An unfinished story: Dan Wheldon dead at 33

IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon is dead at the age of 33.

Wheldon, a British native, found fame in the United States as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. He died after a crash earlier today at the Izod Indy Car World Championships in Las Vegas.

A touch on a turn resulted in a multi-car collision that sent vehicles careening into the air and against the wall. Drivers Ryan Briscoe, Davey Hamilton, and others became emotional while recounting the scene to USA Today, noting it as one of the worst – if not the worst – crashes they’ve ever witnessed.

Wheldon himself was contributing to a three-part series for the publication, providing a first-person narrative of his bid to win the championship and the $5 million that came with it. In the second installment published yesterday, Wheldon spoke of issues with the car that, ironically, were putting it three miles per hour off the pace. In other words, too slow.

In the aforementioned piece, Wheldon expressed nothing but confidence, admiration, and appreciation for his crew for all the hard work they’ve committed in preparation for today’s race.

The truly grim note comes right in the introduction, when it’s noted that his final contribution will recap the actual race day. Obviously that series will remain unfinished, but that’s the least of what Wheldon leaves behind.