Wilson forged a successful career in Champ Car and Ind圜ar He also drove for the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team but Wilson's most satisfying successes probably came with Dale Coyne Racing.Īn archetypal low-budget outfit, they were without a win in 25 years of trying before Wilson took victory at Watkins Glen in 2009.Īnother win came at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2012, with Wilson's best championship finish (sixth) coming the following season. Switching to the rival - and predominantly oval-based - Ind圜ar series in 2008, Wilson found the going tougher but still won at Detroit in his debut year for the Newman-Haas outfit. Runner-up slots came in the following two years behind Sebastien Bourdais, who subsequently switched to F1 himself with Toro Rosso. Wilson joined the Champ Car circuit and served further indication of his talent in 2005 when he finished third in the championship with two wins.
But any thoughts that this might be his big F1 break were dashed as Webber generally held the upper hand.ĭespite an eighth place in the United States GP at Indianapolis, he was released by the team at season's end and decided to head Stateside. The two then became team-mates when, after 11 races at Minardi, Wilson also joined Jaguar in time for the 2003 German GP. Like Webber, however, he was given a break by Paul Stoddart, who placed him in one of his Minardi cars in 2003 after the Australian driver had moved on to join Jaguar.
Securing the necessary funding was a problem - a share scheme set up to invest in his career raised over £1m - and at 6 feet 4 inches, Wilson was also tall for a racing driver. Moving up to Formula 3000, he won that title in 2001, beating Mark Webber in the final standings.Īlthough Webber got his F1 break the following year, the Englishman had to wait a little longer.
Like so many drivers, Justin Wilson, who has died aged 37 after a crash at the Pocono Raceway, made a name for himself in the United States after career opportunities in Europe had dried up.īorn in Sheffield, Wilson began racing karts aged nine and graduated to cars in the Formula Vauxhall series before winning the inaugural Formula Palmer Audi championship.
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