won Sunday 's race , the Englishman with the ready smile and engaging manner would have earned a $ 5 million payout . Instead , he was near the back of the 34-car field when he got mixed up in a crash that featured numerous cars spinning out of control and bursting into flames , spewing smoke and debris . `` All I could see was fire and parts flying and smoke , '' recalled Paul Tracy , one of those involved in the crash , on Monday . `` When it all came to a stop , it looked like something out of a movie set ... It did n't seem real . '' An official at the Clark County Coroner 's Office , who was not named per the office 's policy , told CNN on Monday that Wheldon officially died from `` blunt head trauma . '' The 33-year-old 's death has been ruled an `` accident . '' Two other drivers seriously injured in the wreck -- J.R. Hildebrand and Pippa Mann -- were released Monday from University Medical Center in Las Vegas , IndyCar said in a release . Mann had surgery Sunday night for
Las Vegas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Weeks ago , Dan Wheldon was behind the wheel of a new prototype car for the IZOD IndyCar racing series -- one meant to make his sport safer , albeit ideally no less exciting . The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner , who 'd been one of a handful of key collaborators in the safety effort as identified on the racing circuit 's website , never got a chance to see the refined engines at work in a real race . Instead on Monday , his friends , colleagues and the racing world were mourning his death following a fiery 15-car wreck at the Las Vegas Indy 300 . `` I lost one of my best friends , one of my greatest teammates , '' driver Tony Kanaan told reporters hours after Sunday 's fatal crash . `` I know this is a dangerous sport . I know we 're exposed to that every day , in normal life as well , '' he added . `` But you know , you do n't think about it . Today , we have to think about it . '' Images from the fatal crash Had he