During lap 179 of 200, the 37-year-old was trailing several cars behind the leader, rookie Sage Karam, when Karam’s No. 8 car spun out of control on turn one, colliding with the wall to the right.
On the ricochet, Karam’s car slid to the middle of the track amid airborne debris.
As Wilson passed the car on the inside, a piece of debris struck his helmet — IndyCars’ cockpits are exposed — knocking him unconscious and sending his car into the inside wall.
Wilson was taken to the hospital at 9 p.m. Sunday.
“With deep sadness, (the Wilson family shares) the news that Justin has passed away today,” the Wilson family said in a statement Monday. “Justin was a loving father and devoted husband, as well as a highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers.”
Wilson was a leading advocate for fan safety at race tracks, and he even suggested moving the grandstands to the inside of the track because cars’ momentum takes the debris to the outside of the track.
He also suggested moving the stands farther from the walls.
Wilson was in his eighth IndyCar season, the best of which was 2013, when he finished the year with a rank of sixth and an average finish of ninth in 19 races.
His was 24th in 2015 with 108 points, 392 behind the lead.
“Can’t even begin to describe the loss I feel right now,” Wilson’s brother, Stefan, tweeted. “He was my Brother, my best friend, my role model and mentor. He was a champion!”
Taylor Lehman
