at las vegas motor speedway. there will be a five-lap salute. stay with us. what started out as an exciting day here at las vegas motor speedway has ended in tragedy. the news has just been released that dan wheldon has been killed in a crash on lap number 13 of this race. in the final race of the 2011 season. you heard the tail end of an announcement by randy bernard, the head man at the league here that the drivers and team officials and owners have gotten together and the race will not be finished. the drivers will do a five-lap tribute salute, that should take place in a matter of minutes. but the air of excitement that started this day is completely gone, as we have lost dan wheldon. and there's marco andretti, his former teammate, killed in this tragic 15-car crash at las vegas motor speedway. we mentioned the tribute lap, all the drivers, they'll be getting back into that are cars. it will be five laps in length, as soon as they get everybody together. and as i mentioned before -- this is the hardest part for us, the last time we had to do this was march of 2006, down in homestead, when paul dana was killed in practice, the morning of the race there. and unfortunately over the years, it has happened too many times. greg moore in 1999, at the season finale in fontana. '99 in september, gonzalo rodriguez, at practice at laguna seika. scott braten, practicing after he had won the pole for the indianapolis 500. there is also the fact that dan, who won the second time at indy this year, he's not the first to have his life ended later in the season. in 1920, gaston receive lay, he was killed later in november at a race in beverly hills. 1946, george robson, he later was killed at a race in atlanta. >> see all the drivers now, they are going to do that five-lap tribute, as you mentioned, marty. and it will be one of the most emotional five laps that they've ever done in their life, simply from the fact that they are going out there, not to compete, but to give a tribute to a dear friend and colleague that has been killed today. and you're not putting your helmet on and your visor down and going into race mode. you're going out there for a tribute. there's no doubt there will be tears shed behind the visor of the drivers out there. >> chip ganassi there. and the man on the right, don "the snake" predome. he is -- he's seen too much of this in his life, as well. let's take you back, if you're just tuning in, we're going to take you back and give you the full, complete version of randy bernard's official announce m, just a few minutes ago. >> indycar is very sad to announce that dan wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries. >> okay. and obviously you heard rick debruhl, he was trying to get us, to get down there quickly to get the announcement and the official position of the league and we did catch the tail end of it where they had said that this race will not continue and the drivers will do a five-lap tribute. there's sarah fisher. just two weeks ago, she was on top of the world. ed carpenter had just given her her first victory as a team owner. winning over dario fran key teal by oh, so close a margin. and how quickly everyone's emotions and feelings change, as here we are, two weeks later. as we said, we were going to celebrate, not only a championship, but a rookie of the year championship. danica's farewell. and maybe dan winning $5 million, if he could have won this race. >> and as we watch this, marty, we said this before, this sport is a natural high, when you drive, it gives you the highest highs but also has the lowest lows. and you don't understand that until you're involved in the sport. ed a as we see dario franchitti here. it's just -- it pulls your gut out in this scenario. overall, it's going to be a case where all the drivers are going to remember this. it's tough. it's the last race of the year, eddie, and it's something they'll carry forward. >> i think it really is a beautiful statement to his life that they're going to do that now. they're going out now and they're going to run those five laps. >> we see tony kanaan who probably knew dan best as far as all the drivers were concerned. got in his car early, just sitting there, contemplating. as you mentioned, tears probably just coming down. there will be emotions that -- how can you contain them? >> racing has lost a great champion, not just indycar, but an incredible driver with an amazing record at the indy 500, but an enthusiasm for the sport that was very difficult to find. >> just saw helio castroneves there, i heard him doing an interview earlier this weekend. there's helio. and he said, it's never the fear of being on the track, it's the fear of not having a ride. he said, i love this so much. i just want to have a ride. >> that's why drivers put their foot on the gas. they don't lift. you talk about the racing we have here, and how crazy it is at the very beginning of it. as race drivers, you drive as fast as you can. that's what we are instilled to do. it starts off when you start very young, as you and i discussed. you go through all the different formulas that you race at and you want to compete, you want to win. and you're not just like that on the racetrack. you're a competitor. and everything that you do, you want to do it better than the other person. >> guys -- i want to let everybody at home know obviously this crash has aired probably on every news outlet already across the board and, yes, it is a tragic situation. i want to give you the accident at home. if you do not want to see this crash again, go ahead and turn away. we're going to go through it one more time, because it really is not the safer barrier, but it's the catch fence that does so much damage in this, to not just dan's car, but to so many of the others. and this is in slow motion from high above. >> all the drivers are very crowded going into this corner. one of them touches, goes sideways and then mayhem. >> and this is what we talked about before. these speeds, 220 miles an hour, going the length of a football field in less than a second. and you don't plan your next move as this speed, as can you see the cars going one other each other and they get up to the catch fence and those are the ones, the catch fences, that do the damage. the safer walls really help dissipate the energy when the cars hit. but the catch fencing that's above the safer barriers that the cars got up into and that is what has done the damage. >> another angle and it's the second air born car in your screen. >> and as you mentioned, cars going for the same spot. at this speed, it just starts to go sideways. climb start to climb up and over. as cars come into frame, you see cars sliding through and jump into the air and now watch -- and the car now goes up, it is airborne, and gets into the catch fencing with the cockpit area first, which is something that you just cannot be prepared for. >> and there is nothing you can actually do. there's nothing. the drivers are put into positions, there is nothing they can do. >> here it is in slow motion, and up can see how it arrives. >> the parts are going everywhere, you are trying to miss the large pieces, the cars himselves and parts are falling out of the sky. you really don't know where to go or what to do and if you escape this and you get through it, you sort of pinch yourself on the far side of it and said, i made it. and unfortunately -- some did not. >> last angle on this that we will see you. >> very painful to watch. >> it is. it's just -- it's heartwrenching. you know these people as competitors, as sometimes they're angry with what you say about them on the air, but trust me -- >> there it is right there. >> the impact you were talking about, scott, cockpit towards the catch fence. another view from danica's car, as she was one of the 19 that managed to make it through. >> she's on the lower part of the track which was a good position to be in. she has a birds eye view of everything from here. >> we heard her said earlier that she thought things were getting a little bit crazy. she eased off the throttle. not something that drivers do. bull she just felt uncomfortable. sixth sense about it, if you will. just gave herself a little bit more breathing space, which is just something that worked out very well for her. >> charlie kimball's view. he had nowhere to go. >> and the car went right over the top of him. >> and there's another car flying over the top. >> literally -- i've been in these accidents. there's nothing you can do. once it starts to happen, the momentum has to just play this off. >> the number 77, dan wheldon's car, number today, has now been put at the top of the scoring pylon here at las vegas motor speedway. and the tribute lap as the cars are beginning to form, as we salute dan wheldon. don't ever say race car drivers don't have emotions, that they feel nothing. that's dario franchitti. >> probably the last thing he wants to do right now is drive a race car. >> this is a tough moment for everybody here, as dan wheldon loses his life today in the series finale, as he was going for $5 million, if he could have gone from 34th to 1st. his car number 77, sits atop the scoring pylon, and the 19 cars that are still able to make the laps are going to do a five-lap tribute in dan's honor. here at las vegas motor speedway. vince -- you got some details of what was in the driver's meeting? >> well, i've been told by one of the drivers that in the drivers only gathering, dario franchitti and tony kanaan broke the news to the group of drivers that dan had passed away. there was discussion about whether or not they should continue the race. there were drivers on both sides of that fence. at that point, randy bernard came in and said that he understood it would be extremely difficult for them to make that decision at this time, considering what had just happen and that he suggested that make a three-wide formation and do the five laps in dan's honor and that was unanimously agreed upon by the drivers that that would be the fitting way to put an end to this day. just spoken with a member from dan's team and as all the cars are lining up to take this five-lap honoring of dan wheldon, dan's team will come out and stand on pit lane, as well. very, very emotional down here, as might imagine. marty? >> and the fans are standing here in the grandstands at las vegas motor speedway. as they are seeing everyone come out on pit road. and it is literally being lined by all the teams. >> something that we mentioned before, this will be the most difficult five laps that any driver has ever done inside of a cockpit of a race car. >> there is dan's team, as they are making their way out to pit lane. this move of canceling the race is not unprecedented. it happened in may of 1999 at charlotte, three spectators were hit by flying debris and killed from a crash and the race was halted. and -- but here today, just 12 completed laps, tragedy strikes in what was supposed to be a celebration of a great season, a great championship battle. a farewell to danica patrick, as she moves on in his career. little did we know how it would end up at this moment, with all of us, stunned and just really in some disbelief, as dan wheldon is not with us to celebrate this victorious day. >> think about all the work that dan has done on the new 2012 car that he was reporting back to all the drivers with great excitement, as they anticipate the new car coming out for 2012. ironically, a new safer car, marty. >> he was talking about how the sound of it, that turbo and everything was so cool. let's go back, in case you are just tuning in, again, to randy bernard's announcement of what was going to happen and how it happened. indy car is very sad to announce that dan wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries. our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. indycar, its drivers and team owners, have decided to end the race. in honor of dan wheldon, the drivers have decided to do a five-lap salute in his honor. it will take place in approximately ten minutes. thank you. >> and here we are, on the track, everybody lined up along pit lane, and there is the field of 19 cars that survived that horrific crash and made it through for the five-lap salute to dan wheldon. when they begin this five laps, folks, we're just going to sit back and reflect with you. so, the 2011 izod indycar series comes to a close. but not the way that any of us had anticipated nor wanted. championship has been won but there's no celebration. career has ended in one sport to move on to the next. but there is no happiness. and for as of us, it is just an emptiness, as we have lost, truly a great racer in dan wheldon. jamie little has been standing by at university medical center, three others were transported there, jr hildebrand, pippa mann and will power. jamie? an update from there? >> university medical center right now in the trauma department. and as you can imagine, there's a lot of emotion here. dan wheldon's wife susie, their two little boys, his three brothers and his sister were all by his side. the team owner is here. i've b
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