British racer Justin Wilson dies following IndyCar accident

It's with a very heavy heart we report that British racing driver Justin Wilson has passed away following an accident at the weekend.
 
Wilson, 37, was born in Sheffield. He had previously raced in Formula One with Jaguar and Minardi, before going to compete in America in 2004, joining the IndyCar series in 2008. He totted up seven IndyCar victories, and competed in eight straight Indy 500 races.

The latest IndyCar race took place on August 23 at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. Wilson wasn’t directly involved in an accident, but struck by debris that flew up when race leader Sage Karam hit the outside wall of the circuit following a spin, during the 180th lap. Wilson had been in a coma, but succumbed to his injuries a day later.

His family have released a statement: "With deep sadness, the parents of Justin Wilson, Keith and Lynne, his wife Julia, and his brother Stefan share the news that Justin passed away today after succumbing to injuries suffered during the Verizon IndyCar event at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, August 23.

"Justin was a loving father and devoted husband, as well as a highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers.

"The family would like to thank the staff at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest Hospital,  Pocono Raceway, Andretti Autosport, and the Verizon IndyCar Series as well as the entire racing community for the amazing outpouring of support from fans around the world.

"The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Wilson Children’s Fund care of IndyCar."

It's another difficult piece of news to swallow, with tragedy affecting the motorsport world all too often lately. All our thoughts are with his family, friends and team. Rest in peace, Justin.