Wheldon nominated for two Autosport Awards in London
Dan Wheldon, the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 89th Indianapolis 500, has been nominated for two prestigious Autosport Awards - International Racing Driver of the Year and British Competition Driver of the Year. Wheldon will attend the annual Autosport Awards dinner and reception on Dec. 4 at the Grosvenor House hotel in London
"The Autosport Awards are a highlight of my year, and it's a real honor to be nominated by such a well-respected motorsports magazine," said Wheldon. "It's always nice being back in London with my racing friends and my family, and I'm hoping I have the chance to get on stage and thank all the people that made my 2005 IndyCar (Series) season such a success. I couldn?t do what I do without a lot of support."
After a runner-up finish in the 2004 IndyCar Series championship, in which he posted three race wins and 12 top-4 finishes, Wheldon recorded one of the most dominating seasons in American open-wheel racing history this year. He became the first Englishman to win the Indianapolis 500 since the late Graham Hill in 1966; the first driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and a major Driver's Championship since Jacques Villeneuve in 1995; and the first driver in IRL history to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series Championship.
In 2005, Wheldon won four of the first five races of the season for the first time in IndyCar Series history. Overall, he captured six wins in 17 races, breaking Sam Hornish Jr.'s record for most wins in a season, and recorded 12 top-5 finishes and 15 top-10 finishes. Wheldon also set records for races led (15), total points (628) and earnings ($2,711,005).
In less than three seasons in the IndyCar Series, Wheldon is already tied for second place all-time in career wins with nine; having accomplished this in only 49 starts.
Other nominees in the International Racing Driver of the Year category include 2005 Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso, 2005 Formula 1 runner-up Kimi Raikkonen, and 2005 LeMans 24 Hours champion Tom Kristensen. The British Competition Driver of the Year nominees include Formula 1 star Jenson Button, DTM (German Touring Cars) driver Gary Paffett and World Touring Car Championship driver Andy Priaulx.
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