The Dark End to An Even Darker Week

Last week, we reflected on the life of Dan Wheldon, one year after his fatal accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. One year ago today, we lost not one, but two souls.

October 23, 2011: It had been one week since the accident at Las Vegas. The funeral had just happened yesterday and a memorial service for Dan was schedule for later that after noon at then Conseco Fieldhouse. Thanks to NBC Sports Net (then Versus) and ESPN3, I was going to be able to watch the service but I had set my alarm for 4am. The MotoGP race was going to be on from Malaysia and it was the first major race since Las Vegas. I was slow and a little groggy as a rolled over to find the remote. I turned my television on just in time for the first replay and it the first 30 seconds of my Sunday I could not believed it had happened again.

Marco Simoncelli is a name many American race fans, let alone average Americans would not know. The Italian rider was one you could notice from a mile away with his massive afro but on the track, he was fast and extremely talented. After winning the 250cc title in 2008, Simoncelli debuted in MotoGP in 2010, where he was consistent all year long scoring points.

2011, Simoncelli stole the show at times. Fast and up front but with one flaw. He had a tendency to lose the bike when he was in a great position to win or get a podium. At Jerez he high-sided while leading, the following race at Estoril he started second and had an accident on lap one. He won poles at Catalunya and Assen but at Assen he got caught up with Jorge Lorenzo in a lap one accident. The race before Assen, he fell while running third at Silverstone, granted in the wet. And he was doing all this on a customer bike. Imagine how fast he would have been on a factory Honda.

Towards the end of 2011, he had reigned in more control. Got a podium at Brno, three consecutive fourths before a second at Australia. Everything looked to be up heading into the final two rounds of 2011 and all of 2012. Malaysia, Marco ran wide while running fourth, did all he could to save it, and came across right into Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards. Just as in Vegas, the race was cancelled, everybody went home. Unlike IndyCar, MotoGP went back to racing at Valencia just a few weeks later. Instead of a minute of silence for Super Sic, they had a minute of noise. That was his personality.

The other soul was that of Iron Man Michael Wanser, son of Target Chip Ganassi Racing's team manager Barry Wanser. Michael was only six year's old when he lost his year long battle with leukemia. All of IndyCar supported Iron Man Michael in his battle and his death, shortly before Dan's Memorial Service was the final sucker punch to end what had been a dark week.