INDYCAR: Wilson’s legacy felt at St Pete

The Verizon IndyCar Series began its first season without Justin Wilson in the paddock, but his presence – and legacy – was definitely felt in St. Petersburg. The beloved driver, who lost his life at the Pocono 500 in August, left a noticeable void in the series, yet with the unexpected appearance of his wife Julia and friend/business partner Michael Waddell last weekend, some sense of normalcy was experienced.

"I can't thank everyone enough for all they've done to help," Wilson said of the ongoing donations made through the www.WilsonChildrensFund.com site. Although donations have slowed in recent months, the web portal designed to secure a financial future for Justin's daughters Jane and Jess remains active.

Julia Wilson was also on hand to represent USWAG, the apparel company Justin and Waddell formed last year, as the two held more meetings with drivers to produce limited edition socks. Almost half of the IndyCar drivers in St. Pete will soon have their own socks for sale through www.uswag.us, and along with the company's existing deal with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to produce IMS and 100th Indy 500 socks, the brand is developing into something that could generate sustainable income in the years ahead.

In a nod to his friend, and with his own line of socks on the way, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' James Hinchcliffe carried the USWAG logo on his helmet during Sunday's race, and placed it in the same spot used by Wilson to promote the company in 2015. In addition to agreements with a number of European Premier League soccer teams, Wilson and Waddell have recently added 15 university teams to the USWAG roster, including the University of Kentucky, Butler, and Miami of Florida.

With business concluded by the end of Saturday, Wilson returned home to Colorado to get her girls ready for school. Between the love she was given by those in Honda's hospitality tent to catching up with friends over dinner, Wilson made a lot of people smile at a time when it was needed.