IndyCar Series

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It started with a small gesture by Graham Rahal, who wanted to raise money for Dan Wheldon's family by auctioning off his helmet from the IndyCar season finale.

He announced his intentions on Twitter and the response from the motorsports community was immediate and overwhelming. It didn't take Rahal long to realize he alone couldn't handle the outpouring of support for Wheldon, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner killed in the Oct. 16 race at Las Vegas.

IndyCar rookie Pippa Mann rejects the idea that the drivers in the Las Vegas finale did not have enough experience on ovals.

Mann was one of 15 drivers involved in a fiery accident in which two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon was killed.

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Matt Kenseth doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about the dangers involved on race day.

"If that was something that I did think about, then I would find something else to do," Kenseth said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.

"Certainly it is something you think about when you are building race cars. NASCAR is constantly trying to make the tracks, pit road, our cars and everything safer.

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- A promotion that promises a $100,000 bonus if there are 100 lead changes at Talladega Superspeedway is being scrutinized in the wake of Dan Wheldon's fatal accident.

Wheldon was killed in a 15-car accident last Sunday in the IndyCar season finale at Las Vegas. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was in that race chasing a $5 million prize that only Wheldon was eligible to win. The promotion was offered to any moonlighting driver who could win the race, and Wheldon qualified for it because he'd been out of a job all season.

Last month, Talladega officials offered $100,000 to the Sprint Cup drivers if there were 100 lead changes in Sunday's race. If the number is hit, the driver who takes the lead the most times will win the bonus.

LAS VEGAS -- Walking hand-in-hand with his wife, actress Ashley Judd, Dario Franchitti appeared to be in a daze, tears streaming down his face as he passed through the pit stalls at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Scotsman had just secured a place among IndyCar's all-time greats with his third straight series title and fourth overall, yet glory had taken a back seat to shock following the death of Dan Wheldon.

EMBERTON, England -- Struggling to hold back tears, Clive Wheldon's voice quivered as he spoke about his son, "a true champion and a gentleman."

"Daniel was born to be a racer and yesterday left us doing what he loved to do," he said Monday outside the family home in the village of Emberton, a far cry from the high-powered world of auto racing in which his son became one of Britain's most famous exports.

News of Dan Wheldon's death at 33 following a massive and fiery crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300 dominated newspaper headlines and broadcasts in Britain on Monday.

Two victories in the Indianapolis 500 established him as one of the few Britons to master auto racing across the Atlantic. But Wheldon was far from a household name in Britain, where Formula One is the top motor sport and IndyCar receives little coverage.