RIP, Dan Wheldon

This was not the Fun Day at LVMS I had planned. The crowd was good, the staff in the Media Center at LVMS (as it is at all SMI Tracks) was First Class, Helpful and Friendly as always. The weather was almost perfect, and as we settled in to say good-bye and good luck (you won't be missed) to Danica Patrick (the Driver, not Racer). We had a change in plans. With the race just within the first laps we saw a open wheel car crash unlike anything I have ever seen in over 40 years of Motorsports. This was a crash like we see at Talladega when they talk about "The Big One". My first clue as I walked through the Pits after the green flag and about a dozen laps, was the very large "WOWs", OMGs, and Screams from the crowds (as you can't see the back side if the track from the Pits) that something big had just happened. The yellow came out for just a moment and changed to a "Red Flag" almost right away. Again something I have not seen in my life long involvement in Motorsports. At that point I knew there was something very wrong.

It took a long while to get the bad news we knew was coming. We have lost our good friend Dan Wheldon. The race will be blamed, the track will be blamed, but niether should be blamed. LVMS is a well built, well run Race Track. I hope we get to see Indy Cars Race there again one day. Dicken Wear.