one but two racers die to injuries caused by in-race crashes, because not long after the Vegas accident that killed Wheldon there was a fatal accident in Malaysia during the MotoGP race where Marco Simoncelli fell off his bike and was subsequently hit by two opponents who couldn't avoid him in time.

[@gozza18.77]

I remember watching the race and I became speechless when J.R Hildebrand hit the wall at turn 4 on the last lap and I became ecstatic when Dan Wheldon crossed the line to win

[@jeremythurman5261]

I was in between turns 3-4 with my brother (same place where I was for the Conway crash). Heard JR crash but couldn’t see it. Just heard a “boom”. My brother got to see a livery reveal for the Hildebrand car, so the Wheldon winning was a little bittersweet.

[@LemonyTang]

I remember seeing him go wide turn 4 and I knew he was hitting that wall. Surprised he kept it in a straight line to finish 2nd

[@jeremythurman5261]

@@LemonyTang He still nearly won.

[@lukemontgomery9683]

Dan was my hero growing up and this race holds so much significance for me. I grew up in indianapolis and started going to the 500 in 2009 (i was 6) and in 2010 i started racing go karts. Me and my dad met Dan several times and always had long conversations with him and he ended up giving me some rather useful advice about racing, advice that i still stick too today. 2011 was the first 500 i attended in full and didnt leave at half way. I remember so much from this race and how i felt that day and all of the happiness that seeing my hero win the biggest race in the world gave me. Last time i saw Dan was a few weeks before Las Vegas and Ill never forget that conversation. Never would’ve have imagined what was too come.

[@AidanMillward]

He does come across as being a Richard Burns type of guy. Just an all round good bloke

[@moonytheloony6516]

Dear Aidan, This will be a bit long in reading, my apologies in advance as I know no other way to say this...not sure if any of the following makes any sense but I'm going to soldier through this so I beg your pardon. I first watched the Indy 500 in 1980 back in the tape delay days in which the winner was already known unless you carefully avoided the tv & radio news outlets. That means I've been watching this race for quite a spell of time. Like many viewers I've seen triumph & tragedy there. I wasn't a fan of Dan Wheldon but I wasn't an anti-Wheldon fan either. I was simply indifferent but acknowledged him as a very skilled driver who had won the Indy 500 prior. And yet there I sat watching him win his 2nd & final Indy 500 in 2011 and there was something about the way he reacted to this victory there that struck me unlike any previous winner before or since. He displayed a very sincere, a very human level of integrity about himself that day. I can't say to this day what it exactly was. I can't point to a specific anything, it was just there, it was as if I knew him as a person or friend who happened to be a racing driver. We tend to marble-ize those we greatly admire in sports. The pedestals we often put them on that bears the weight of that image can be enormous. We often remove the human from the image and they become something beyond us, almost mythical, and it generally stays that way unless something terrible happens to brutally remind us of the contrary. And so it finally struck me during that May afternoon in 2011 that I was seeing a person, not the driver, celebrating an enormous personal endeavor. He clearly appeared, at least to me, overwhelmed by what happened out there. There was a distinct humbleness about his demeanor that day. And I walked away from that race thinking to myself that a good man won that race today. His death in Las Vegas roughly three months later left me with a distinct sorrow that remains with me. I'm most certainly not alone in that. What Dan Wheldon did was remind me that there is a distinct difference between the race driver and the person beneath the surface, not all drivers show that in my opinion which is not a rebuke of their character whatsoever. People in that arena and others like it carefully protect the image and the vulnerabilities they may have for good reasons. Dan Wheldon moved the veil just enough to show something else and perhaps, just perhaps, that is why his loss feels a bit more personal, as if a friend had fallen out there, instead of a race driver. I've met two racing drivers in my lifetime, the first was Michael Andretti in 1994 and the second was Mario Andretti (my childhood hero) in 2006 just two weeks before his crash while testing a car at Indianapolis. Meeting Mario Andretti (who is a incredibly polite man) was a life long dream I had. and yet I will always feel that I missed out on not having met Dan Wheldon, but I greatly appreciate having been able to see him compete and triumph at Indianapolis. I suspect Dan Wheldon, a 2-time Indianapolis 500 Champion, left a legacy as a good man who happened to enjoy being a race car driver.

[@Jake_Sparey]

It is rather interesting timing you make a Dan Wheldon video, because i think in a few years from now, we're going to see the name Wheldon back in racing again. Sebastian Wheldon has been super fast in the florida karting scene and recently finished 3rd overall in the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series meaning he gets one free round of entry this year in that championship. Already signed with Andretti, he said he wanted to be faster than his dad and I think he just might be in 5 years time. Stories like Dan's are really sad and nobody would want them to happen, but sometimes when a gap is left in the forest, it allows sometimes for something more wondrous to grow in it's place. Good video mate! Love your content and keep it going!

[@Cynderfan35]

hits deep to imagine seeing name Wheldon in racing once more, hopefully Andretti can make sure the youngster makes it trough the ladder and fills own dream.

[@crystalracing4794]

He's definitely making it to Indycar then. Gonna be the Indy version of Dale Jr, a future series brand name for emotive reasons

[@TrueCrazyLion]

We can’t go back and change tragic/poignant history, but we can honour it with every fibre of our being. 😔 Beautiful ending to this video, Aidan 👏👏👏

[@jonnyspa27]

I was working at IMS in the Creative Services department during 2011. Outside of creating graphic designs for various things for the ‘500’, we also worked qualifying and race days. So we were able to interact a lot with the fans during those times. Especially during autograph sessions. I wasn’t necessarily a Wheldon fan before that May. Kinda thought he was an arrogant pretty boy. He was a pretty boy, but I found out how tremendous of an individual he was. Dan took the piss A LOT! 😂 He was also very attentive to not only the fans, but the background help that made the race meeting happen. I remember a specific time towards the end of Carb Day/Friday or Legends Day/Saturday where my co-workers and I were tidying up stanchions from an autograph session. No other drivers were there except Dan. He was going around pleasantly asking the staff if they needed anything else from him, or signed. That changed my impression of him 180 degrees. If he’s going to those lengths to make sure a “trivial” autograph session is on-point, that showed great character to me. Being on staff for that season was surreal. Especially considering how Vegas turned out…

[@Marko295]

This one was definitely up there. I’d also have to put the 1992 Hooter 500 NASCAR finale up there as well. To know that two of those championship contenders didn’t make it past 1993 is hard. Especially when Bob Jenkins mentioned after Davey Allison’s crash that “there will be other years,” and then realizing there wouldn’t be one hits home.

[@mrterp04]

Also the final race for Richard Petty and the first race for a then-unknown Jeff Gordon

[@Marko295]

@@mrterp04 let alone a points battle that can’t be repeated in even today’s manufactured system.

[@philipdawson7800]

5:50 Note: she actually suffered said burns to her hands 2 days before Indy 500 qualifying. And still managed to outqualify all 4 full-time Andretti drivers. But yeah, just one of many bad luck incidents she had in 2011 (a concussion in Milwaukee which forced her to miss the Iowa race, plus being denied entry by an airport officer, which forced her to sit out Sonoma).

[@AidanMillward]

Ah, I was thinking of the Texas fire which was the year before.

[@philipdawson7800]

@@AidanMillward I mean, pick your poison with Simona. Her first 3 years in IndyCar, if she didn't have bad luck, she had no luck at all.

[@AidanMillward]

@@philipdawson7800 The customs officer at San Francisco was straight up sexism tbh. Shouldn't have had to go through that.

[@philipdawson7800]

@@AidanMillward It was insane, he just refused to believe she was an athlete & forced her to return to Switzerland. Just ridiculous.

[@AidanMillward]

@@philipdawson7800 at least now with phones and KZbin more easily available she can Google herself and find a video.

[@aaronmachado13]

There’s certain things that shake motorsport industry. Ken Block recently. Dan Wheldon in Indycar. Colin McRae in rally. Kurt caselli in Dakar. Nicky Hayden and Marco Simocelli in MotoGP. Adam Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr in NASCAR. Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve, Bianchi, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Ratzeberger in f1 and so many more for other series. We all have that passion the drives us in motorsport whether 2 wheels or 4, asphalt or dirt, fenders or open wheel, hell even oval or road course and drag racing. Same passion but different ways of expressing it and different reasons we fell in love with the sport.

[@andrewwinslow9315]

9:47 It was Marty Reid. And That really sticks with me. I've had to refer that line when heros like Ken Block died.

[@AidanMillward]

That's the one. It's probably the most hard hitting piece of TV commentary ever. Gabby Logan's bit about how the England womens team winning the Euros was good and uplifting, but this is just something else.

[@nathanstroud2223]

How ironic is it that we're talking about a great piece of commentary coming from Marty Reid of all people?

[@don7680]

Got to admit, I got a bit choked up with your "goodbye Dan Wheldon" line. RIP DW.

[@Busch22Fan]

The cool thing about Simona's Bump Day run that locked her in: She and her team had to make do with a three-year-old Champ Car Panoz, which was 50lbs heavier than, and a few horses down on, a contemporary IndyCar. (Which played the primary role in why she was parked.) If you watch the video of her run, you can just HEAR how much slower that car was. She muscled that dinosaur into the race with two burned hands. That run is still one of the most badass racing moments I've ever watched.

[@danielhenderson8316]

She didn't drive a Panoz. By that time all of the chassis were Dallaras. Her's was just the oldest Dallara chassis on the grid.

[@AidanMillward]

At least they’d stopped calling her the Swiss Miss at that point and started calling her the Iron Maiden. She hated that original nickname.

[@Busch22Fan]

@@AidanMillward I thought it was Swiss Missile. Whichever it was, I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to be associated with fiery crashes, either.

[@danielhenderson8316]

@@Busch22Fan I think Townsend Bell started calling her the Swiss Missile last year when she was driving part time.

[@JD_Racer97]

I wish your Greg Moore video didn’t get taken down. This one is right up there with it. Thank you for making this.

[@TomWisniewski]

There was a Greg Moore video!? Any chance it's available somewhere else?

[@JD_Racer97]

There was… Until KZbin went full Stalin and deleted everything they thought was copy right. I haven’t been able to find it.

[@fourutubez7294]

The end part really moved me, wonderfully done.

[@stigfries]

I was at this race as a child. Only 7 years old but i vividly remember watching the crash and and Weldon winning. My father won tickets for the Dreyer & Reinbold suite. Last suite before turn one on the inside. This crash and whole experience was what got me into auto racing. I still have my little die cast model of Weldon's car that my father bought me after the race heading back through the parking lots.

[@dcregister86]

You really, really got to me at the end. I come here for the history and banter, but thank you for making me feel something too. I’m going to really cherish putting my son to bed tonight.

[@roberthill2219]

To go back to a episode you did not too long ago... the most haunting thing I've ever heard on a race broadcast... 2001 Daytona 500.... Darrell Waltrip.... 'I hope Dale is ok'... those words will ring in my ears forever...

[@JohnSmithShields]

Genuine emotion at the end. Seriously, well played leaving that ending the way it was.

[@Cynderfan35]

I agree.. can see that emotion really coming in, Aidan truly is close to crying.

[@AidanMillward]

Nah, just lost for words. For once.

[@Cynderfan35]

@@AidanMillward still such good way of end the video. I had similar moment when saw last fatality in Le Mans 24h (was first time seeing it all live for me, never will forget how eurosport ended the broadcast, to similar way to Weldon's last one). sometimes.. you simply can't find words to describe what you saw.

[@JohnSmithShields]

@@AidanMillward whatever the reason. Thank you

[@computiNATEor]

A beautifully done tribute. I watched exactly two Indy races that year. The 500, and Las Vegas. It was the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

[@stampede122]

“You know, people always ask me why I sign off ‘Till we me again’ is because ‘Good-Bye’ is all so final…… good bye, Dan Weldon…”

[@ColinsRacingChannel53]

I was at this race. My dad and I live about an hour away from the track and made it a point to see all the milestone races during this time. Including eventually the 100th running a few years later, we were in shock when this race ended and most people thought that Hildebrand won because everything happened so fast we couldn't see Wheldon pass, it was an insane ending, only made bittersweet by the tragedy 5 months later.

[@mpainter22]

I remember that piece of commentary you reference at the end of the video Losing Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli in quick succession turned me of Motorsport, the thing that got me back into it, a video of Greg Murphy at Bathurst in the 2003 shootout, that maybe a video idea Bathurst 1000, 02/03

[@richardyorke9055]

I did karting in the 90s and remember him and jenson as 4ft kids in cadets. We always watched the supers(the top class of the time) and the cadets, because they were brilliant. We didn't bother with the other classes.

[@jonathanparker2939]

Nice remembrance Aidan. Keep the IndyCar content coming, we love it - and would enjoy even more of it.

[@paulmillar3381]

I remember watching both races live. Was shocked twice… so sad.

[@demof1ffff]

I met Dan in 2008. At the time and to this day he is the nicest driver I ever met in person. Had a lot of time for a fan with a lot of silly questions and a pile of trading cards.

[@MrSniperfox29]

When I lived in Spain, it was common for friends to part with "see you later", where as you'd say "goodbye" to someone you either weren't close to or someone you didn't expect to see again.

[@AndrewGeierMelons]

As someone who raced with Robbie Wickens, you'll never hear me say that I wish racing were still dangerous. Robbie's every bit the good bloke us Canadians are known to be, so I'm glad he survived but still terrified of ever having a crash like he had

[@mattwhorlow9900]

I remember Dan when he was racing in Karts. He, Jenson Button and Ant Davidson were the three amigos in the Cadet class (ages 8 to 11). Dan won the British championship three times against those two, so it was a surprise that he would be the one to get lost in the junior formula, and not make it to F1.

[@reidcraig3739]

1:50 Dan only won one championship in 2005. He was tied for the championship in 2006 but lost on a tiebreaker with Sam Hornish Jr.

[@melo83ish]

Your emotion at the end summed up how so many of us felt and still feel about that year in indycar. It still bloody hurts.

[@Jackbyrne77]

Had the great honour of attending this race and the following weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. 2 major international motor races both decided with a lead change on the final lap. Wheldon’s subsequent passing only further heightened the incredible sense of occasion those two events have in my memory.

[@ronloomis9555]

In 1987 Al Unser Sr. Won the race in a year old car that had been in a hotel lobby a few weeks earlier. The whole thing was a last minute deal. Not many teams other than Penske could have done this. RIP Dan.

[@mannacler]

Not many drivers could have done that other than Al, Sr. Unser had a superb sense of pace and racecraft thst often wins at Indy.

[@arthuralford]

There's a lot to that story. First, the car was indeed taken from the lobby of a hotel where it was on display, but it was literally the day after Danny Ongais crashed the intended entry. Not only was it a year-old car, it also had a different engine in it (Cosworth DFX instead of the Ilmor-build Chevy) than the other cars on the team. Ongais had a one-off drive with the team, sponsored by his long-time supporter Ted Field's Interscope Racing. Which is why the car was black with pink stripes, and used Ongais' traditional number 25. Crashing and being severely injured in practice, Field withdrew his support, leaving Penske with an Indy 500 entry and no car. Or, driver. The show car was brought to the track, and literally sorted overnight so that an out-ot-work Al Unser, Sr. could try and get it into the race. He'd been fired after the previous season, by Penske, and was only at the race to support his son, Al Unser, Jr. Al Sr. not only got the car into the race, he spent the day charging through the field to take his fourth Indy 500, and is the oldest winner of the race. One more thing: The car had been on display in a hotel lobby in Reading, PA promoting Hertz car rentals. When it was brought to Indy, Penske had gotten sponsorship from Cummins diesel engines. There was so little time that they used two different decal sets to put the Cummins logo on the sidepods. On the left side, it says "Cummins," with both upper and lower case lettering. On the right, it's "CUMMINS," in all caps. They put the wrong logo on the right side because that side is less visible to the TV cameras around the track. Marketing

[@ronloomis9555]

@@arthuralford you are correct it was a truly baffling event. A few years later I worked for a supplier to Penske and was told the story. But I never knew of the decal difference.

[@boodew-dp5jn]

Great story. Plus the late race drama with Mario's car and Roberto's pit stop. Makes 1987 unforgettable in my opinion. Mario was destroying the field. Hat's off to Big Al and Rodger.

[@karter95]

​@arthuralford another fact is that particular car Al won in was Rick Mears pole winning car the previous year finishing 3rd. All 3 Penske cars ran 1986 March cars that year because the 87 Penske car was just awful

[@NoiseBombS14]

Please cover more Indycar content Genuinely an amazing racing series that doesn’t get enough attention outside of the states imo

[@Jay-hu5si]

Great Job by someone that doesn't Eat & Breathe IndyCar! Your view was in a way I have never thought of that Race and what happened later that year. Again, Great Job!

[@JohnDeereA219]

2011 was my first year at Indy when I started going and there was so much to take in. Even though I'd been a fan of the race and the series for so long, this was the year I fully got to experience and take it in. There really is no way to describe the build up from driver introductions, to the invocation, to the national anthem, to the flyover, the 21 gun salute, the haunting sounds of taps, Back Home Again in Indiana, and ultimately the command to start the engines. Then the whirlwind that commences at the drop of the green flag. Watching during the final 10 laps that year, however, you just felt that something special was going to happen, and there it was, Hildebrand leading in the closing laps after saving fuel earlier in the run and the energy in the entire crowd building in crescendo as he was 4, 3, 2 then 1 turn away, and then, BOOM! He's in the wall. Confusion set in and suddenly you see Wheldon finding his way past Hildebrand's limping car down the home stretch to the twin checkered flag. It was like a story book ending. Tremendous video and ending to it. I was never so sad watching anything as when they announced Wheldon's death. It still brings tears to my eyes. How is it possible to go from the highest of highs and the most incredible happiness in one's life to gone only months later? This is something that we will never understand.

[@interstellaraudiodnb]

Well done Aiden. Handled tastefully as always. Godspeed 98

[@thestarlightalchemist7333]

On a positive note, there has been a time where another underdog run for the ages has been pulled off by a driver with no full-time ride: Helio Castroneves' 4th 500, just two years ago in 2021.

[@mrterp04]

Even better all the bitter CART fans out there came out of the woodwork with “HeLiO oNlY wOn 3 LoL”

[@markko17]

@@mrterp04 Not just cART fans. I remember in the run up to the '03 500 Bob Jenkins did an interview with Dario. He asked Dario if Helio could win three in a row. Dario answered, "Well, he didn't win last year. My teammate Paul Tracy did." You could almost hear the gears grinding in Jenkins' head. He quickly asked another question trying to change the subject as fast as possible.

[@scatterplot77]

Dan was my Idol growing up, thanks for making this.

[@jessetaylor4357]

RIP Dan Wheldon you’ll never be forgotten 🙏💯

[@swimrunmatt]

I was thinking about this race only yesterday. I'm a Hildebrand fan, and on the day I was gutted that he'd lost it. However, when Vegas happened I was of course happy that Wheldon had won the 500, as losing a race doesn't compare to losing a life. A horrible irony is that winning the 500 helped Wheldon get the Schmidt drive that cost him his life.

[@ozenfant_ozn]

moving outro Aidan. i remember that night well, of course las vegas... also i'll never forget Greg Moore. painful.

[@bradennetzly8291]

I had tickets to both the May & August runnings of the 500 in 2020. Someday those will be a collectors item. It gives me a small sense of pride to have them, because every May I look at my tickets for the 500 with pride and enthusiasm, knowing I’ve lived through the hurt of being turned away twice for the 500 in the same year and knowing I get to look forward to that race again

[@SkywalkerGLM]

I would love a revisit to 2011 Las Vegas. That commentary also haunts me so much. Such a sad and tragic but beautiful way to end it. I personally chose never to say “Goodbye” unless it will be final because of that commentary. That race has stuck with me for the past 12 years and will forever I think.

[@AidanMillward]

Yeah, few years back

[@SkywalkerGLM]

Yup! I remember now. Edited my original comment. :)

[@ashmillermotorsport]

I never used to watch the Indycar races live but for some reason I had it streaming as I was getting ready for work at the end of 2011 for Vegas. I was in the kitchen making breakfast as the crash happened. Agape with a mouthful of toast and shocked at the violence, I thought it a break to have a shower and get ready for work. When I returned to the kitchen to watch, they were just announcing Dan had passed away. I used to work as the manager for Revolution Racegear in Brisbane and the talk among every customer that day was what had happened to Wheldon. A poignant and sombre memory of a great talent lost.

[@Ultegra10SPD]

Gordy's win in the '73 500 was also very bad. Luckily, he won again in '82 which many see as the greatest 500. -U10

[@3twelveworkshop312]

Don't worry about it Aidan, A lot of us were watching on that fall day in 2011... All of us still get choked up thinking about it...

[@fantasticgobble]

Thanks!

[@ScottFoster482002]

I watched the race and I still can't believe what I saw. I was gutted, but that's racing. You must cross the finish line first to win.

[@henrymotorsports6478]

Respectful as always Aidan, keep up the good work

[@j0ckel617]

I distinctly remember saying „until next time“ to my grandma the weekend before she went inro the hospital for her cencer operation. She never woke up from it but „until next time“ felt so much more optimistic… The next time I could see her was in her urn.

[@dylandaugherty2380]

I was 9 for the 500, 10 for Vegas. I was just getting old enough to move on from NASCAR and branch out to IndyCar (since they raced at my hometown). That 500 was the first 500 I watched in full on tv, asking my dad questions about the cars, the series, etc. I was hooked that season and watched almost every race. We definitely tuned in to the finale to hopefully watch Dario win the title over Will…. I’ll never forget realizing when the camera panned to Wheldon’s car was missing the roll bar. “Dad. Why is that car’s roll bar missing? I’ve never seen that before.” My dad rewound the tv and he went pale. “This isn’t good Dylan.” was all he said. It was my first of 3 deaths I watched live (Wilson, Simonson), and I vowed to never watch a race at Vegas again. As a flagger/marshal, all 3 of them are a reminder to me that what I do is dangerous… I saw a man finish his last race, and it’s sad…. On a side note: It *outrages* me that NASCAR raced there on October 16 last year.

[@nuancedhumour]

Wow, I've never seen a more human ending to a video. Hugs mate!

[@NotATryHard7]

As a Canadian I love the hockey references !!

[@patmanbnl]

Marty Reid is the commentator. He did Indycar and Nascar for ESPN/ABC over the years.

[@AidanMillward]

It was a brilliant line.

[@Eagleracer38x]

I was a pit marshal that year. It was great, the race was great, qualifying was crazy. I got a big hug from the crew chef of Dale Coyne who just got in last minute. (He was my professor at school...)

[@busch77]

The commentator you're referring to who said "I always say see you later because goodbye is so final.." was Marty Reid, who also was commentator the day Indy Car Driver Paul Dana was killed AND when Geoff Bodine had the worst NASCAR truck series crash of all time at Daytona

[@sh-spectrum409]

God I remember watching this live on Sky Sports at the time, when they announced Dan was dead and the race was cancelled out of respect one of the Sky Sports hosts who was friends with Wheldon couldn't hold it in anymore and just started bawling his eyes out. It was awful.

[@nhailstone]

I remember the whole night really clearly. It was just so sad. It was obvious it was going to go wrong, the race was alarming even before the crash.

[@darradonna]

Marty Reid was the lead commentator in 2011 who said the final goodbye at the end. This was the race from the decade that is etched in my mind. Can remember so much from that 2 hours that you never want to see from live sports again. First of all, a few laps in onboard with Brisco showed he & Tags going literally wheel to wheel at top speed well over 200mph in a style that usually gets you excited but this just felt dangerous. Then being on board with Wheldon as he took his final turn the first crash ahead then seeing multiple cars in the air at over 200mph, the terrifying on boards, and then after the drivers meeting the director flicking through dozens of drivers clearly emotionally distressed after being told of Dan's fate and of course cutting to the announcement of Dan's death halfway through missing the actual announcement and then the haunting 5 lap salute.

[@scott4fliss]

Remember watching this race first time watching it been in the UK. Was great to see Dan and Was sad to see him go.

[@FormulaFox]

Marty Reid was the commentator who closed out the broadcast with those comments. He and Scott Goodyear's tenure as IndyCar's commentators are highly criticized for good reason, but this moment was handled excellently by both of them. You can get the sense that once the announcement was made they did NOT want to be there but they both held firm, stayed professional, and gave a very respectful sendoff. The closing words by Reid hit hard due in no small part to the fact that you can tell he's right on the edge of breaking himself, but he holds it together long enough to say what everyone wants to on our behalf.

[@caphowdy666]

Death in motor racing is tough when it happens, but even tougher when you see it happen. I started my motorsport addiction back in 1993, part way through the F1 season. I had no reason why I wanted to watch it, I just decided to give it a go and I stuck with it as I enjoyed it. I also started watching the Indy car/CART/Champ car world championship around the same time as even though I was not a fan before, everyone knew who Nigel Mansell was. 1994 was a real eye opener though. Now at this point I only really watched the races, and occasionally qualifying but did not read any magazines etc, so while I heard about the Ratzenberger crash and death, it never really registered as I didn't see it, barely heard about it and had no idea who he even was really. But of course seeing Senna, a name I knew, a name I followed and of course seeing it happen, that was a massive deal. I remember constantly checking up on the news after the race to hear if there was any news. I kinda dropped off watching Indy car (lets just call it that to save time) after the 1994 season, so missed the two deaths in 1996, but by 1999 when Greg Moore died, I was watching again. Once again, Moore was a guy I was actually a fan of as by now I was getting used to all these drivers up and down the grid in both series, and was choosing my favourites based on a whole bunch of reasons, not just being British like when I started out, or being the biggest names (like Senna). That crash really shook me up as well, especially as I knew all about Gonzalo Rodriguez who had died practicing at Laguna Seca just the month before. At that time it seemed to me that while F1 had moved forward with safety, our American cousins had not. I dropped out of Indy car after the whole IRL/CART thing happened so never really got to witness any of the deaths that happened after that. I do remember the reporting on Dana & Renna, but it was the news of Wheldon and Wilson that really hit hard. There was two Brits who went over to fight the Americans on their home turf, and showed them how its done. Wheldon won the championship and Wilson came close. I did not watch them race as it was no longer on free TV like it used to be, but certainly followed their careers. Then we come back to F1. Maria de Villota. Once again, not during a race and it took a year for her to finally pass away due to the severity of her injuries, but it was shocking none the less, when you consider it had been nearly two decades since the last F1 fatality. Bianchi though was another Senna and Greg Moore moment as we saw his crash broadcast live on TV. This is why when we had the massive fireball crash of Grosjean only a few years ago that we can be thankful that these cars today make crashes that would have killed drivers years ago, end up with drivers actually walking away. If you look at some of the bigger crashes in the last 20 or years or so in F1 and some of the junior categories you just know that had we not had the push for safety after the 1994 season, the likes of Grosjean, Kubica, Webber and Floersch would probably no longer be with us.

[@Nismo-gy3wz]

Thanks Aidan, very emotional..

[@minibus9]

wonderful video again, handeled in a very respectful manner

[@SkywalkerGLM]

I remember watching that race. We had a massive tornado/wind storm at our house about 15 minutes after the checkers. I was 17 and looked up to Dan a lot.

[@mannacler]

As Phil Hill said over sixty years ago "it's a cruel sport."

[@FlyingSpur99]

I remember tuning into catch the last few laps of that race. It was quite the finish, then later that year, I heard the news about the incident. Looking back, It reminded me a bit of when I heard of Moore's passing also at a season ending race. Race In Peace, Champs.

[@PapaVanTwee5]

The last time I remember a replacement driver winning a 500 was Al Unser Sr. in 1987. Penske had Danny Ongais securely qualified but due to a practice crash injury, would not be able to drive for the 500. Al Unser Sr. had said he would stick around for a week looking for a seat, and was only still around because his son was having issues getting the handling of his car right, and he was helping him. So Penske got his old friend to sub in and Unser got his 4th win. A very fitting story to say the least, although it was Penske and not some second or third tier team like Machinists Union Racing.

[@EvanLoxley]

I was in the grandstands in Turn 3 for this one, and from my viewpoint was surprised that Wheldon had one...

[@donathandorko]

Mate, Sheringham and Solskjaer 1999....... But anyway, I remember that race, that ending. Epic, as Indycar so often is (I mean at the time of writing, the other day I just seen Marcus Ericsson win on the last lap against O'Ward in Florida, a few laps after Grosjean and McLauglin took each other out). Vegas was the worst since Greg Moore for me. I mean I was sure Burti was dead in 01. Brack in 03, or Legge in 06, happily I was wrong for those, But Moore , Wheldon and Bianchi, I knew......

[@kos9818]

I’ve never been a big Indy fan, but I watched the 500 and Vegas that year. The 500 cause, well… it’s the 500, and Vegas because I just happened to catch it and was bored. I’ve driven race cars at local tracks my whole life, and when I saw Dan hit that fence I told my then wife, “We just watched someone die on national TV.” I’ve never wanted to be wrong so badly in my life. He was truly a great racer, and an even better person.

[@christopherbouchard4121]

I know exactly where I sat in May of 2011 when I jumped up as JR hit the wall. I also know exactly where I sat when Marty Reid said the bad news. Those were my first 2 Indy car races I watched. Vegas well always have a special place in my heart. I worked on a truck that raced there in 2019 and when we drove through the tunnel i thought of Dan. Winning a West race at the Bull Ring in 2020 was the most fulfilling thing I've ever done in racing. Partly because of Dan. RIP Lionheart

[@COMMONsenseAdvocate86]

Just getting to know JR from his work covering Indycar and F1 on his and other podcasts(albeit getting to know someone through the media machine is sketchy at best) and since he seems like such a great dude; its unfortunate that he hit the wall mere meters from finishing first at the worlds most important and life changing race. But Dan Weldon was in the gutter during that time and him winning was the feel good story of the decade... Its unfortunate that anytime he's brought up, all i think of is that goddamn nightmare of a crash. Definitely one of those dudes that wouldn't have been disappointed by dying in a race, doing what he loved. He was an anomaly, a British guy who dominanted OVALS and was half the driver on regular tracks.

[@senorsoupe]

I was there! We were sitting in the Paddock grandstand (on the front straight) and we didn't know what was happening at first, we could see Hildebrand hit the wall on the video board and then it was just pandemonium until the white an orange car came through

[@TheMaundy69]

As you mentioned that commentary i played that clip in my head still as sombre 12 years later.

[@RACECAR]

Ironically enough, that exact team with that exact same number ends up winning the actual 100th running of the Indy 500 with Alexander Rossi Behind the wheel this time. Yes that minnow team was now aligned with one of the giants of the sport, but seeing that live just felt good remembering the last time that number won.

[@jdubvdub]

That was my 8 year old son’s first 500 and my 15th. I thought they were going to award the win to Hildebrand because the yellow flag came out while he was leading, but I guess since he caused it was not meant to be. What a crazy race! Long live Lionheart!!!!

[@JackKeithley]

I remember watching that Indy 500 live at the time. It was complete madness watching JR doing eat he did and ending up into the wall. I was actually pulling for him to win and had no idea that Dan was 2nd. So I was glad to see Dan win but to this day, I feel absolutely awful for JR Hildebrand. Fun fact: the Coca Cola 600 was on the same day and dale Jr ran out of fuel on the last lap, coming out of the last corner and lost the lead. Finishing 7th. Hildebrand and Dale were both sponsored by National Guard at the time when both races were happening lol

[@jstewlly4747]

Fun fact that GP2 race 2003 Monaco I just remember that being Christain Horner team yeah Ole boy slowed down tried to shred tires in celebration got passed up

[@AndyS-kv2jh]

Dan Wheldon did some commentary in 2011 and I remember thinking when he hangs up his helmet for good he’s going to be a great commentator.

[@darknessesdarknesses2492]

Marty Reid is who said the final comment on the broadcast.

[@johnnypenso9574]

Can't believe you went to the Maple Leafs!🍁🍁

[@photodave219]

That was Marty Reid of ESPN that said that poignent quote I remember watching it live. By far one of the worst days of motor sports. Terrible crash, they should never have raced on that circuit in the first place. Edit: It proves why things like the halo are 100% necessary in racing.

[@johngreskamp4739]

The Indycar community took care of Dan's family. Held a big auction selling helmets, uniforms, not sure of the total amount . Dan was a very popular guy and his friends are looking out for his people. Heard a mention of one of the boys racing go carts.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

This was one of the few 500s I got to watch live. I was an absolute mess! (Edit: I should note it was out of shock and joy. I'm now a hot, negative mess after those last words.)

[@TerribleFire]

The 2008 celebrations and then that look on the Ferrari team... that will sustain me forever.

[@Jame5man]

That day in motorsport is significant in two ways. The first is that the Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 share a weekend. That’s three marquee events of the three largest motorsports in the world on the same weekend. That day specifically is also significant because in the two American events the car leading in the last corner of the last lap didn’t cross the line as the winner. Both were sponsored by the National Guard

[@SpaceHCowboy]

Respect, Aiden. Tastefully done as usual. RIP to all our lost men and woman race drivers.

[@jamesreillytrains]

Excellent video sir! ❤️🏁

[@FormulaMonte]

I was at that Indy 500, I’ll cherish that day forever. RIP DW

[@DanKindopp]

Pretty sure it was Marty Reid with the call. Indycar had definitely fallen off my radar but I tuned in for the finale, late unfortunately. Red flag was already out, and they were already not showing the replays, but the damage to the fence told the story. I will always remember the sign off and the eeriness of the silence that followed "Good bye Dan Wheldon."

[@DJDouglasWarden]

great video! I was very in tune with that 2011 season I remember watching Dan Weldon win the 500 and I was watching when he lost his life in Las Vegas. still a pretty sad story the guy was a great dude

[@philipkalin1928]

I remeber in Vegas they had this sponsor bet, if Wheldon wins, i gets x/y million dollars. I was like: dang they have to pay aloooot of money to dan after this race… i was so sure we gonna see him at victory lane… i was so wrong.

[@crystalracing4794]

Marty Reid "Goodbye is always so final. Goodbye Dan Wheldon." Dan Wheldon, Richard Burns, Colin McRae, Justin Wilson, Jules Bianchi, Antoine Hubert and so many others in 21st century alone. Motorsport is brutal.

[@stephenholloway6893]

That was the lead announcer Marty Reid on the ABC broadcast who practically said what you were talking about in the outro.

[@patrickracer43]

That day was actually terrible for the Army National Guard as with both cars the guard sponsored losing the race yards from the line as Dale Earnhardt Jr ran out of fuel coming off of turn four at the Coca-Cola 600... And it was Marty Reid who said the "goodbye Dan Wheldon" line

[@SaltyChip]

And on the same day Dale Jr ran out of gas on last lap in the coke 600. And both were sponsored by national guard! Crazy day of racing!

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Offhand the prior example of a part time driver winning at Indy that I can think of would be Al Unser Sr taking his fourth and final win in 1987 in what was planned as a one-off drive for Penske substituting for the injured Danny Ongias. Unser was semi-retired at this point but for his efforts, using a spare 1986 car fitted with the old Cosworth DFX even though Penske was the main investor in the nascent (and potent if unreliable) Chevy-branded engine program from Ilmor, he was rewarded with seats for the remaining 500-mile races at Pocono and Michigan, and would race part time with Penske for those three superspeedway races in 1988 and 1989 as well. The March 86C Unser won with in ‘87 had literally been part of a sponsor display at a hotel across the street from the team’s base in Pennsylvania, but the 1987 chassis from Penske Cars were handling poorly (hence Ongias’ crash) and they had to scramble as many of the customer Marches they had run in ‘86 as possible to allow their trip of drivers any hope of a decent result.