I first met Dan in 2002 at the Chicagoland Speedway, where he was making his first ever Indy Car Series start for the Panther Racing. Ironically
enough, it was in a rest room between practice sessions. Don't worry, we both washed our hands.
In 2003, Dan signed on to drive for Andretti Green Racing, much success was to follow. Dan won the Indy Car championship in 2004 and backed that up by winning his first Indy 500 in 2005, but no matter how much success he had, he knew he wasn't above anyone. Dan would sign every autograph,literally everyone, I watched him sign a guys Jim Beam boxers once. He would take pictures and answer any and all questions, and that never stopped, which is why he is a hero and personal favorite to so many, including myself and my six year old brother, Garrett.
Garrett with two R's and two T's Dan would say to Garrett, making sure every autograph was personally signed to my little brother, and anyone else who wanted it. Garrett was stoked to head to Kentucky a few years back to see Dan again, and have him sign an Indy 500 winning picture. Unfortunately, we didn't see Dan. The last time Garrett got to see Dan was at this years Brickyard 400, where Dan was being celebrated as the winner of 100th anniversary race of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Garrett, who never takes off his 2010 National Guard autographed Dan Wheldon hat was surprised to see Dan at the Nascar event. Luckily, I knew he would be there, and told my father who brought some cars and pictures for Dan to sign. Garrett was stoked and excited to get a picture with Dan.
I got to know Dan personally a bit outside of the race track starting back last May, where randomly, we ran into each other at a local bar. I of course, being the fan I am, and having met him at the track multiple times went right up and struck a conversation. My only intention was to wish him luck at Indy and hope to see him in a full time ride. The conversations continued, and we hit it off from the get go. He was joined that night by his best friend Bayleigh, who now is a very close of mine. The night wrapped up a few hours later in the early part of the morning.
I was with a few friends who followed Indy Car, and Dan welcomed them, and anyone else walking by with open arms, that is the kind of man he was. For those of you who do not know, I call Dan, Raul when we are anywhere outside of a track, hell I even did inside. Many people that night, and few other times when we hit the town together would come up with the same question, Are you Dan Wheldon? In which I would reply, no, his name is Raul, you have the wrong guy. But of course, after the joke, we clarified it was the two time Indy 500 champ, in which Dan would pose for pictures. Dan was always joking, his favorite one to me was to point out how cute it was that I have a picture of him in his car as the background of my cell phone.
Dan went out of his way for me, my father, and my little brother to make sure we always enjoyed our time with him. Either in a bar laughing and talking racing and life, or at the track when Garrett would have 2-3 pictures, 2 cars and a hat for Dan to sign.
I was at the race in Las Vegas to celebrate the final race of the year, time with friends and to cheer Dan and few others to victory. The first ten laps were exciting and fast, but the images of what I saw in turn two will never be forgotten, as well as the helicopter flying over the track. I couldn't handle the news when I heard sitting in the bleachers at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I balled my eyes out and still find myself tearing up. We lost Dan way to young, a brilliant driver, fantastic man, tremendous father and husband, Dan Wheldon, dead at the age of 33, will always be a fan favorite.
