Oh Danny Boy......

There are many that have filled the pantheon of racing history, but there are those that stand "head and shoulders" above the rest.

Even with the most varied fashion sense, which have included some very questionable choices at times, the late Dan Wheldon was one character that everyone loved, but when the visor went down, he was as ruthless as anybody going for the win.

But now those stories of laughter, pranks and serious times have been given a fine resting place, in a wonderful book that former RACER editor, now publisher, Andy Hallbery and USA Today's Jeff Olson have put together.

He may have won the Borg-Warner Trophy with two different sets of teeth, won an Indycar championship in 2005, but the memories about the man, who tragically left us at the end of the 2011 racing season, himself will be treasured in this 216-page book by those who know him well.

The list goes on with the likes of Dario Franchitti, his brother Marino, Tony Kanaan, Johnny Mowlem, Bryan Herta, Chip Ganassi, Michael Andretti, Jenson Button, Scott Dixon and many others, who contributed to the book with their memories of Dan.

And yes, that does involve the Motegi/FedEx prank.....

It also includes some memories from the Wheldon family themselves, with Dan's widow Susie, father Clive, brothers Ashley, Austen and Elliott, and sister Holly, bringing a very emotional side to the book itself.

I'm not going to spoil too much of what to expect in the book, but the hard work that Andy, Jeff, Johanna Husband, Dyanne Gilliam, and all the team that helped to put the book together, speaks and reads volumes.

It takes one heck of a book to stop me dead in my tracks, and "Lionheart" didn't just do that - it made me speechless. Plus with both Susie and Holly being heavily involved in the project, it just shows how much care and attention to detail has gone into this literary masterpiece.

Dan was a man that didn't get the praise for his achievements in the US, just like Dario, but his legend lives on in our minds, hearts, and in this book.

In other words, get yourself a copy and have a read, along with helping to give something back, with part of the proceeds from the book going to the Alzheimer's Association and the Dan Wheldon Foundation.

"The heart of a lion is bold, full and pure. Above all, it is forever courageous."

#RememberingDW #Lionheart

To pick up your copy, click on any of the links below:

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0992642191

Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/0992642191/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Coastal 181: www.coastal181.com/nlm-working-April-2005/openwheel-1.htm#LIONHEART