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Wife of late IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon opens boutique in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Posted at 6:45 AM, Mar 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-10 06:47:25-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- Susie Wheldon has taken small steps forward since the 2011 death of her husband, Dan.

Their two sons, Sebastian and Oliver, take turns on Dan's Indy 500-winning car. 

Thursday was a big night forward for Susie's new St. Petersburg boutique, called Verve. 

"It's kind of surreal," she said. "You get kind of caught up in all of the details and getting everything together. You really just have to take a moment to be like, 'OK.'"

The boutique was packed with people. Current IndyCar drivers came to the opening as well, wearing the shop's style of elevated streetwear -- subtle reminders of the man they still "Lionheart."

PREVIOUS | 'Lionheart' remembers Indy 500 champ Dan Wheldon

"We've promised Susie since day one since Dan was gone, we're going to support her," Tony Kanaan said. "I told her I would drive up anytime."

The boutique is a new venture for Susie and her sons. 

"My boys have been so inspiring to me," she said. "Motivating me to just keep moving forward. That's the biggest lesson I can teach them."