We had the opportunity to share the greatest moment that any car owner or race driver could ever experience when Dan Wheldon won the Centennial Indianapolis 500 earlier this year. A couple of months ago while we were having dinner in Nashville, I told Dan about this book commemorating our 50th year in business, and he said he would like to write a note that could be included. When I received that handwritten note on Sunday, October 9th, I asked the publisher to make this one final inclusion before printing.

A few days later the book was at the printer, ready to roll. Then, in one tragic moment on October 16, 2011, all that changed. The publisher was asked to contact the printer and hold the press.

My wife, Linda, and I were participating with Dan in the Las Vegas race, and we were proud to present Dan with his Indianapolis 500 ring. We were stunned at how excited he was to receive the ring and also, how thrilled he was to talk about his wife, Susie, and his sons, Sebastian and Oliver. Dan was not only a great race driver but he was also a great husband, father, and most of all, a very special person. It's hard to believe that we were standing next to Dan seconds before he got into his car and that twelve laps later we would never see him again. We are proud to pay tribute to Dan's great racing career and also his magnificent life.

—Mike Curb