Driver

Born in Buckinghamshire, UK, Wheldon catapulted from early success, capturing the 1999 US F2000 National Championship and subsequent wins in the Toyota Atlantic and Indy Lights series, to taking the 2005 IndyCar Series title and two Indianapolis 500s. His 2005 Indy 500 win was the first by an Englishman since Graham Hill for John Mecom in 1966. In all, Wheldon took 16 IndyCar victories plus the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona. His six Indianapolis Racing League victories in '05 broke that series’ record for most checkered flags in a season. Wheldon lost his full-time IndyCar ride after consecutive runner-up finishes at the Speedway in 2009-10. He claimed his second Indy 500 in 2011 in dramatic fashion as a last-minute fill-in for Bryan Herta Autosport. Leader J.R. Hildebrand crashed in the final turn, allowing Wheldon’s car to become the first to win the 500 without leading a single full lap. He died later that year in a horrific accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He was 33.