Sports in the Fast Lane

Standout race car driver, Dan Wheldon, died in a horrific crash on October 16th 2011, in the racing finale of the IZOD IndyCar Series that year.

As a boy, I used to love watching the Indianapolis 500 on TV, but I just didn’t followed this sport since becoming an adult. So why was I glued to YouTube, watching the taped telecast of this explosive pile-up? Over and over. In fact I poured over the entire telecast, lasting two hours from the excitement of before the race to the emotional five-lap tribute by the remaining drivers. The MailOnline recounted all of this in words, photos and video.

It was this:  I was traumatized. I was horrified by the fact that once this crash was triggered, there was absolutely nothing that Wheldon and other drivers could do. At a super fast speed of about 220 MPH, violent death occurs literally in fractions of a second. You could only hope for the best and let the physics of the crash carry it to its finish.

I was stunned at the thought of his head hitting the wall and pavement with great impact, and the utter destruction of both human and machine. I watched these videos repeatedly, because emotionally I was trying to get a grip over something I had no control. I was thankful that social media and internet technology allowed me to do this.

Wheldon lived in the fast lane, and was very successful at it. There was a strange irony to the fact, of course, that that very fast lane claimed him for its own.  May you continue to rest in the stillness - and slowness - of peace. May God keep you and your family in His blessing.

Thank you for reading, and let me what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD