Wheldon's spirit lives on through others

This is a story of extraordinary friendship, extreme empathy and uncommon action.

It’s a story of a man who responded to a close friend’s death by uprooting his own family and moving a thousand miles to provide hands-on support to the grieving family.

It’s a story about another much-younger man, just a few years out of his teens, who came up with an idea that raised almost $700,000 for this same grieving family.

And it’s a racing story, forged in the strong friendships and bonds of men and women who compete in a sport in which competitors can and sometimes do pay the ultimate price.

In the days after the death of IndyCar Series star and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon, 33, in the Oct. 16 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his former teammate, Scott Dixon, wasn’t just there for the Wheldons, he was literally there. Dixon temporarily relocated with his wife and two kids — a toddler and newborn — from their Indianapolis home to rent a place in St. Petersburg, Fla., just down the street from Wheldon’s widow, Susie, and their two boys — Sebastian, 2, and Oliver, 7 months.

And it was IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, now 23, who remembered so vividly growing up as the son of a famous race-car driver and felt compelled to spearhead an online auction that raised a staggering $670,000 for Wheldon’s family.

Wheldon’s death has been heart-wrenching for many in the racing community, but it hit particularly close to home for these two drivers, who will compete in Sunday’s IndyCar Series season opener, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Dixon and Rahal each felt compelling — but distinctive — bonds with Wheldon. Dixon and his wife were recently married and are starting a family, while Rahal is no less empathetic, having grown up watching his own father compete in Indy cars during the 1980s and 1990s in a considerably less-safe era.

“We just thought it was the right thing to do, especially for Susie,” said Dixon, 31, who is still a bit reticent to share many details. “I loved being there with Sebastian and Oliver, but also for Susie to talk to (my wife) Emma.”

“Dan would do the same thing; that’s the kind of guy he was,” said Dixon, who teamed with Wheldon at Target Chip Ganassi Racing from 2006-08.

“There are just no words for it. It’s just such a bad situation — still is — and you still think the guy is going to walk through the door the next day. He’s one of those people that touched many, many people because of the guy he was.”

Unlike Dixon, Rahal didn’t share the circumstance of young family and long friendship with Wheldon. Instead, Rahal figures he was more motivated by the situation dealt to Wheldon’s sons. He easily could have been them.

“It hit home for all of us, but particularly for me with my dad and watching him race all those years,” said Rahal, whose father, Bobby, is the 1986 Indy 500 winner and a three-time series champ.

“I realize how fortunate I am, in that my dad never really got hurt in all those years. I don’t think he even broke a bone. So then you have a situation like Dan’s. I know how those boys are going to feel, and I want to make sure they know all the things their dad did and what kind of person he was.

“I wasn’t the most obvious guy for Susie to go to — like Dan’s closer friends Dario (Franchitti), Tony (Kanaan) and Scott — but I thought, ‘I have to do something to help.’ ”

Rahal initially had what now seems like a rather modest idea — to auction off one of his race-worn helmets on Twitter.

“I normally get about $3,000 for one at fundraisers, so I figured for Dan, maybe I’d get $5,000,” Rahal said.

So, he did what most young athletes are doing: He tweeted his idea to raise money for a trust established for the Wheldon family.

His Twitter following jumped from 15,000 to more than 20,000 almost immediately after he offered to sell the helmet. He contacted friends such as five-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson and three-time golf major winner Nick Price and asked if they had something they could contribute.

“They did, and the reaction I was getting from fans was incredible,” Rahal recalled. “This story of Dan hits home to everyone — not just people involved in racing — and it was absolutely amazing how everything took off.”

Soon, Rahal started getting more memorabilia, such as a driver’s suit worn by seven-time Formula One champ Michael Schumacher and helmets worn and autographed by NASCAR stars such as Johnson, Tony Stewart and stock car convert Danica Patrick. Drivers representing nearly all forms of racing contributed, as did athletes from other sports.

“Soon, it grew so big, my girlfriend Laken (Kurtz) and I couldn’t handle it. My whole front porch was stacked full of boxes coming in, so we had to get eBay to help out,” Rahal said.

In the end — despite a small glitch in some bidders paying up — the Rahal-led effort raised $670,000, including a high bid of $30,000 for a Ferrari uniform worn by two-time Formula One champ Fernando Alonso.

“I think it just shows the effect Dan had on people,” Rahal said. “Everyone pitched in, and I’m really proud of how it all turned out.”

Although grateful to all of those who have reached out, Susie Wheldon has preferred to keep a low profile. She went to Indianapolis to accept the “Baby Borg” trophy commemorating Wheldon’s 2011 Indy 500 victory. And accompanied by her two young sons, she spoke briefly two weeks ago at a ceremony unveiling “Dan Wheldon Way,” a street named for him, in downtown St. Petersburg.

Wheldon’s younger sister, Holly, has agreed to drop the green flag for Sunday’s race and award the winner’s trophy afterward. Susie has opted to take her children and go out of town during the four-day race weekend.

Several drivers will be wearing tributes to Wheldon on their helmets. Marco Andretti — who would have teamed with Wheldon at Andretti Autosport this season — has chosen to include a reference to England’s King Richard “The Lionheart” — a king known for his considerable heart and bravery.

Wheldon had a mural of Lionheart on his helmet, and it also lends its name to his pictorial biography.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, it’s clear the spirit of Lionheart lives on.

“St. Pete means a lot to me,” Rahal said. “And if it’s me who wins Sunday, and I get the trophy from Holly (Wheldon), for a lot of reasons it will be an emotional moment — for a lot of people.”