Dan Wheldon, a native of England, hopes to qualify for his ninth Indianapolis 500 and win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for a second time next weekend. Wheldon was the IndyCar Series champion in 2005, the same year he put his image on the Borg Warner Trophy as an Indy 500 winner. He has raced for the Target Chip Ganassi, Panther, and Andretti Green racing teams, and this year competes with the Bryan Herta Autosport team. Wheldon, 32, who finished second to Sam Hornish Jr. in the 2006 IndyCar Series title chase, lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., with his wife and two young sons.



When did you realize the significance of the Indy 500?

“I had seen a lot about it on television and read about the race, but to be honest it wasn’t until I came here to Indy in person in 1999 that it hit me. The magnitude and importance of this race is unbelievable.”

How did your win at Indy in 2005 impact your life?

“It has been amazing to see the difference it made, just in people’s perception of me. You are the same driver the day before the race as you are the day after the race, but once you win it, people think about you in a much different way.”

Does that aura of being an Indy 500 champion wear off?

“It’s amazing but it doesn’t. So many people recognize the 500 and have paid very close attention to it over the years. Being a champion here is something that changes your life forever.”

Does that 2005 Indy 500 victory allow you to focus on other goals in your career?

“You would think that having won it once you would have a great sense of relief, but what happens is you see how difficult it is to win and how much goes into winning here, and it just increases your hunger more and more and your desire to win it again.

What are your favorite things about the Indianapolis 500, outside of the time spent in the car?

“The more I have done this race, the more I have learned to appreciate all of the history and the tradition of the Indy 500, and this great racetrack. Those are the things that make this such an incredibly important event every year.”

What is the biggest challenge of coming here with a different team?

“This is my ninth Indy 500, with my fourth different team. Making the chemistry work is certainly a big thing, plus it is very difficult to get the exact feel of the race car you want. Those things just take time.”

How has all of rain and delays of this past month impacted your preparation for the Indy 500?

“I’d like to be a bit further ahead, but like all of the other teams, we’ve spent a lot of time in the garage, working on the car and watching it rain. It’s something we can’t control, so we don’t worry over it.”

You are racing for a relatively new team, and going against the powerhouse teams such as Penske, Andretti, Foyt and Ganassi. How do you meet that challenge?

“We are just focusing on our own deal. You can’t spend any time worrying about what the other guys are doing.”

Since sponsorship dollars have been tougher to come by, are you concerned about the long-term stability of the sport?

“It happens to be part of the way the economy is right now. I just try and do the best job I can, every time I get in the race car. That’s all I can control, so that’s what I focus on.”

The weather has finally given the teams a bit of a break and allowed you to put in some test laps. How has the No. 98 car performed?

“It’s obviously nice to be out on the track. The car is pretty good. There are still some improvements to be made but, for as limited as we’ve been in terms of track time, I am pretty encouraged.”

— Matt Markey

First Published May 22, 2011, 4:30 a.m.