Dan Wheldon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daniel Clive Wheldon (born 22 June 1978) is a successful British auto racing driver. Wheldon was born in Emberton, England, and after leaving the European racing scene due to a lack of opportunities, he moved to the United States in 1999. He then spent several years in lower open-wheeled circuits like the U.S. Ford Formula 2000 series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series. Wheldon is playfully nicknamed "Difficult Dan" in the IRL pit lane for his sometimes choleric temperament. He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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[edit] Career
In 2002, Wheldon moved up to the Indy Racing League (IRL) for two events, with Panther Racing as teammate to Sam Hornish, Jr.. The following year Wheldon joined Andretti Green Racing, taking the spot of Michael Andretti following his retirement, and collected IRL Rookie of the Year honors. In 2004, he won his first IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, ultimately finishing as runner-up to teammate Tony Kanaan in the championship. In 2005, he won both the Indianapolis 500 and the IRL series championship. His six victories in 2005 also broke the record for most victories in one IRL season. His win at Indy was the first for an Englishman since Graham Hill's triumph in 1966. But in November of 2005, it was announced that he would be driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IRL in 2006. Shortly after his first IRL test with Ganassi, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona with Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon and Casey Mears. At the end of the 2006 IRL season, Wheldon and Sam Hornish Jr. were tied for the lead with each driver having 475 points. In the event of a tie, the driver with the most wins for that particular season is declared the champion. Hornish Jr. had four wins for the 2006 season, while Wheldon only had two; therefore Hornish Jr. was declared the 2006 IRL champion.
[edit] IndyCar career results
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Panther Racing | 0 | 35 | 36th |
| 2003 | Andretti Green Racing | 0 | 312 | 11th |
| 2004 | Andretti Green Racing | 3 | 533 | 2nd |
| 2005 | Andretti Green Racing | 6 | 628 | 1st |
| 2006 | Chip Ganassi Racing | 2 | 475 | 2nd (tie for first with Sam Hornish Jr.) |
11 wins, 1 championship
[edit] Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dallara | Honda | 5th | 19th |
| 2004 | Dallara | Honda | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2005 | Dallara | Honda | 16th | 1st |
| 2006 | Dallara | Honda | 3rd | 4th |
[edit] External links
- Official Site
- Dan Wheldon Fans -The Unofficial Site
- IndyCar Profile
- Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon talks about his karting days
| Preceded by Buddy Rice |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 2005 |
Succeeded by Sam Hornish, Jr. |
| Preceded by Tony Kanaan |
IRL IndyCar Series Champion 2005 |
Succeeded by Sam Hornish, Jr. |
| Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | |
| NEXTEL Cup Drivers | David Stremme (#40) | Reed Sorenson (#41) | Juan Pablo Montoya (#42) |
| Busch Series Drivers | Kevin Hamlin (#42) |
| IRL Drivers | Dan Wheldon (#9) | Scott Dixon (#10) |
| Grand-Am Telmex #01 team drivers | Scott Pruett | Memo Rojas |
| IPS Drivers | Chris Festa (#9) | Pablo Perez (#10) |
| Other Development Drivers | Brady Bacon | Bryan Clauson | Scott Lagasse Jr. |
| Other | Chip Ganassi | Felix Sabates |
| Indianapolis 500 Winners |
|---|
| Four-time winners A. J. Foyt • Al Unser, Sr. • Rick Mears Three-time winners Two-time winners One win |
