INDIANAPOLIS – Sebastian Wheldon now knows more about his father’s Indianapolis 500 legacy.
The 9-year-old son of two-time 500 winner Dan Wheldon spent Thursday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sebastian drove a Hot Wheels-wrapped go-kart through Gasoline Alley and onto the track’s frontstretch. There, he parked, climbed out and kissed the iconic yard of bricks at the start/finish line.
Dan Wheldon kissed the same bricks after Indy 500 wins in 2005 and 2011.
Sebastian’s day at IMS included visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which houses the Borg-Warner Trophy with two of Dan’s likenesses. Sebastian also sat in the No. 98 car his father drove to victory in the 2011 race. Dan Wheldon died in October 2011 from injuries sustained in a crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Sebastian’s mother, Susie, described it as a special day for the family.
“(IMS) holds some big feelings for our family, for sure, and emotions,” she said. “Watching Sebastian was really super special. You’re kind of in the moment with everything and don’t necessarily get to stop and pause – maybe this evening or later tonight it will sink in.
“He dreams of being a race car driver.”
Sebastian is in town to compete in the Hot Wheels INDYCAR Junior Grand Prix powered by K1 Speed at the K1 facility in Fishers, Indiana (9998 E. 121st St.). The competition is a result of a partnership between INDYCAR, the sanctioning body for the Verizon IndyCar Series, and the iconic Hot Wheels brand that has thrilled children for 50 years with its scale die-cast toy cars.
A host of youngsters will compete in three regional karting events for the chance to advance to the Junior Grand Prix Championship Race at San Francisco’s K1 Speed facility on Sept. 13, held in conjunction with the Verizon IndyCar Series season finale at Sonoma Raceway (Sept. 14-16).
The top three finishers from Thursday’s event will advance to compete against qualifiers from similar events on June 7 in Arlington, Texas, and on July 12 in Toronto. Those qualifiers are being held in conjunction with the Verizon IndyCar Series race weekends at Texas Motor Speedway and the streets of Toronto, respectively.
Thursday’s event begins with registration at 4:30 p.m. and practice starting at 5 p.m., with the public encouraged to attend. The karters will have top-shelf support. INDYCAR driver James Hinchcliffe is serving as a driver mentor for the Indiana competition, with Josef Newgarden the driver mentor for the Texas event and Robert Wickens are mentoring in Toronto.
The festivities at IMS were nice, but Sebastien Wheldon – already a winning karter in his home state of Florida – is eager to race his kart at K1 Speed.
“Mommy, when are we going to race?” Susie Wheldon said her son keeps asking. “He’s really looking forward to that. All these kids have a dream, and it has to start somewhere.”
Team Hinchcliffe will represent the top Indianapolis finishers, Team Newgarden will come from the Arlington, Texas, event, and Team Wickens will carry the flag in Toronto. The three INDYCAR drivers will help host the karters and their families for the finale in California.
“This is such an amazing opportunity for these kids; I wish there had been something like this when I was young!” said Newgarden, INDYCAR’s reigning champion. “All of us have karting backgrounds, so I can’t wait to meet them and support them.”
The INDYCAR drivers also can relate to the Junior Grand Prix because most had Hot Wheels growing up. Now in its 50th year, the Hot Wheels diecast car is the No. 1-selling toy in the world, with 16.5 Hot Wheels sold every second. The name came from the first response of Mattel co-founder Elliott Handler upon seeing the first design rolling along the floor. “Those are some hot wheels,” he said.
K1 Speed has more than 30 facilities across the United States.
