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But shortly after Dan’s passing was announced, something comforting began to happen. Fans, from all over, began showing up in the parking lot at 16^th and Georgetown, emerging from their vehicles into what was a clear, fall Indiana evening and leaving tributes to Dan at the foot of the Gate 1 entrance to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

 

Dan Wheldon, not just the race car driver but the person, has so moved people over the last decade that hundreds upon hundreds have been led to front door of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the facility where Dan has achieved his greatest success. They came here because they wanted to be close to Dan, close to the place that Dan thought was so special and the place where Dan proved that he was special.

 

As a facility, we embraced this opportunity to make Gate 1 a gathering place for fans to exchange memories, leave notes to the family or flowers in Dan’s memory. This is, after all, the gate that millions of Indianapolis 500 fans have passed through for a century to witness the Indianapolis 500. The gate, complete with the IMS Wing and Wheel, is the entrance where fans entered in 1911 after hopping off the Big Four Railroad from downtown and walked to their seats to view the infancy of what would later be known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

 

As I boarded the plane from Vegas Sunday night, I was not looking forward to when the cabin door was closed and the flight attendants reminded the passengers it was time to power off electronic devices. I was also reluctant to leave Las Vegas, still fully holding on to the thought, like all of us, that I would wake up in my bed to find this had all been a dream and race morning was just starting to begin.

 

It was 2 a.m. when I finally landed in Indianapolis and made my way back to IMS. As I pulled in the parking lot, the glow of candle light outlined what was becoming a substantial display of affection and thanks for what Dan had done for so many.

 

By Monday afternoon, media from across the country had come to see the location where over 1,500 fans had felt compelled to journey as a last opportunity to pay tribute to a fallen hero. Tears and grief-stricken sobs, hugs of comfort and stares of disbelief are commonplace as fans try to come to grips and find some peace with what happened. Many stopped by and openly prayed for Dan, his family and the INDYCAR community. Fans, many of whom never met but share the common bond of passion for the Indianapolis 500 and appreciation for Dan, trade favorite Wheldon stories. Left behind are pictures of Dan with fans, notes, handmade posters, Wheldon hero cards, race tickets, credentials, photographs, British and checkered flags, a go-kart trophy won by a racer that was inspired by Dan, jugs and jugs and jugs of milk, wreaths, flowers upon flowers and many other items.

 

Late Monday afternoon, IMS placed a 30-foot by 5-foot banner over Gate 1 with an image of Dan with the Borg-Warner Trophy from the day after this year’s Indianapolis 500 as a further honor to Dan.

 

As the rains loomed on the horizon Monday night, we decided to remove the items left behind that would be soaked by the rain to preserve them so they can be presented to Dan’s family. But the people, not deterred by the rain, kept coming and are still coming. So we have left the flowers, the flags and the mementos that could withstand the weather and placed two pop-up tents so fans could still pay their respects.

 

If you haven’t come by yet, I encourage you to do so. It is a moving display of just how much Dan Wheldon meant to the many thousands of fans he touched and endeared with his driving talent, his infectious personality and his love and passion for the Indianapolis 500. If stopping here is not possible, the photos posted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will give you a glimpse of just how special he was.

 

If you have a couple of minutes, leave your best Dan Wheldon memory here so that we all can share in the joy and the blessing of the opportunity to watch Dan Wheldon perform his magic at Indianapolis – with a steering wheel or with a smile!

 

See more images from the fan created memorial at IMS, HERE.