The following is a selection of reaction from the world of motor sport to the death of Britain's Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon after a 15-car crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300 in Las Vegas on Sunday:

Danica Patrick, IndyCar driver with Andretti Autosport:

There are no words for today. Myself and so many others are devastated. I pray for Susie (Wheldon) and the kids that God will give them strength.

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British driver Dario Franchitti, a four-time IndyCar series champion:

I could see within five laps people were starting to do crazy stuff ... I love hard racing but that to me is not really what it's about. One small mistake from somebody ...

Right now I'm numb and speechless. One minute you're joking around in driver intros and the next he's gone.

He was six years old when I first met him. He was this little kid and the next thing you know he was my team mate.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to win races and championships and today it doesn't matter.

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Andretti Autosport statement:

Dan was an Indy 500 champion and IndyCar Series champion with Andretti Autosport -- and one of our closest competitors.

Dan brought such enthusiasm and passion to the sport not often seen in motorsports. We will remember Dan's tremendous racing accomplishments with our team as well his infectious personality.

We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Dan's family, racing team and friends today. Dan is one of IndyCar's greatest champions.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway Executive Officer Jeff Belskus:

We are incredibly saddened at the passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great champion of the Indianapolis 500 and a wonderful ambassador for the race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all of motorsports.

Most importantly, he was a fantastic husband, father and man -- a good friend to so many in this sport. His memory will live forever at the Speedway, both through the magnitude of his accomplishments on the track and his magnetism off the track. Our deepest sympathies are extended to his entire family, team and fans.

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Six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson: My thoughts and prayers go out to the Wheldon family... My heart hurts for all of the IRL community.

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Lewis Hamilton, British Formula One driver:

This is an extremely sad day. Dan was a racer I'd followed throughout my career, as I often followed in his footsteps as we climbed the motorsport ladder in the UK.

He was an extremely talented driver. As a British guy, who not only went over to the States but who twice won the Indy 500, he was an inspirational guy, and someone that every racing driver looked up to with respect and admiration.

This is a tragic loss at such a young age. My heart goes out to his family and friends during this extremely difficult time.

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Bill Foster, mayor of St.Petersburg in Florida where Wheldon had his residence:

It's a tremendous blow for this sport and his adopted city. All I can think about is his wife and children at this time. As a community, we're just going to lift his family up and make sure they're supported.

He was a member of this community. He was very active in the Sports Alliance. He loved St. Pete. This was his home. We adopted him as our favorite racing son.

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