James Hinchcliffe‘s misfortune in qualifying at the Indianapolis 500 continued Saturday, when the Canadian driver crashed in Turn 2.
Hinchcliffe lost control of the car, which tipped on its side before settling back down. He was able to leave the car under his own power and received an ovation from the crowd.
« The car was on the edge for sure. … Something just caught me in [Turn] 2; I don’t know if it was a gust of wind or what, » Hinchcliffe told NBC Sports. « … Pretty much our nightmare. »
This was a scary moment for @Hinchtown during #Indy500 Qualifying. Listen to the crowd’s applause when he climbs out of the car. Chills. #INDYCAR // #ThisIsMay pic.twitter.com/Whm05prS9L
— NTT IndyCar Series (@IndyCar) May 18, 2019
The IndyCar Series tweeted that Hinchcliffe had been checked, cleared and released from the medical center.
Sam Schmidt, co-owner of Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, said the team will have a backup car ready for Hinchcliffe today. The first day of qualifying ends at 6 p.m. ET.
If he isn’t among the fastest 30 cars Saturday, Hinchcliffe could still make the field via Sunday’s last-row shootout, which will decide the final three drivers in the May 26 race. Six drivers are set to make qualifying attempts Sunday, with the top three making up the final row.
On Sunday, the last-chance cars are guaranteed one attempt. If the final qualifying session is rained out, officials could hold that shootout on the next available day. There is an 80 percent chance of rain in Sunday’s forecast.
Hinchcliffe was one of two drivers to miss the 2018 Indianapolis 500, and his absence drove discussion about whether full-time IndyCar Series drivers should be guaranteed spots in the Indy 500.
He also has been injured twice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, missing the rest of the 2015 season when a piece of suspension pierced his leg in a crash during practice. The previous year, he suffered a concussion when debris off another car hit him in the helmet during the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
http://www.espn.com/racing/story/_/id/26774755/hinchcliffe-indy-woes-continue-quals-crash
