Justin Wilson, 37-year-old IndyCar driver, died Monday after suffering from severe head injuries at the Pocono Raceway on Sunday.
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There was yet another unfortunate shadow cast over the world of motorsport last night as the family of British racer Justin Wilson confirmed his death.
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“This is a monumentally sad day for IndyCar and the motorsports community as a whole“, Mark Miles, CEO of IndyCar’s parent Hulman and Company, told a news conference.
Justin Wilson was seriously injured in IndyCar crashes twice in a two-year span. Both times, the veteran driver returned to competition unwavering in his love for the sport and his acceptance of the risks. He immediately fitted in with the team and found a home alongside regular drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, Carlos Munoz and Marco Andretti, and the team snapped him up for a Formula E appearance in Moscow before then finding the sponsorship needed to bring him home to IndyCar for the final five races of the season starting at Milwaukee in July. He won it in 2005 and again in 2011, the 100th anniversary of the race.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Justin Wilson“, Andretti Autosport said in a statement. His life and racing career is a story of class and passion surpassed by none.
Karam tweeted Sunday that he was “thinking and praying” for Wilson and his family.
Wilson and his wife Julia had two young daughters, ages 7 and 5. RIP Justin. You will be missed. “#RIPJustin”. Kanaan continued “Why do we do this?”
“I raced with Justin as far back as 1989 in karting and remember his smile was infectious, such a lovely guy”. “He was my brother, my best friend, my role model and mentor. Racers race”.
Wilson, a British driver who lived outside Denver in Longmont, Colorado, was hit in the head during Sunday’s race by piece of debris that had broken off another vehicle.
Wilson has died from a head injury suffered when a piece of debris struck him at Pocono Raceway. In a lawsuit against IndyCar, the woman said her skull was fractured.
“Can’t even begin to describe the loss I feel right now”, he wrote.
Wilson’s crash was reminiscent of a 2009 incident when Brazil’s Felipe Massa was struck in the helmet by a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s auto during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix and had to undergo surgery.
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With more than 30 lead changes but also a dozen caution periods – one of which was caused by a fox running across the track – the third race since Pocono’s return to the IndyCar schedule after a 24-year hiatus was a long way from the fairly pedestrian events here over the past two years. “Justin Wilson was a great person and racing driver”. They also applauded IndyCar in general for its safety record and the progress it has made in safety over the years.
