Dan Wheldon: 5-Lap Tribute (Video)

The death of Dan Wheldon is a terrible loss.

Dan Wheldon, who moved to the United States from his native England with hopes of winning the Indianapolis 500 and went on to twice prevail in his sport's most famed race, died Sunday after a massive, fiery wreck in the Las Vegas Indy 300.

One of the most well-liked drivers in the paddock, Wheldon was 33.

He called the Indy 500 "the biggest sporting event in the world," and his second and final win there came in most unexpected fashion. Trailing rookie JR Hildebrand with one turn remaining, Wheldon was resigned to finishing in second place for the third consecutive year.

Then Hildebrand brushed the wall just seconds away from what seemed like certain victory, giving Wheldon one of the luckiest breaks ever at the Brickyard. He crossed the line in front, making the final lap the only one he led in the entire race.

Wheldon returned to the track the next morning for the traditional photo session with the winner, kissing the bricks as his 2-year-old son Sebastian sat on the asphalt alongside him, and his wife, Susie, held their then-2-month-old, Oliver.

"That's Indianapolis," Wheldon said after this year's Indy win. "That's why it's the greatest spectacle in racing. You never know what's going to happen."

...Wheldon, his wife and their children lived in St. Petersburg, Fla., and he often said that he believed fatherhood made him a better driver.

Wheldon said the 2011 Indy victory was "a Cinderella story," and lauded his wife for helping him deal with all that came with not having a full-time driving job this season. He did not personally need money — his winnings already ensured his family would be set for life, he said — but rather the lack of sponsorship funds is what kept him from regularly racing this year.

At times, he said it was difficult, and Wheldon credited his wife for helping him through the emotional lows.

"There's times where you do doubt yourself a little bit," Wheldon said after this year's Indy win. "Through all of this, she's been incredibly supportive and she understands that this is all I've ever done. Racing is all I've ever done. She knows that racing creates the personality in me that she loves. So she was desperate to get me back out the house and in a race car. It's good to deliver for her, my two boys, my family back home, too."

How sad!

Here's video: