The racing world is reeling from the untimely death of one of its most beloved. British open-wheel racer Justin Wilson passed away August 23rd after a horrfic on-track crash at the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.
The 37-year-old was struck in the head by the carbon-fiber nosecone of race leader Sage Karem when Karem's Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet hit the Tricky Triangle's outside wall, sending debris flying up and down the track as it essentially disintegrated. Footage shows that Wilson appeared to lose control and spear left into the track's inside wall. He was immediately airlifted to an Allentown, PA hospital, where he never emerged from a coma.
In homage to Wilson, a husband and father of two daughters from Sheffield, England, fellow racers gathered on Thursday to parade five IndyCars across San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Teammate Marco Andretti led the pack driving Wilson's number 25 Andretti Autosport Honda. Graham Rahal, Will Power and Josef Newgarden followed. James Hinchcliffe drove a two-seater IndyCar to deliver the Aston Cup to the season finale at Sonoma Raceway. And two safety vehicles flew Justin Wilson flags.
"It was an honor to drive Justin's car," Andretti told the IndyCar Series. "It was emotional for sure."
We here at E3 Spark Plugs send our deepest condolences to family, friends, colleagues and fans of Wilson.
