Justin Wilson first came to my attention in the winter of 2003 when it was announced that he would race for my beloved Squadra Minardi in Formula One, partnered with the experienced Jos Verstappen. While he ended up finishing the year with Jaguar I continued to follow and cheer on Wilson. What can I say, once a Minardi boy...
In 2004 Wilson was off to America and CART, joining another backmarker team in Eric Bachelart's shoestring effort, Conquest Racing. No wins or even podiums were to be had in Wilson's rookie year in American open-wheel racing but his eight top-10 finishes from fourteen starts helped him parlay a drive with the more competitive RuSport team. J Will raced three season with RuSport, right until CART folded and merged with the Indy Racing League to form the IndyCar series. Wilson notched four wins in those three seasons and placed third, second and second again in the championship.
He raced and won with Newman-Haas racing in their final season of competition before taking what was a perceived step down the grid when he signed on with Dale Coyne Racing. Coyne were entering their 25th season in the top open-wheel series but had never scored a win. With "Badass" in the saddle for 2009 this would change, heralded first with a podium finish in the season-opener, followed mid-season with a popular win at Watkins Glen.
That's kind of how I'll remember Justin Wilson, from his spell at Minardi and, later, with Coyne, Conquest and Dreyer & Reinbold, doing the best he could with small, underfunded teams, bringing the underdogs into the points whenever he could.
Forza, Badass.
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