The TRAGIC Story Behind Dan Wheldon’s 15 Car Fatality

The crowd roared as the pack of IndyCars thundered down the front straight at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, engines screaming and turbochargers whistling. Dan Wheldon sat strapped into the cockpit of the #77 Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry, his brows knitted in concentration, hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. He had won this race twice before, in 2005 and earlier in 2011, and now he was going for a historic third victory. The $5 million prize money didn't hurt either.

As Dan dove into turn 1, he felt the familiar thrill of speed coursing through his veins. This was his element. The track was his canvas, the car his brush. He was an artist, and racing was his art.

But for Dan Wheldon, today would spell unexpected disaster in a tragedy that shook the racing community.

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