A Tribute to my Favorite Driver Justin Wilson

A Tribute to Favorite Driver Justin Wilson
By: Brian Cotnoir

     When a driver is killed during a race everything seems to slow down and the garage area at the track seems much smaller.  When I was a little kid I wanted to be a race car driver when I grew up more than anything in the world, but things change and you get older and you head down different paths.  Even though I never raced anything past quarter-midgets I never lost my passion for racing, and still watched it as an avid fan.  As a fan of racing I’ve experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.  I’ve shared the excitement of drivers experiencing the thrills of victory and the agony of defeat.  I’ve also experienced the tragedy of watching a driver lose his life during a race.  I’ve seen many great drivers like Greg Moore, Dale Earnhardt. Sr, and Dan Wheldon lose their lives during a race, and now I’ve experience another great tragedy, the loss of my favorite IndyCar driver, Justin Wilson.

          When I first started following IndyCar more closely a few years back I remember being very intrigued by this English race car driver named Justin Wilson.  He wasn’t the best driver, he didn’t drive for the best team, but he was always a competitive driver and always had this strong charismatic presence on TV.  I’d watch the Indy race pre-show just knowing that at some point they were going to interview him, and he was going to say something witty and amusing.  Justin Wilson was my favorite Indy car driver for all of those reasons.  I admired him not just for his driving abilities, but for his charisma and humor, and his pure passion for the sport.  I remember the excitement I felt back in 2012 when I saw him pull the upset victory (and final win of his career) at Texas Motor Speedway when he was driving for Dale Coyne Racing.  I’m going to miss watching him race, and the pre-race show just won’t feel the same without Justin around to interview.  You see Race car drivers and their fans have a very unique bond.  Racing is one of the few sports out there where all the competitors run the risk of being seriously injured or losing their lives.  Yes, athletes in other sports like basketball, football, hockey, and baseball all run the risk of being injured during competition, but very rarely is it a life threatening injury.  Also, the Auto Racing Schedule is spread through almost the entire year.  Every Weekend, we invite the drivers into our homes on our television; it almost feels like you’re getting a visit from a cousin or a very good friend.  You see them interview the drivers, and the drivers let us get glimpse into what their lives are at home and what they’ve been up to. You feel more like you’re catching up with them than anything.  Then there is the most important difference that sets racing apart from all the other sports.  In sports like baseball and football players (typically) associate with members of their own team only on game day, but in racing all the drivers are friends and indeed part of a great, big racing family.  They may drive for different teams and manufacturers, but before and after the race they are all part of the same family.  

     And so the racing community has to mourn the loss of one its Best & Brightest drivers.  For the rest of my life I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch another IndyCar race or pre-show without wishing that Justin Wilson was still alive today and there, but knowing now that on the same day we lost him, his organs was used to save six other people, is the most amazing way I can think of to honor Justin’s memory.  It won’t be just the pictures and videos that will keep his memory alive; there are 6 people in the world that are still alive today because of Justin Wilson.

We’re going to miss you Justin, Godspeed.