INDIANAPOLIS — Colton Herta rolled his Indianapolis 500 automotive end-over-end throughout Friday’s last observe. The star driver for Andretti Autosport was unhurt in probably the most important crash within the buildup to “The Biggest Spectacle in Racing.”
“I feel I used to be going a bit too quick for that nook,” Herta stated.
The crash with 25 minutes remaining on Carb Day destroyed the Andretti Honda, and Herta will want a backup for Sunday’s race. He had additionally blown an engine in qualifying and can begin twenty fifth in no matter automotive Andretti can prepare for race day.
“Slightly unhappy for that race automotive,” Herta stated when requested how he felt after exiting the infield care heart.
The 22-year-old driver from California was talking on his crew radio as his automotive was nonetheless rolling. When it got here to a cease, his father, Bryan, radioed for Herta to remain put and strapped in till emergency crews might free him from the automotive.
His father, who’s his race strategist, instantly went to the Andretti storage to supervise preparations on the backup automotive.
“Grateful for lots of issues,” Colton Herta stated. “I assume the aeroscreen is a part of that. Extra so the protection crew, and I assume simply the sturdiness of the facet pods on the facet construction of the automobiles. That was an enormous hit from the facet. Yeah, the protection crews had been there very quick flipping me again over.”
Earlier in observe, David Malukas crashed after contact with Santino Ferrucci. Malukas, 20, is the youngest driver within the discipline. Ferrucci was penalized for avoidable contact.
Tony Kanaan and Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing led the day’s observe. Scott Dixon, the pole sitter, was third quickest and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was seventh as Ganassi had 4 automobiles within the prime seven. Alex Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion, was 14th and the slowest of the Ganassi group.