Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

George Maloof was walking through the Palms casino on Saturday when someone surprised him with a bear hug.  When Maloof turned to face the exuberant greeter he recognized IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon.

They had developed a bond six years earlier, when Wheldon won the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie with the Palms as a first-time sponsor of Michael Andretti’s racing team.

Maloof had just left N9NE Steakhouse with IndyCar driver Marco Andretti about 6 p.m. when Wheldon entered the Palms with his wife, Susie, who was pushing a stroller carrying their 7-month-old son, Oliver .

“He was on his way to meet some friends,” Maloof said. Wheldon, who spent most of the race season without a team, told Maloof he “was looking forward to next season with Michael.”

Maloof was at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday when Wheldon, the 2011 Indy 500 winner, died shortly after a horrendous 15-car pileup sent his car airborne into the Turn 2 wall early in the race.

“He was just a fun, fun guy,” Maloof said. “A great guy.”

A tipster told Vegas Confidential that Wheldon and his wife had their initials — D.W. and S.W. — tattooed on their wrists about 10 p.m. at Huntington Ink at the Palms. A female employee at the tattoo shop declined comment, saying, “Sorry, I can’t give out that information.”

He had started 34th, in last place in the IZOD IndyCar World Championships.

The last tweet posted on Wheldon’s Twitter feed was “Green!!!!”

(Story Continues…)
WRITTEN BY

Norm Clarke

& FULL STORY HERE