Wheldon: "It's a dream"
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ByEurosport
Published 31/05/2005 at 09:23 GMT
Dan Wheldon lived a boyhood dream on Sunday when he won America's biggest motor race - the Indianapolis 500, but it wasn't until the dust had settled, the hangover had passed and the media attention had abated that the Brit finally realised just what he h
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Wheldon broke millions of hearts when he overtook Danica Patrick with just seven laps remaining to win the jewel crown of single seater racing, but if there was one person that the 400,000 spectators could easily forgive, then that's Wheldon.
The out-going Brit has won over the American public by his amazing rise to fame, winning two rookie of the year awards in the Indy Lights series and then the IRL, finishing second in the championship in 2004, before launching his scathing attack on the 2005 title.
Four wins from the opening five races have not gone without a touch of luck, but victory at the Brickyard proved his metal, his ability, his courage and above all, his status as only the third Brit to win the worlds biggest race after Graham Hill (1966) and Jim Clark (1965).
"I look at the podium bearing my name and suddenly realize I've won the biggest race in the world, the biggest sporting event in the world," Wheldon said on Monday. "Realizing what I've achieved really has not sunk in. I'm still a bit choked up over it.
"Since 1999 when I first came here, this race has been an eye-opener," he continued. "How this race is, the way that it happens is simply amazing. It captures every possible emotion.
"This has been a dream," he concluded.
Wheldon also assured that the legendary Michael Andretti would at last savour victory at the Brickyard, albeit on the other side of the wall. Andretti came so close on a number of occasions to winning the race, but close was never good enough.
"Ando's a good guy. I can get into the car and do anything I want and he'll back my play," Wheldon said of Andretti. "I'm just so very, very happy for Michael. He loved racing at Indy and he loves being an owner, a winning owner at Indy."
Wheldon, with a big fat cheque of almost $2 million in his back pocket, now has plans to savour the victory by going shopping. "I'm going to buy some toys," he said. "I think I'll get a boat for my new house.
"I want a small boat with two of the biggest engines I can get, the most powerful engines I can get," Wheldon grinned.
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