DACONO, Colo.—When Justin Wilson raced his first go-cart as an 8-year-old in Sheffield, England, there was never an inkling on how far that first ride would actually take him.
More than two decades and 4,540 miles later, Wilson finds himself in Dacono, living the American dream. The 31-year-old IndyCar driver has raced all over the country, chatted with pop culture icon Paul Newman and started a family.
“It’s been pretty amazing,” Wilson said. “I never could have imagined it.”
Wilson’s father originally got him into racing, and the day he turned 16, he moved up to cars. He quickly parlayed that love affair into a Formula One career in England. But when his team, starved for money, opted to go in a different direction by hiring a driver with more sponsorships, Wilson was shown the door.
He knew then that it would be a turning point in his life.
“I had always kind of thought of giving the States a try,” Wilson said. “So this just kind of forced me into it.”
Now, that once-intimidating and life-changing decision is paying dividends.
After spending a few years with Champ Car—on a team based out of Loveland, which prompted his move to Colorado—Wilson moved over to IndyCar when the two series merged.
He won his first race in 2008 at Belle Isle—the final win for the late Newman, who was an owner with the team—and then Wilson gave his new team—Dale Coyne Racing, a 25-year veteran in the sport—its first-ever IndyCar win this past season at Watkins Glen. His career earnings have topped $320,000, and he feels as if this is just the beginning.
“Our main goal is to win the championship and to build the team up,” Wilson said. “I think we’ve already moved things forward, and we’re on our way.”
Dale Coyen Racing is based out of Chicago, so Wilson no longer has any racing ties to Colorado. But he, his wife and 18-month-old daughter fell in love with the mountains. Wilson, in fact, likes to bike ride through Lyons and the mountains as part of his training regimen, he said.
“Why leave?” Wilson responded, when asked why he chose to stay. “You look out the window every morning and see the mountains. It’s just beautiful.”
Leaving his friends and family behind in England was one of the toughest decisions Wilson has ever made, he said. So he’s happy he can look back on it now with zero regrets.
“It was definitely the right choice,” Wilson said. “I mean, some things are difficult—like when I ask for a glass of water, and the person has absolutely no clue what I just said” because of his British accent.
“But things have been great over here. I felt like I had nothing to lose and just went for it. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”
