dan wheldon « Edmonton Sports Blog

Posts Tagged ‘dan wheldon’

Weekend Sports Preview–May 26 & 27–Indianapolis 500, Memorial Cup, French Open, NBA Playoffs & MLB

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

James Hinchcliffe (Wikimedia Commons)

The 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 runs this weekend (Sunday, ABC, 9am) with Australian Ryan Briscoe on the pole.

But the big news for Canadian sports fans is who will be driving second. James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ontario will be starting in the second position for Andretti Autosport. Meanwhile Alex Tagliani of Montreal will be riding 11th.

Not at the 2012 Indianapolis 500 are the defending champion, Dan Wheldon, who died at a race in Las Vegas and Danica Patrick who is in NASCAR.

However there are three ladies in the race. Brazilian Ana Beatriz is driving in the 13th position, England’s Katherine Legge is 30th and Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro is 32nd.

Australian Will Power who leads the IndyCar point standings so far this season will start fifth.

Here are the other events I’ll be watching this weekend:

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Tags: albert montanes, alex tagliani, ana beatriz, boston celtics, brandon gormley, dan wheldon, french open, indianapolis 500, james hinchcliffe, juan martin del potro, katherine legge, loik poudrier, london knights, michael chaput, philadelphia 76ers, ryan briscoe, shawinigan cataractes, simona de silvestro, texas rangers, toronto blue jays, will power
Posted in Amateur Sports, ATP World Tour, Indy Racing League, MLB, More, NBA |

Power wins eight car accident race in Sao Paulo

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Will Power (Wikimedia Commons)

Four races into the 2012 IndyCar season and Australia’s Will Power continues to be the most dominant driver.

Yesterday in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Power, the two-time winner of the Edmonton Indy, won his third of four races to begin the season after previously winning in Long Beach and Alabama.

Power is trying to also win his first championship of his career after finishing second to Dario Franchitti of Great Britain the last two years.

I will remember this race however for the eight car accident with eight laps to go. I have never seen so many cars connect with one another at a particular instance in an auto race.

Sunday was once again a solid result for James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ontario who finished sixth, only two weeks after recording his first career podium finish when he finished third in Long Beach. Hinchcliffe is also third in the overall standings.

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Tags: dan wheldon, james hinchcliffe, will power
Posted in Indy Racing League |

Indy 500 Champ dead

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

Dan Wheldon (Jonathan Ferrey, Getty Images)

The 2011 Indianapolis 500 Champion is dead.

Dan Wheldon of Emberton, England died today at the age of 33 during an IndyCar race in Las Vegas. It was the final race of the 2011 IndyCar season.

A total of 15 cars were involved in the fatal accident. It happened on the 11th lap. The race ended at that point and did not continue.

Dario Franchitti of Scotland won the IndyCar drivers’ championship and James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ontario was named the rookie of the year.

Wheldon was racing for Sam Schmidt Autosport. He also won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and was the Indy Racing League IndyCar series Champion that year as well. He previously raced for Panther Racing, Bryan Herta Autosport, Andretti Green Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing.

Ironically Schmidt was in a huge crash at the Walt Disney World Motor Speedway in 2000 that left him a quadriplegic.

Wheldon was married with two young sons, aged two and five months.

Tags: dan wheldon, dario franchitti, james hinchcliffe, sam schmidt
Posted in Home, Indy Racing League |

Weekend Sports Preview–July 9-10–Women’s World Cup, Toronto Honda Indy, CFL, MLB, U.S. Women’s Open

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Danica Patrick (Bing Images)

Some of the best race car drivers in the world come to Toronto this weekend for the Honda Indy.

American Danica Patrick headlines a solid field that also includes current IndyCar Series point leader Dario Franchitti of Scotland, Indianapolis 500 runner-up Ryan Hunter-Reay of the United States, defending champion Will Power of Australia, and Canadians James Hinchcliffe, Alex Tagliani and Paul Tracy.

Remarkably however Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon of England won’t be in Toronto competing, but might be as a commentator. It completely leaves me shaking my head that the winner of IndyCar’s biggest annual race hasn’t been able to find a team to ride for since May 29.

The Toronto Honda Indy will go Sunday at 12pm on TSN.

Here are the other events I’ll be watching this weekend:

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Tags: abby wambach, alex tagliani, amy anderson, atlanta braves, brandon whitaker, celia okoyino da mbabi, cliff lee, cristiane, dan wheldon, danica patrick, darian durant, dario franchitti, Edmonton Eskimos, fara williams, gaetane thiney, hamilton tiger-cats, homare sawa, inka grings, jair jurrjens, jamal richardson, james hinchcliffe, kerstin garefrekes, kevin chappell, kyah simon, lauren cheney, lisa dahlkvist, lizette salas, marie-laure delie, marta, montreal alouettes, paul tracy, philadelphia phillies, robert garrigus, rosana, ryan hunter-reay, ryann o'toole, Saskatchewan Roughriders, stacy lewis, tommy hanson, toronto honda indy, will power, women's world cup, yani tseng
Posted in CFL, Home, Ladies Professional Golfers Association, MLB, More, Soccer |

Random Friday Thoughts: NBA Lockout, Riders to Celtics, Real Life Hot Wheels

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

CBA for the NBA?

The NBA’s championship series is all tied up after a couple of games in Miami…and if you’re a basketball fan, you should be glad!

That’s because the NBA and the players union appear to be a trophy presentation away from a lockout that could end up eating up part, or all of the 2011-12 season. By the time the Heat/Mavericks series is all over, we’ll be just a week or two away from an expired collective bargaining agreement and what could be a long summer for sports fans.

League commissioner David Stern said this week that it’s going to be “a challenge” to get a new deal signed in time to avoid a lockout.

The situation is pretty similar to the one that the NHL had back in 2004-05 and the one that the NFL is experiencing right now: basically, the owners say they’re losing money and they want the players to take a big pay cut and the players are saying no! (After the Jump: Will the Heat have to dismantle the Big Three? Prospect goes from the CFL to the NBA and some real life Hot Wheels action!) (more…)

Tags: avril lavigne, boston celtics, dallas mavericks, dan wheldon, david stern, Edmonton, hot wheels, indy 500, la dodgers, lockout, matt O'donnell, Miami Heat, mlb 2k11, NBA, NFL, NHL, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Shaquille O'Neal, tampa bay rays, yeg
Posted in CFL, Indy Racing League, MLB, NBA, NHL, University Sports |

Wheldon wins 2nd Indianapolis 500

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

Dan Wheldon (Jonathan Ferry, Getty Images)

Dan Wheldon of Emberton, England has won his second Indianapolis 500.

A member of Bryan Herta Autosports, you could argue that Wheldon didn’t win the race, but American rookie JR Hildebrand lost it.

Driving with meters left from the finish, Hildebrand hit the wall and was passed by Wheldon at the finish. Hildebrand finished second for Panther Racing, despite crossing the finish line with only three wheels.

Granham Rahal, son of 1986 winner Bobby Rahal, finished third, despite not racing for his dad, but for Chip Ganassi.

Bertrand Baguette of Belgium, racing for the Rahal Letterman team, and Danica Patrick, were leading the race with about ten laps to go, but each had to make a pit stop late in the race, ending their chances of finishing on top of the podium.

As for the Canadians, it did not go well at all for Paul Tracy, James Hinchcliffe and Alex Tagliani. Hinchcliffe and Tagliani did not complete the race because they hit the wall, while Tracy hit the wall as well, but was able to finish the race, finishing in 25th.

Notes: This was the 100th anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911…Wheldon first won the Indianapolis 500 for Team Andretti Green in 2005.

Tags: bertrand baguette, bobby rahal, bryan herta, dan wheldon, danica patrick, graham rahal, indianapolis 500, jr hildebrand
Posted in Indy Racing League |