IndyCar driver Justin Wilson saves 6 lives by donating organs

The late IndyCar driver Justin Wilson saved six lives on Tuesday by donating his organs, his brother said.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The late IndyCar driver Justin Wilson saved six lives Tuesday by donating his organs, his brother said.

“He just keeps setting the bar higher,” Stefan Wilson posted on his Twitter page. “Keep Julia & the girls in your prayers (hash)myherojw.”

The 37-year-old Wilson died Monday night from a head injury suffered when a piece of debris struck him during a race the previous day at Pocono Raceway. A British driver who lived in Colorado, Wilson was hit in the head by piece of debris from another car. Wilson's car veered into an interior wall at the track, and he was swiftly taken by helicopter to a hospital in Allentown in critical condition.

Wilson drove a Honda from 2008 through 2015 in IndyCar, and the manufacturer offered its condolences Monday.

“To say that we are heartbroken over the loss of Justin Wilson would create the false impression that our pain is localized,” said Art St. Cyr, president of Honda Performance Development. “At a time earlier in the season, when we were in a continuing struggle to remain competitive in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Justin was the guy who WANTED to be with Honda, and he demonstrated that time and again. That allows you to take the measure of the man, and we will be forever grateful for his loyalty, and the gracious and gentlemanly way he represented our company, on and off the race track.”

It was the latest message of support for Wilson, one of the most popular drivers in the series.

GALLERY: Justin Wilson’s Racing Career

Justin Wilson's Racing Career

Fast start

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Justin Wilson was born on July 31, 1978, in Sheffield, England. He was dyslexic and would later work on behalf of foundations that researched the disorder. He got his start racing karts at age 9 and moved on to open-wheel circuits, beginning with Formula Vauxhall. In 1998 at age 20 he won nine races and the inaugural Formula Palmer Audi Championship.

Formula 3000

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Wilson drew attention when he won the 2001 International Formula 3000 championship (photo) and competed in the American Le Mans Series in 2002.

Formula One

John Gichigi/Getty Images

In 2003 Wilson became the tallest driver (6’ 4”) in F1 history, spending that year driving for Minardi Cosworth (photo) and Jaguar Racing. To raise money to support his career, he sold shares in himself to nearly 900 investors.

Champ Car

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Moving to the U.S. in 2004, Wilson began racing in the Champ Car Series, going on to win four races (his first came in Toronto in 2005) plus three more after the series became IndyCar.

Daytona glory

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Wilson and former teammate A.J. Allmendinger, who was also a good friend, joined with Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson to win the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2012.

Victory at Texas

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

In 2012, Wilson won at Texas Motor Speedway in what would turn out to be his last IndyCar victory.

Brother act

Brian Cleary/Getty Images

In 2013, Justin and his younger brother Stefan raced together in the Grand Prix of Baltimore, the first siblings since the Bettenhausen brothers, Gary and Tony Jr., in 1983 to compete together in IndyCar.

Indy 500

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Wilson (front row, left) drove in the Indy 500 eight times, his best finish being fifth in 2013.

Undaunted by danger

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Wilson suffered his share of injuries. In 2006 he hit a tire barrier in Queensland, Australia and broke his right wrist. In 2011 he broke his back when his car went airborne at Mid-Ohio, and two years later suffered a broken pelvis and bruised lung in a crash in the season finale at Fontana (pictured). Each time he battled back to keep doing the thing he loved most.

On the move

Chris O'Meara/Getty Images

Despite his talent, versatility and determination, Wilson sometimes had trouble securing rides, often due to lack of sponsors. He drove for six Champ/IndyCar teams, including Andretti Autosport, with whom he signed in 2015, and was widely liked and respected. In June 2015, he made his debut in the all-electric Formula E series with Andretti, finishing 10th in Moscow.

Safety advocate

Greg Huey/AP

After the death of Dan Wheldon in 2012 (Ed Carpenter is pictured here), Wilson was selected along with Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan to represent the drivers in talks with IndyCar. Among his safety proposals: seamless metal barriers that allow cars to slide freely without getting snagged, and grandstands that are inside racing ovals to better protect fans because debris usually flies to the outside.

The tragedy

Derik Hamiton/AP

On Sunday, August 23, 2015 at Pocono Raceway Wilson was struck in the head by a heavy piece of flying debris from Sage Karam's car, which had hit the wall. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he remained in a coma until his death the next day. He leaves a wife, two daughters, and a grieving racing community that includes NASCAR and F1.

Team player

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Former teammate Graham Rahal (left with Takuma Sato, center) said of Wilson, “A lot of drivers are great because they’re selfish. But Justin was always the first guy to come up to me and say something positive, something constructive, something helpful. You mention ‘team player,’ that’s Justin, and it’s hard to find that sort of guy in sports. He was just the nicest guy out there.”