IndyCar driver Justin Wilson has died from a head injury suffered when a piece of debris struck him at Pocono Raceway. He was 37.
IndyCar made the announcement on Monday night at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
#INDYCAR driver Justin Wilson has passed away from his injuries. #BadassWilson http://t.co/RzecwmzPgb pic.twitter.com/hMzwsnFswO— IndyCar Series (@IndyCar) August 25, 2015
Wilson is a British driver who lived outside Denver in Longmont, Colorado. He was hit in the head during Sunday's race by piece of debris that had broken off another car. Wilson's car veered into an interior wall at the track, and he was swiftly taken by helicopter to a hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
His younger brother, Stefan, also an IndyCar driver, issued the following statement on Twitter.
Can't even begin to describe the loss I feel right now. He was my Brother, my best friend, my role model and mentor. He was a champion!— Stefan Wilson (@stef_wilson) August 25, 2015
He never stopped giving & caring for others. Even at this time. He had pre-chosen to donate his organs to help others in need. #myherojw— Stefan Wilson (@stef_wilson) August 25, 2015
Wilson's family also made a statement in which they said, "Justin was a loving father and devoted husband, as well as a highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers."
"Justin's elite ability to drive a race car was matched by his unwavering kindness, character and humility — which is what made him one of the most respected members of the paddock," said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent company of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The last IndyCar driver to die because of an on-track incident was Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon, who was killed in the 2011 season finale at Las Vegas after his head hit a post when his car became airborne.
After Wheldon's death, Wilson became one of three driver representatives to serve as a liaison between the competitors and IndyCar. It was no surprise: The 6-ft. 4-in. Wilson, easily the tallest driver in the series, was well liked by everyone.
Terrible news. Our thoughts are w/ Justin Wilson's wife, children, family, friends as well as the @IndyCar community https://t.co/uO6LBajIb2— Kentucky Speedway (@KySpeedway) August 25, 2015
He won seven times over 12 seasons in open-wheel racing and finished as high as fifth in the Indianapolis 500. An acclaimed sports car racer, Wilson won the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona with Michael Shank Racing. He competed in 20 Formula One races in 2003 before moving to the U.S. to join Champ Car.
Wilson broke a bone in his back at Mid-Ohio in 2011. He missed the final six races of the season, and wore a back brace for more than two months while he was restricted from any physical activity.
The injury kept him out of the season finale at Las Vegas, the race where Wheldon died. He also broke his pelvis and suffered a bruised lung in the 2013 season finale at Fontana.
I can't find the proper words to describe the pain and sympathy I feel for Justin and his family. #RIPJustin— Sage Karam (@SageKaram) August 25, 2015
Wilson once said that his injuries and Wheldon's death did nothing to change his perspective or make him question his career choice.
"You've got to know the risks and work out if those risks are acceptable," Wilson told The Associated Press upon his return to racing in 2012. "To me, it's acceptable. But I'm not going to stop trying to improve it. All the drivers, this IndyCar, we're always trying to make it safer, but at the end of the day, it's a race car. We're racing hard, we're racing IndyCars and it's fast. When it goes wrong, it can get messy."
In addition to his wife, Julia, Wilson has two daughters, 7 and 5.
Additional reporting by Associated Press