Wilson suffered a serious head injury in Sunday’s race in Pennsylvania when a large piece of debris from another vehicle made contact with his helmet during a crash in the final laps at Pocono Raceway.
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English driver died Monday as a result of head injuries sustained in Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway in Long, Pa. He was then airlifted to the local Lehigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest Hospital, where he would succumb a severe brain trauma less than 24 hours later.
IndyCar did not make any comments immediately after announcing Wilson’s death, out of respect for his family, but said they would comment in the next few days.
Four-time Nascar Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon said: “So sad to hear that we lost Justin Wilson today”. News. “He was a tremendous racer, a valuable member of the team and respected representative to our sport”.
His family posted a statement on Wilson’s website that confirmed he had passed away due to the injuries he suffered during the Verizon IndyCar event on August 23, 2015.
Wilson is the first IndyCar Series driver to die since Dan Wheldon in 2011. “Justin Wilson was a great person and racing driver”.
The Briton had previously raced in Formula 1 in 2003, racing part of the year for the Minardi team before switching to Jaguar Racing, scoring a point in the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
Former Indy 500 Champ Tony Kanaan wrote: “Oh man, my heart is aching another friend gone”.
“For me, for what Justin’s gone through over the past couple of years and how hard he’s worked… he exemplified the reason we all love doing this”.
Wilson leaves behind his wife, Julia, and their two young daughters Jane, 7, and Jessica, 5. RIP Justin. You will be missed.
His brother Stefan Wilson shared: “Can’t even begin to describe the loss I feel right now”. Godspeed to one of racing’s truest gentlemen.
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“Safety is a continuous project, and in the past IndyCar has done a good job in it. But this is something they are going to have to focus on more, compared to previous measures”. Chief Executive Rob Jones said: “On behalf of the UK governing body… we are shocked and saddened that his life has ended so prematurely”.
