Just awful way to go. I was at the race, and left when local hero Sage Karum hit the wall while in the lead with about 30 something laps to go. I didn’t see the wreck, thank goodness, as I was at the other end of the raceway. As I walked out to my car, I thought it odd there was a helicopter overhead.
It wasn’t until I turned on my radio when I got to my car that I heard something was seriously wrong, and learned that a piece of Karum’s car hit Wilson in the head and he was being helicoptered to a hospital. Even creepier, he died at a hospital a mile from my house, where my father was hospitalized for a heart attack 15 years ago. This was my first IndyCar race, and while I plan on attending more, and certainly Im not here for any sort of sympathy as it all goes to Wilsons family, it will be sad to think this is my memory of my first IRL race.
I know people say drivers know what they are getting into, but this was just nothing but very very bad luck. Theres videos of the incident, while not gory, when you see it , you knew it wasn’t going to be good for the poor guy.
As for IndyCar, while it doesn’t attract the biggest name drivers like NASCAR and Formula One, no doubt of all the major circuits in the US, its the most dangerous, and the drivers are the bravest with speeds at over 230 mph.
Such a bummer. Justin Wilson was pretty much the nicest guy in the league, and he was doing really well in sort of a comeback - he’d only run the second half of the season with Andretti.
You see so many wrecks and everyone just walks away. When we saw Karam hit the wall, and then Wilson, it didn’t seem any worse than any other. I was floored when we found out he had been helicoptered out. I was looking for news updates all day yesterday, but I didn’t really think I’d see that he died when I checked last night before bed.
Man that is a bummer. I don’t follow racing but from all the accounts I’ve seen on the news he sounds like a really nice guy.
RIP and condolences to his family and friends.
Yes, his organs saved six lives doing what he loved. I hope Pocono Raceway names part of its track or grandstands after him, from all I’ve read, he was someone who did all the right things.
