IndyCar legends Bryan Herta and Tony Kanaan remember Dan Wheldon at his St. Petersburg memorial

Almost 20 years after the late Dan Wheldon's 2005 Indy 500 triumph, IndyCar legends Bryan Herta and Tony Kanaan remembered the former British motor racing driver on Thursday.

Dan Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar champion, was a household name in the world of American motorsports. He competed in America's open-wheel events for top teams like Panther Racing, Andretti Green Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Bryan Herta Autosport.

Ahead of 2025 season, Herta and Kanaan took a picture in front of Dan Wheldon's memorial in St. Petersburg. Moreover, Bryan Herta reshared Andretti IndyCar's X post and wrote,

"How could it be 20 years!?? @dariofranchitti @TonyKanaan #Lionheart"

Since his Series debut in 2002, Dan Wheldon competed in 128 races and managed to amass 16 wins and five pole positions. Notably, he triumphed in the iconic Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. Unfortunately, Wheldon died during IndyCar Challenge in Las Vegas in 2011, aged 33.

Tony Kannan secures major IndyCar role ahead of 2025 season

The 107TH Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Tony Kanaan - Source: Getty

While Tony Kanaan and Bryan Herta have remembered Dan Wheaton ahead of 2025 season, the former has been entrusted with a major role. The 50-year-old Brazilian was recently promoted to the Team Principal role at Arrow McLaren.

Speaking about his new role with McLaren, Kanaan said (via Arrow McLaren's official website)

"A lot has happened since my last Indy 500 less than two years ago, to say the least. I’ve embraced every opportunity to grow with the team and I’m excited to officially step into the Team Principal role, and having Kevin join to take on the business side of our team is part of our winning strategy. We’re always looking for good people and talent to make the team stronger, and he and I will work well together."

Just like Dan Wheldon, Tony Kanaan is an absolute legend of sport. His racing career began in 2002 at the Indianapolis 500, and over the years, he managed to secure a whopping 296 race starts.Kanaan also secured 16 Grand Prix wins, 73 podiums, and 11 pole positions. Moreover, he won the IndyCar Series championship in 2004.

Keeping in view the wealth of experience, Kanaan seems a good choice to lead the Arrow McLaren team in 2025 season. Under his guidance, the outfit's young drivers, Pato O'Ward (25-year-old), Christian Lundgaard (23-year-old), and Nolan Siegel, 20, could really prosper and make the upcoming campaign a huge success. In 2024, O'Ward managed a fifth-place finish with 460 points from three wins, six top-five, and 10 top-ten finishes. The 2025 campaign will begin on February 28 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.