By Arni Sribhen
indianapolismotorspeedway.com
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Dan Wheldon has built a trophy case "that cost me an arm and a leg" to display his "Baby Borg" version of the Borg-Warner Trophy and his Indianapolis 500 championship ring in a place of honor in his St. Petersburg, Fla., home. After last weekend, though, he may have to add on.
Wheldon, the 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar Series champion, accepted the British Competition Driver of the Year award during the annual Autosport Awards banquet Dec. 4 at the Grosvenor House hotel in London.
Hours earlier in Indianapolis, he was named winner of the Jerry Titus Memorial Award as driver of the year as selected by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association.
The recognition capped a busy weekend for Wheldon. He competed in his first Race of Champions - Nations Cup at Stade de France on Dec. 3 in Paris, falling in the first round of the individual event, and picked up more awards at the British Racing Drivers Club banquet.
"It was just a dream season, and I'm very proud to accept this trophy that has such a storied history of winners," said Wheldon, who was presented the Autosport Award by Nigel Mansell, 1993 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year and 1992 Formula One World Champion. "To win both the Indianapolis 500 and the series championship is just unbelievable. It's still overwhelming to me, really.
"Winning the Indianapolis 500 certainly raised my profile, and to be able to follow in the footsteps of some great English drivers there is something special. It was a privilege to win. I never liked milk until the month of May, but I think I drink it every morning now."
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The series of awards cap an incredible year for Wheldon, who recently signed to drive with 2003 IndyCar Series champion Target Chip Ganassi Racing in a Honda-powered Dallara in the 2006 season that starts March 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His six victories were the most ever in the series, and he had 15 top-10 finishes, led laps in 15 of the 17 races and topped the series in laps led (752).
"There is a big presence of people here that are well-respected in the motorsports industry, and for me to stand on the stage and say that the Indianapolis 500 is the biggest race in the world just shows you the respect the race has around the world," said Wheldon, who won the autosport.com rookie award in 2003. "This also got me to realize how excited I am about next year. I'm very excited about driving for Chip Ganassi and everybody at the Target team. It will be different, but Chip's operation over the years has been very good."
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Indy 500 tickets on sale: Tickets are on sale for the 2006 Indianapolis 500, the historic 90th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
All fans can order tickets online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or at the ticket office at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.
Hours for phone orders and the ticket office are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday, while online orders can be made at any time.
Ticket prices start at just $20.
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