Wheldon recalled as ‘super genuine’
IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon ignored fear on the racetrack, but tattoo needles had him rattled the night before he died.
Wheldon was so nervous he "kept making a joke over how much was it going to hurt," said Mark Waters, a Southern California skateboarding event organizer.
Wheldon and wife Susie Behm showed up at Huntington Ink in the Palms late Saturday to make a romantic statement by getting his-and-hers wrist tattoos. While waiting, they chatted at length with Waters and his group.
Waters told Wheldon, "If you can drive a car 200 miles per hour, how can you be afraid of getting a tattoo?"
Wheldon replied, "I've seen what skateboarders do. That's way more dangerous than what I do."
"We all scoffed," Waters said. "My sister said, 'That's not an argument you're going to win.' "
About 15 hours later, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner from Britain died Sunday in a wreck at the IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"It's just so surreal and sad," said Waters, who was driving back to Southern California on Sunday when a friend called with the news that Wheldon had been killed. "He was so super genuine. So nice and friendly. Everybody got pictures with him. Really friendly and full of life."
Rumors of the tattoos first surfaced at the track shortly after the crash. I confirmed it after a tip from Jeremy Pond, celebrity and night-life publicist, who heard it in the pits.
Wheldon was wearing a Las Vegas-themed crash helmet with a roulette wheel painted on the right side and rolling dice on the other. On top was a British flag.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
"America's Got Talent" winner Michael Grimm has landed a gig on the Strip. He'll be covering many holiday classics at the Flamingo Showroom Nov. 29-Dec. 11, starting at 7:30 p.m.
SIGHTINGS
Actress Ashley Judd, with her husband IndyCar champ Dario Franchitti, at Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina (Crystals at CityCenter) on Monday, and later at Todd English P.U.B.
THE PUNCH LINE
"The best way to experience van Gogh's achievements is to go to the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. When I was there I stood in front of the paintings and actually wept. I think I was overpowered by the sheer beauty of his vision. Or perhaps it was the mushrooms." -- Craig Ferguson
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
