RIP Dan Wheldon

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Preezy** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 10:46 pm

On SSN it said that this Wheldon guy would have got a $5m bonus if he could get from the last to first by the end of the race. Not exactly the most sensible incentive to get a guy to drive carefully.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Fargo** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:03 pm

RIP.

PostRe: Re: RIP Dan Wheldon by **jamcc** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:08 pm

Albear wrote:
jamcc wrote:
Albear wrote:Went to school with the guy, havent seen him in 15 years and had no idea he was indy racing.

Wait, what? Which school are you talking about as he went to the same school as me too.

Bedford School.

Did my GCSE's with the guy. Like I say, havent spoken to him since, but nice guy, and tis a shame.

Shiiiiit, you went to Bedford?

So did I! What house were you in?

I was a few years after you two, I should say.

And yeah, obviously really sad that he's died. He did incredibly well for himself though.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Cosmo** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:13 pm

Preezy wrote:On SSN it said that this Wheldon guy would have got a $5m bonus if he could get from the last to first by the end of the race. Not exactly the most sensible incentive to get a guy to drive carefully.

I doubt he changed his racing style because of the $5m. Apparently he was going to give half to a member of the crowd had he won it. And he'd just signed a deal to replace one driver. It would've been a regular drive for him.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **bear** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:17 pm

Preezy wrote:On SSN it said that this Wheldon guy would have got a $5m bonus if he could get from the last to first by the end of the race. Not exactly the most sensible incentive to get a guy to drive carefully.

He was a professional racing driver, it was always his job and everyone elses on the grid to try and win. Hell, in just about every professional sport going sportsmen and women are offered bonuses for winning. I don't see why this idea of being offered a winning bonus is suddenly being portrayed as a bad thing.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **jamcc** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:32 pm

I've heard that he was going to give all $5m to charity.

Edit - sorry, read it wrong, yeah he was giving half to charity.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **Return_of_the_STAR** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:40 pm

bear wrote:
Preezy wrote:On SSN it said that this Wheldon guy would have got a $5m bonus if he could get from the last to first by the end of the race. Not exactly the most sensible incentive to get a guy to drive carefully.

He was a professional racing driver, it was always his job and everyone elses on the grid to try and win. Hell, in just about every professional sport going sportsmen and women are offered bonuses for winning. I don't see why this idea of being offered a winning bonus is suddenly being portrayed as a bad thing.

Prior to the race there was lots of talk about how there were too many drivers taking part for the size of the track and how dangerous it would be. So I suppose that added to the fact that some millionaire offered wheldon this $5m bonus for getting from last place to the front would have led to some possible crazy driving. However I don't believe from what I know that wheldon had anything to do with the actual crash as he was behind the incident and unable to stop before colliding with the cars in front that were involved in the original pile up.

PostRe: RIP Dan Wheldon by **PCCD** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:41 pm

My understanding was the $5 million was for any non series driver (Wheldon and a few others) who managed to win the race no matter where they started. The Indycar people made a big deal out of it prior to the race so where have these other stories appeared from?

RIP Dan Wheldon

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