“The stirring victory ignited a celebration at IMS that will be remembered for generations”, says the IMS press release. “One of the highlights was Wheldon kissing the Yard of Bricks repeatedly and then laying on the Yard of Bricks on his back, with arms and feet in the air in pure joy over his unlikely victory, which came in his first start of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season.
“Winning the Indianapolis 500 was a dream of Dan’s since he started racing, and he was proud to represent the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 after he won it the first time in 2005,” said Susie Wheldon, Dan Wheldon’s wife. “But winning it the second time, in such dramatic fashion with a new team, was something Dan cherished so deeply because he really appreciated another chance to compete at the race that meant more to him than any other.”