Driver breaks back in terrifying Indy 500 practice crash

1 year ago 94

A terrifying clang successful signifier for the Indianapolis 500 has ruled Stefan Wilson retired of the contention aft suffering a breached back.

Katherine Legge, the lone pistillate operator successful the race, ran into the backmost of her English compatriot during Tuesday morning's signifier aft a battalion of cars began to dilatory done crook one.

Wilson and Legge slammed into the extracurricular barrier, resulting successful important harm to some cars.

Stan Sport is the lone spot to ticker the 2023 IndyCar Series, featuring Will Power, Scott McLaughlin and Scott Dixon. All the enactment streaming advertisement free, unrecorded and connected demand

After a lengthy delay, Wilson was enactment connected a stretcher and taken to infirmary wherever it was discovered he'd suffered a fracture to the 12th thoracic vertebrae.

Katherine Legge (left) and Stefan Wilson clang successful crook 1 astatine the Indianapolis 500 during practice. (Kirk DeBrunner via AP)

The 33-year-old volition stay successful infirmary overnight for further tests and observation.

It means he'll miss the race, but his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports squad could regenerate him.

"The cars successful beforehand were each checking up, I lifted arsenic overmuch arsenic I could and downshifted, deed the brakes but it wasn't capable arsenic they were checking up," said Legge.

"I got into the backmost of Stefan and we some ended up successful the wall."

Wilson had qualified 25th for the contention connected Sunday successful what was to beryllium his 5th Indianapolis 500 start. Legge, who qualified 30th for the race, was uninjured.

It stands to crushed Graham Rahal could gaffe into the No.24 introduction having not qualified for the race.

There were affectional scenes connected Monday erstwhile the operator of the No.15 car failed to marque the amusement after his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Jack Harvey bumped him out.

Legge lamented the clang aft the squad recovered itself with 3 of its 4 cars successful the last-chance qualifier connected Monday.

"It's different stroke to the squad aft yesterday," she said of the crash, referencing the lacklustre qualifying.

"Those guys don't merit it, it's not right."

JR Hildebrand is different sanction successful the premix with ties to the team. He famously crashed retired of the contention successful 2011 portion starring connected the past thigh arsenic a rookie, gifting Dan Wheldon victory.

The squad said it would person much quality connected its information successful the contention "in owed course".

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing were reportedly preparing a back-up car portion harm to Legge's introduction wasn't atrocious capable to necessitate a chassis switch.

Tuesday's two-hour league was led by Australian Will Power for Team Penske up of New Zealand's Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing.

The 107th moving of the Indianapolis 500 gets underway connected Monday, May 29 astatine 1am (AEST).

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!