Dan Wheldon, two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, died Sunday of “unsurvivable injuries” following a crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300. The crash involved more than a dozen cars, and three other drivers were taken to a local hospital. The remainder of the race was cancelled as the other drivers did a five-lap salute in Wheldon’s honor. Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and CEO, released a statement calling Wheldon a “great champion” and “wonderful ambassador.”
While crashes are not uncommon in racing, fatal ones have become rarer in recent years. A number of safety measure have been put into place, such as the installation of “soft walls” to lessen the impact. There is also additional equipment to protect a driver’s head from impact.
