The 37-year-old Wilson died Monday night from a head injury suffered when a piece of debris struck him during a race the previous day at Pocono Raceway.
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Wilson was airlifted to Lehigh Vallery Health Network hospital and put into a coma after the crash at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania.
Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles made the announcement this evening before turning the mic over to Ed Carpenter, representing the rest of the drivers in the IndyCar Series.
Mansell, now 62, said: “We are praying for Justin Wilson just so unlucky keep fighting our thoughts are with him and his family, at this hard time”. “He will be missed”.
A statement issued by staff at Indycar.com said they would focus on providing support for Wilson’s family.
They described him as a “loving father and devoted husband, as well as a highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers”.
Karam tweeted Sunday that he was “thinking and praying” for Wilson and his family.
Wilson, a member of the Andretti Autosport team, is an ex-Formula One driver who had competed in various races since 2004.
Wilson was the first IndyCar driver to die following a race accident since fellow Briton, Dan Wheldon, was killed in a fiery crash in Las Vegas in October 2011.
While everyone was shocked and distraught while digesting the news, many other professional drivers poured in with prayers for Wilson and his family..
He is survived by his wife, Julia, and two daughters.
Numerous racer’s friends and former racing opponents paid tribute on social media, including Jenson Button, Nigel Mansell, and Dario Franchitti. Justin Wilson’s death may lead to the questioning of safety on whether or not to have open cockpits in IndyCars. During his successful IndyCar career, he recorded seven victories and eight pole positions in 174 races.
My heart breaks for Justin’s family and friends.
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Wilson had been racing in America since the 2004 Champ vehicle season, before moving into the IndyCar series in 2008 when Champ auto merged with IndyCar. My thoughts are with his family. Kanaan continued “Why do we do this?”
