Dan Wheldon
A charismatic and fearless racer whose dramatic final victory at the Indianapolis 500 sealed a legacy of pure speed.
1978–2011 (age 33)·British racing driver·Birthday: June 22·Generation X
Biography
Dan Wheldon raced with a beaming smile that belied a fierce competitive fire. The Englishman arrived in American open-wheel racing as part of a wave of UK talent and quickly announced himself by winning the 2005 IndyCar Series championship and his first Indianapolis 500 in the same year. His career was a rollercoaster of elite success and frustrating near-misses, marked by his move from top teams to underdog operations. This made his second Indy 500 win in 2011 all the more spectacular. Driving for the tiny Bryan Herta Autosport team, he seized victory on the very last lap after the leaders crashed, a storybook finish that cemented his place as a master of the Brickyard. His tragic death in a multi-car crash at the 2011 season finale in Las Vegas sent shockwaves through the sport, cutting short the life of a devoted family man and one of his generation's most popular and accomplished drivers.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dan was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Dan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Died at 33
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Won the Indianapolis 500 twice, in 2005 with Andretti Green Racing and in 2011 with Bryan Herta Autosport.
- Secured the IndyCar Series championship in 2005, winning a then-record six races that season.
- Co-drove to victory in the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona for Chip Ganassi Racing.
- Won 16 IndyCar races over his career, ranking among the most successful drivers of his era.
Did You Know?
He was an avid fan of the English football club Liverpool FC.
Wheldon lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, and was heavily involved in the community, often seen karting with local kids.
He won the 2005 Indy 500 as a rookie at the event, though it was not his rookie season in IndyCar.
Following his death, the IndyCar Rookie of the Year award was renamed the 'Dan Wheldon Memorial Trophy' in his honor.
“I'm a racer. That's what I do. I don't know how to do anything else.”
