updated 1:24 p.m. ET March 27, 2006

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - It may never be clear why Paul Dana kept his foot on the gas, why he didn’t notice the danger signs in time, why he died the day his dream of driving for an elite IRL team was finally coming true.

With yellow lights flashing and other drivers slowing around him, the up-and-coming rookie slammed into a stopped car at close to 200 mph during a warmup session Sunday, sending his shattered car flying.

Two hours after the scattered remains of Dana’s Honda-powered Panoz came to rest, the 30-year-old driver was pronounced dead at a hospital.

“Obviously, this is a very black day for us,” team co-owner Bobby Rahal said. “This is a great tragedy.”

The race went on as planned, and if the drivers had any jitters going in, it didn’t show: Defending Indy 500 and IRL points champion Dan Wheldon beat Helio Castroneves by a nose cone after a spectacular side-by-side duel in the final laps en route to the thrilling finish — one of the closest in Indy Racing League history.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dana family and all of Rahal Letterman racing,” said Wheldon, who ran the race with Dana’s No. 17 on his side pod. “It’s a very, very sad day. I think hopefully we put on a good race.”

About 30 minutes into the warmup session several hours before, Ed Carpenter’s car skidded off the concrete wall and spun down the track at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Cars began slowing and weaving to avoid Carpenter’s crippled ride — with the inexplicable exception of Dana.

Luis Alvarez / AP Driver Paul Dana began his career in Formula Fords and worked his way up through the ranks. He got his new ride by bringing the Ethanol sponsorship to the Rahal Letterman team over the winter.

The former motorsports journalist who was living his dream of driving for a living kept giving his car gas and rocketed past at least two other cars before slamming into Carpenter at nearly full speed.

“He carried way too much speed in and wasn’t aware of what was going on around him,” said Buddy Lazier, a former Indianapolis 500 winner and one of the drivers Dana shot past before the crash.

Dana’s onboard telemetry showed he braked only tenths of a second before the impact. The car nearly split in half, flying six feet in the air and nearly turning over before it landed on its wheels and slid to a halt.

“I really don’t know at this point what happened or who was at fault,” said George, founder of the IRL, which began competition in 1996. “It’s just a real shame. I don’t know that it was inexperience. I don’t want to say anything about that.”

Both drivers were flown by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where Dana was pronounced dead about two hours after the 10:03 a.m. crash. IRL officials said tests revealed no injuries to Carpenter, but the 25-year-old third-year driver was kept overnight for observation.

Luis Alvarez / AP IRL star Danica Patrick reacts after watching the crash between her teammate Paul Dana and Ed Carpenter.

Dana died just hours from beginning his most promising season yet. After a string of modest successes rising through racing’s ranks, he had finally gotten his big break in the months before the season-opening IRL IndyCar Series race here, securing a ride with the elite Rahal Letterman Racing — the same team that fields IRL phenom Danica Patrick and former Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice.

Patrick and Rice did not run in Sunday’s race. Dana’s wife, Tonya, was in Indianapolis, where the couple lived, and was notified of her husband’s death while attending a church service.

Two days before his death — the first fatality in the IRL in three years — Dana was strolling through the paddock, shaking hands and signing autographs.

“I can’t wait to get started because I want to prove to everyone that I can do the job,” Dana told a longtime acquaintance. “I’m feeling good and I know I can race with these guys. And now I’ve got great equipment.”

MORE FROM NASCAR / MOTORS

NASCAR / Motors Section Front

Go with Johnson at Charlotte Anger doesn't simmer in Edwards-Harvick feud Earnhardt believes Smith won Talladega Rain gives Johnson pole at Charlotte Smith still smarting over Talladega defeat Talladega win has Stewart thinking 2 in a row Cindy McCain presiding over NASCAR race Vote: Who will win the Chase for the Sprint Cup? Judge: Castroneves can race in Australia Latest NASCAR videos   NASCAR / Motors Section Front   Add NASCAR / Motors headlines to your news reader: