Justin Wilson, ready to race at Pocono. [Chris Owens-IMS Photo]
We lost a really good guy at Pocono this week. Not only was Justin Wilson a real racer, and a damn good one, he was more than that. To us, he was much more than the racer you saw doing battle on race tracks around the country and the world, he was a friend, a colleague, a good guy, always quick with a smile and always available to spend time with fans. It is hard to put into words the loss one feels when you lose someone like Justin. To the casual fan who watches on television, drivers are invincible gladiators, defying injury and death at every race. To the racing community, Justin was a real human being who laughed joked and enjoyed the company of like-minded individuals in the racing world. As part of that community, we mourn his loss and will miss him.
Justin Wilson at Sebring in 2015. [Photo by Jack Webster]
He was a fan favorite, not one to take refuge in the team transporter or motor home, but always out in the open, strolling through the paddock, signing autographs, posing for pictures and making time to have conversations. He loved racing and it showed. He even showed up at races where he was not racing – he loved the sport so much.
We knew him mostly from his sports car appearances, from winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2012, to racing this year at the 12 Hours of Sebring in the Ligier.
His loss diminishes us all in motorsports, for he represented all that is good about the racing community – open, honest, fast, and caring. Above all else, he was a great family man and as much as we will miss him, we cannot imagine what his family is going through at the moment.
Perhaps we have become all too accustomed to our heroes strapping themselves into their machines, going off to do battle and then returning unscathed. What happened to Justin Wilson is a stark reminder that this racing business is a very dangerous one and sometimes things go terribly wrong and our heroes do not return from the battle. Hopefully, further steps in regards to driver safety will result from recent accidents, for it is getting more and more difficult to say goodbye to our friends, colleagues and heroes.
A fund has been set up for Justin Wilson’s children. Donations can be sent to: Wilson Children’s Fund, c/o Forum Credit Union, PO Box 50738, Indianapolis, IN 46250-0738
Godspeed, Justin.
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