IRL Driver Is Killed in Crash Before Race

Driver Paul Dana was killed in a practice crash Sunday before the Indy Racing League season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He was 30.

Dana slammed into a car driven by Ed Carpenter at more than 175 mph after Carpenter had spun high in Turn 2, slid down the banking and nearly come to a stop.

Both were airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where Dana was pronounced dead shortly before 9 a.m. PST, the IRL said. Carpenter was listed in stable condition, it said.

Dana and Carpenter were warming up for the Toyota Indy 300, which was run as scheduled on the 1.5-mile oval track after the crowd observed a moment of silence.

Reigning IRL champion Dan Wheldon won the race in a close finish, edging Helio Castroneves by a nose after they raced side-by-side for several laps.

But Dana’s car owner, the Rahal Letterman Racing team of racing legend Bobby Rahal and TV host David Letterman, withdrew the two cars driven by Dana’s teammates -- Danica Patrick and Buddy Rice -- before the race started.

“It is a very black day for us, and on behalf of our entire team our prayers and sympathy go out to the entire Dana family,” Rahal said.

Wheldon placed Dana’s number, 17, on the side of his car before the race began, then offered condolences as soon as he reached victory lane.

“This was a very sad day,” Wheldon said. “What’s important about today is our thoughts and prayers are with the Dana family. It’s very difficult to race under circumstances like this.”

Dana, a St. Louis native who lived in Indianapolis, was the third driver to die in the 10-year history of the IRL and the first since Tony Renna was killed in a crash during testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2003. Scott Brayton died in a practice crash at Indianapolis in May 1996.

Dana, a former motor sports journalist with a degree from Northwestern, was effectively starting his second rookie season in the IRL’s top-flight IndyCar Series after working his way up through the league’s Indy Pro Series ranks.

He ran three races last year for Ethanol Hemelgarn Racing -- including a 10th-place finish at Homestead-Miami -- but suffered a season-ending back injury in May during practice for the Indianapolis 500. He joined Rahal Letterman this year, a move he called “a dream come true.”

Dana, who is survived by his wife Tonya, had qualified ninth in the original 20-car starting grid for Sunday’s race.

“Paul Dana’s passing is a terrible tragedy,” Letterman said in a statement. “I did not know Paul personally, but we were all proud to have him on our team and are deeply saddened by his tragic passing at such a young age.”

Dana’s accident occurred minutes after morning practice began, and it was not immediately clear why Dana was unable to avoid Carpenter, whose spin had occurred well in front of Dana and had triggered the yellow caution lights. Carpenter is the stepson of Tony George, the IRL’s founder and president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Wheldon’s victory was his second straight win at Homestead-Miami, but his first since moving to the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team this year. In 2005, Wheldon also won the Indianapolis 500 and the IRL championship for Andretti Green Racing.

The decision by Rahal Letterman Racing to withdraw its other drivers out of respect for Dana was not unprecedented.

In September 1999, Penske Racing driver Gonzalo Rodriguez of Uruguay was killed in a practice crash at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in what was then the Championship Auto Racing Teams series. Owner Roger Penske then withdrew Rodriguez’s teammate, Al Unser Jr., from the race.

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Paul Dana biography

Age: 30. Born in St. Louis, Mo., on April 15, 1975.

* Family: Dana and his wife, Tonya, have no children. Their home is in Indianapolis.

* Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern.

* Before driving: Started as a motorsports journalist and wrote for several magazines, including Autoweek and Sports Illustrated.

* Driving experience: 1996-1997, debuted in Bridgestone Racing School Mechanics Championship and won three races; 1998-1999, ran in Skip Barer Formula Dodge Series, earning six wins and seven poles; 2000, competed in Formula Ford 1600 SCCA Nationals; 2001, made national USF2000 series debut, earning two top fives, and finished second in U.S. F3 series debut at Mosport Park; 2003, six top-10 finishes as a rookie in Indy Pro Series; 2004, finished second in Indy Pro Series points, including a victory at Milwaukee Mile; 2005, drove in three IRL IndyCar Series races, finishing 10th in debut at Homestead-Miami, but sustained season-ending broken back in crash during practice for Indianapolis 500 in May; 2006, signed with Rahal Letterman Racing.

Associated Press