Most liked posts in thread: Justin Wilson > Update: RIP

ScottinBend · Aug 25, 2015

I would suggest that they simply stop going to the high speed ovals. 225mph is a bit much and way to close to the edge.

minirab · Aug 25, 2015

RIP. I hate to say it but I believe that the Indy gods will start screaming for

enclosing the driver, that would make an already ugly car really, really ugly.

Crashton · Aug 23, 2015

Spare a positive thought for Justin Wilson. This is very serious.

ScottinBend · Aug 23, 2015

Damn..........

Steve · Aug 23, 2015

Statement from IndyCar:

Steve · Aug 24, 2015

No new word, but anyone looking for more of the general story background might want to scan this: Justin Wilson in coma after suffering severe head injury

Steve · Aug 24, 2015

RIP

Justin Wilson Dies from Head Injury in IndyCar Accident (sportscar365.com)

John Dagys | August 24, 2015

Open-wheel star and former Rolex 24 at Daytona winner Justin Wilson has passed away following head injuries sustained in Sundayâ€™s IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway. He was 37.

The Englishman was transported to Lehigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest Hospital in critical condition and in a coma after being struck by debris in the closing laps of the 500-mile race.

IndyCar CEO Mark Miles announced Wilsonâ€™s death Monday evening in a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

While known for his success in open-wheel, including his brief stint in Formula One, Wilson was a frequent competitor in sports car racing as well, most notably driving with Michael Shank Racing.

Wilson teamed for overall victory in the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona, while also having made starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Twelve Hours of Sebring, including this yearâ€™s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race in Shankâ€™s Ligier JS P2 Honda.

Sportscar365 sends its condolences to Wilsonâ€™s family and friends at this difficult time.
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CHKMINI · Aug 24, 2015

Sad news!

minimark · Aug 24, 2015

Checkers at half mast, RIP and God bless.

Crashton · Aug 24, 2015

Rest in Peace Justin, you will be missed.

Firebro17 · Aug 24, 2015

What a freak accident that was. Very sad news to be sure.

Steve · Aug 24, 2015

A Statement from the family of Justin Wilson | Justin Wilson

wmwny · Aug 24, 2015

Terrible and sad news, indeed. :cryin: A life with so much promise cut short and way too soon. :frown2: Prayers and heartfelt sympathy for his family and all who loved him.

Steve · Aug 25, 2015

ScottinBend said: ↑

Damn..........
Click to expand...

I'll second that.

BlimeyCabrio · Aug 25, 2015

Wow, just watched the video. Awful freak thing.

GokartPilot · Aug 25, 2015

A very sad day, prayers to his family and friends.

mrntd · Aug 25, 2015

Prayers to his family. He always seemed like one of the nice ones.

rum4 · Aug 25, 2015

RIP

Steve · Aug 25, 2015

MILLER: Farewell to Justin Wilson, a rarity in the Me First World of Racing (racer.com)

By Robin Miller | Tuesday, 25 August 2015

Auto racing is a delicious melting pot of personalities from salt of the earth types to ego-maniacs to worker bees to wannabes to weasels to savants to throttle psychos to memorable characters that make you thankful to know them.

Drivers are the most fascinating because they take the risks and make the choices at 200mph. They tend to be selfish, moody and demanding because they have to and it's a culture that runs down one-way streets.

But Justin Wilson was a rarity in the Me First World of Racing.

He was unfailingly honest, polite, humble, friendly, loyal and upbeat in a career that never reached the heights it should have because of circumstances beyond his control.

Other than a short stint with Paul Newman and Carl Haas and this year's pinch-hit work for Michael Andretti, the talented Brit never got the call from the two top teams in American open-wheel racing.

The most asked question the past decade: "Why doesn't RP or Chip hire Justin Wilson?" He wasn't asking that, mind you, it was other drivers, mechanics and the media.

"If Justin ever got in one of these red cars he'd be a handful," said Will Power a few years ago, referring to Team Penske and or Target/Ganassi Racing.

"He was the greatest driver to never get a fair shot," said veteran engineer Bill Pappas.

But even more amazing than getting the cold shoulder from Ganassi and Penske is the fact that JWill never bitched about it. He never asked anyone to feel sorry for him or ranted about how underpaid he was despite his obvious ability.

After beating the Big 3 at Watkins Glen in 2009 to give Dale Coyne his initial IndyCar win after 25 years, Wilson should have pounded his chest and proclaimed himself Superman. Naturally that wasn't his style and the thought probably never crossed his mind.

"Happy to give Dale his first win and happy he gave me a job," were his post-race quotes.

And it was that irrepressible spirit, lack of ego and genuine kindness that made him so endearing to everyone that knew him.

"He was by far the nicest person in the whole paddock," said Oriol Servia on his Facebook page. "A true reference of integrity, talent and passion."

Graham Rahal called him the best teammate a driver could ever have and cherishes their days together at Newman/Haas when the lanky veteran would pass along daily compliments or handling tips.

I used to chide JWill for being too nice to be an Indy driver and he'd always laugh and ask if he needed to go "Paul Tracy" on someone?

Of course when the visor went down Justin was a tough hombre. Not cutthroat or dirty, just fierce â€“ especially on a street circuit or road course where he really excelled.

One of his finest/toughest moments came in 2006 at Mexico City (LEFT). Driving for the upstart RuSports team, he broke a bone in wrist during practice but still won the pole position and held off Sebastian Bourdais in the Newman/Haas car until the final lap of the race when Seabass nudged him out of the way.
Afterwards he slowly took off his helmet, rubbed his sore wrist and tried to reconcile what had just happened.

"Maybe I'd have done the same thing," he responded when asked about the contact. "Maybe not."

Watching him adapt to ovals was also inspiring. Following his oval-track debut at Milwaukee in 2004, the former Minardi and Jaguar F1 driver shook his head and gave thanks there was only one of them on the schedule. Eight years later he was standing in victory lane at Texas and embraced the irony.

"Justin Wilson wins on an oval, now that's a headline I never thought I'd see," he said with a chuckle afterwards.

It was that symmetry of humble badass excelling for a mid-tier team that endeared him to all of us.
He won twice with Coyne, put Dreyer & Reinbold on the pole at Toronto and was leading when he spun out. He gave Eric Bachelart some great runs at Conquest Racing and took RuSport from start up to title contenders.
He always made the best out of his situation.

"He was never negative," said Pappas (RIGHT, with Justin in 2013), who engineered Wilson's successes at Coyne. "Every time something looked like chicken s**t, he made it chicken salad. So many times in '09, '12 and '13 we'd screw up in the pits and he'd come on the radio and say: 'OK, how we gonna get out of this?' In Brazil, he started at the back, drove to front, comes in, we didn't get fuel in the car so he goes from fifth to last but doesn't start screaming at everyone on the radio. He comes on and says 'What's the strategy from here?'

"Justin never looked at things from the downside. In 2013 we had the fastest car at Long Beach in practice but fail tech and don't get to qualify. He starts last, drives through the field and finishes third. Two more laps he may have won.

"They call Scott Dixon the Iceman but I called Justin the Silent Assassin because of how he carved his way through people."

JWill also carved out a home, a family and a career in the USA. He didn't see much of a future in F1 so he took a flyer on Champ Car and never looked back. "It was the smartest thing I ever did," he said back in 2006. "Very few drivers can show their true potential in F1 because of the discrepancy in equipment, engines and budgets. But in America a driver can get an opportunity and still make a difference."

Wilson ran with his opportunity â€“ winning races, poles and universal respect for his clean, hard racing, chassis savvy and even-keeled attitude.

Still, his career is secondary to why he was so special and why we will miss that great smile and personality. Sure, he was definitely a top-shelf racer but, more importantly, he was a world-class human being.
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Eric@Helix · Aug 25, 2015

Closed cockpits. RIP.

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