Dan Wheldon @ 33 (In Memorial)

An autopsy completed today indicates that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

(CLEVELAND) - Dan Wheldon, the 2011 winner of the Indianapolis 500, perhaps the most well-known racing competition in the world, lost his life in a tragic crash this week in Las Vegas, at the age of 33

The English race driver was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and in he won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 as well as this year's event. He died from injuries shortly after a collision at the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday, 16 October 2011.

Wikipedia explains that the crash involved 15 cars and happened during lap 11 of the race. Described as a multi-car pile-up, the violent and ultimately tragic crash, resulted in a red flag.

Trapped inside of his car, Dan Wheldon had to be extricated. He was airlifted to a local hospital with "serious injuries" and subsequently died at 1:54 PDT. An autopsy completed today indicates that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

The IndyCar officials and drivers decided that the race would be abandoned, and that a five-lap salute would be held in Wheldon's honour, with his number 77 being displayed alone at the top of the scoring pylon.[15]

It was revealed after his death by Michael Andretti, that Dan Wheldon had signed with Andretti Autosport for a multi-year deal to replace driver Danica Patrick. The race Sunday was abandoned after the crash, and a five-lap salute was held in honor of this extremely talented and widely admired fellow drive.

Dan Wheldon @ 33 (In Memorial)

Entertainment! Oops, gambling don’t put the cart before the horse,
At Las Vegas Motor Speedway the power of which became deadly force,
How many occasions has IndyCar racing resulted in death? Seldom,
Tell the family of 2-time Indianapolis 500 Champion, Dan Wheldon.

$5 million bonus check in victorious starting from the back of the field,
Hold on a minute, with 34 cars in the race that is a pretty rotten deal,
By having to overcome serious competition, damn near break his neck,
Nothing but professions in front of him is that not an impossible check?

“Things happen in this kind of racing” said Wade Cunningham, that’s crap,
Put a guy on the spot, 2.5 million for him & a fan, starting from the back?
15 car pile-up just outside turn 2, a season ending race, Vegas Speedway,
“So close… at this point, whose fault it was is kind of immaterial” he’d say.

Accidents at this level do not just happen they are cause by carelessness,
And a thorough investigation should commence as anything less is remiss,
This was a job for a, “Master Magician” for what Vegas is so well known,
Fiery crash emerges Wheldon appears in the stands, everyone goes home.

Everything happened so fast, such a grand scale it mirrored a Vegas review,
Wow! I’ve seen shows before but this is something daring, incredibly new,
It even outshines the grand scale rare White Tiger Act of Siegfried & Roy,
These tools of the trade are deadly in nature & not to be confused with toys.

Just 11-laps the green flag had barely stopped waving when disaster struck,
And it wasn’t inevitable as these drivers are highly skilled it’s not about luck,
Bumper to bumper speeds upwards of 200 mph drivers are like sitting ducks,
Why was Dan suing his former racing team for hard earned back pay bucks?

He was unable to avoid the massive wreck before him & ditto the negligence,
Clipped another car hurling through the air, burst into flames, smashing a fence,
200 laps and yet tragedy struck soon via aggressive driving early in this race,
So, will those in charge now do the right thing or cover-up only to save face?

Video shows the Indy Champs racecar airborne and not like our Army Rangers,
As trained skills of one of the most popular drivers couldn’t avoid the danger,
No IndyCar fatality since Paul Dana’s warm-up 2006, Dan won later that day,
Ironic that a crash turning into a victory has now ended his life the same way.

By Luke Easter

We live in a world of social & economic injustice. The main reason for founding America in the first place was to relieve the oppression of the King of England. Patrick Henry said it best, “give me liberty or give me death.” And yet, all too often death seems to be the only way out. Why is there such a high suicide rate especially among teens, in the land of the free & the home of the brave? What makes headlines? Good news? Ha! More depressing stories than anything else. I feel poetry takes an edge off the hurt of bad news while still delivering it but in a, “glitzy” sort of way. Giving a different perspective. Kind of like slap in the face as opposed to a knife in the back. At least with the slap you’ll live to see another day and you will know whom it’s from. I wasn’t here for the beginning of the world but at 59, I just might be here for the end.

Even though it’s still a knife, rhyme poetry helps to dull the blade. And that’s my job. You can write to Luke Easter at: lyricsfromlucas@aol.com