It seems like a lifetime ago that the world had to come to terms with the tragic death of Dan Wheldon, the two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and father to two very young sons. A new HBO documentary, due next week, seeks to tell both stories: one addressing a storied career that included the Indycar driver’s championship in 2005, the other focusing on what came next for Wheldon’s family.
Emotive subject matter, as the trailer below makes clear. Wheldon, nicknamed The Lionheart, was a highly respected and much-loved member of the Indycar community and had enjoyed considerable success since arriving in the US in 1999. Autosport later considered him ‘one of a golden crop’ of British single-seater drivers that emerged in the ‘90s (Jensen Button was one of his chief rivals as a junior) and he is often cited as one of the greatest drivers never to race in F1.
Clearly this legacy has left a deep impression on his children. Both Sebastian and Oliver have since taken up racing, presenting their mother with an obvious dilemma as they embrace the sport which cut her husband’s life short at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011. Expect the question of lineage in motorsport to feature prominently - not least because Sebastian is primed to make his debut in USF Juniors this season, a series that is roughly analogous to Formula 4 and considered the ‘first rung of the Road to Indy’.
‘The Lionheart’ actually enjoyed its first showing during last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, but is now set for its US release on Tuesday 12th on HBO Max. With any luck, it will be available in the UK - most likely via Sky Atlantic - soon afterwards. Certainly, Wheldon’s story deserves a wider audience in the UK.
