IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon
IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon of Britain watches his team work on his car in the pit lane during practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis in this May 8, 2009 file photo. Wheldon died in a horrific IndyCar crash ib Las Vegas on Sunday. Reuters

An IndyCar crash on Sunday claimed the life of Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Three other racers -- Pippa Mann, J.R. Hildebrand and Will Power -- were injured in the fiery 15-car pileup on Lap 13 of the IndyCar race.

Wheldon's autopsy is planned for Monday, according to The Associated Press. He was airlifted from the track to University Medical Center and his colleagues learned that he was dead two hours later.

IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard made an official announcement of Wheldon's death, but he didn't comment further.

IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries, Bernard said. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race. In honor of Dan Wheldon, the drivers have decided to do a five-lap salute to in his honor.

Wheldon stood to get $5 million if he had won the race, but he was unable to avoid a wreck that started when two cars brushed tires, after which several cars burst into flames.

Paul Dana's death at Homestead during a crash in a morning warmup was the last fatal Indy car crash, The AP reported.

One minute you're joking around at driver intros. The next, Dan's gone, said driver Dario Franchitti, whose wife, actress Ashley Judd, had to bring him a box of tissues. I lost, we lost, a good friend. Everybody in the IndyCar series considered him a friend. He was such a good guy. He was a charmer.

Wheldon was a two-time Indy winner to include this year's race.

Wheldon's Indy 500 Win:

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