IndyCar driver Justin Wilson remembered at funeral in English village

The coffin of racing driver Justin Wilson is carried by pallbearers including Dario Marino Franchitti, right, and Mark Webber, second left, as it leaves St James Church, Paulerspury, England, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. (AP /Alastair Grant)

PAULERSPURY, England -- The daring moves and steely determination of Justin Wilson were remembered Thursday as the IndyCar driver's funeral was held in a small English village, three weeks after his fatal accident during a race.

Former Formula One teammate Mark Webber and three-time Indianapolis 500-winner Dario Franchitti helped to carry the coffin, draped in a Union Jack, into a church near the central England circuit of Silverstone.

Hundreds of mourners packed into the St. James and Great Church while a few Paulerspury residents gathered outside to hear the service being relayed over a speaker.

A poem written by Wilson's wife, Julia, in the days after her husband's death was read out during the service.

"It's not fair you had such a short life," the poem said.

Wilson's two daughters Jane and Jessica left hand-written notes on wreathes remembering their father.

"I feel sad and I miss you. Love Jane," read one. The other simply said: "Daddy I love you. Jessica."

Wilson was 37 when he died on Aug. 23, a day after being hit in the helmet by debris from another car at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania.

Wilson won seven times over 12 seasons in open-wheel racing and finished as high as fifth in the Indianapolis 500. An acclaimed sports car racer, Wilson won the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona with Michael Shank Racing, and he competed in 20 Formula One races in 2003 before moving to the U.S. to join Champ Car. He finished third in the Champ Car standings in 2005, and was runner-up in both 2006 and 2007.

"Justin had raw talent in abundance," former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer told mourners. "His overtaking skills were incredible ... and he would always achieve this cleanly and fairly."

Delivering the eulogy, Palmer added: "Justin had a steely determination in a race car with the most relaxed amiable disposition."

Wilson fought hard to return from a broken back in 2011, and a broken pelvis and bruised lung in 2013.

"We know the dangers are always there," Webber, a teammate of Wilson's at Jaguar in the 2003 F1 season, said following the service. "Motorsport has had good and bad patches when it comes to these tragic events. When it is really close to home than it hits you even harder. This is very close to home personally for me.

"You think of the family and everyone who is going to be affected by this. Motorsport is a tight-knit family and when we need to get together in really tough times we do our best."

Wilson's death has prompted renewed calls for greater protection for drivers, including closed cockpits, coming a month after F1 driver Jules Bianchi died following nine months in a coma after a massive head injury in a race crash last October.

"It is inevitable (closed cockpits) will probably happen," Webber said at Silverstone. "It is hard to have a knee-jerk reaction because these things need a lot of research and working out how they can make it work from both sides."

Webber was joined by Franchitti at Silverstone after the funeral service. The British and American flags were at half-staff at the circuit where Wilson's career was remembered with video highlights and speeches.

The last IndyCar driver to die from an on-track incident was two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon, who was killed in the 2011 season finale at Las Vegas after his head hit a post in the fence when his car went airborne.