![]() ![]() The next year, three fans were killed and eight injured at Charlotte Motor Speedway when a tire and other debris flew into the stands during an Indy Racing League event. Three fans were killed and six others were hurt that day. It had come off Tony Bettenhausen's car and bounced off the front of Roberto Guerrero's car before landing among the fans.ĭuring a 1998 race at Michigan International Speedway involving CART, which later became part of Ind圜ar, Adrian Fernandez crashed and a tire and other parts flew into the stands. "We have tethers on the wheels, and it was a rear wheel that came off," Penske said after Sunday's victory celebration, "and I'm sure the guys at Ind圜ar will look at it, will determine what really happened."ĭuring the 1987 Indianapolis 500, one fan was killed when a tire flew into the top row of the grandstands. Penske closed on the purchase of Ind圜ar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway about three years ago. "I saw what happened, saw it bounced on top of a building and went and hit a car over there, which obviously is very concerning," said Penske, whose driver Josef Newgarden won the race, giving Team Penske its 19th Indy 500 victory. With a crowd of more than 300,000 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a full grandstand in Turns 1 and 2, it was fortunate nobody was seriously injured. The wheel traveled about 350 yards before crushing the front of a fan's parked Chevrolet. But when Felix Rosenqvist hit the wall between Turns 1 and 2 in the closing laps Sunday and Kyle Kirkwood launched off the rear of his car into the wall, the wheel went soaring over the fence and the corner of the grandstand before landing in the parking lot. The cars are supposed to have a tether that keeps the wheel attached even in the event of a wreck. "We were very fortunate we didn't have a bad accident." "We haven't had a wheel come off in a long time," Penske said. INDIANAPOLIS - Ind圜ar owner Roger Penske said he is certain series officials will investigate what led to a wheel coming loose during a crash in the Indianapolis 500 and sailing over the catch fence and grandstands before hitting a parked automobile. Roger Penske: Ind圜ar sure to investigate wheel that flew over fans Kanaan on Sunday sympathized with Ericsson and third-place finisher Santino Ferrucci because of the odd one-lap shootout but insisted it was best for the fans.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser Tony Kanaan won in 2013 under caution, and even though he’s one of the most popular winners in track history, he recognized that some found the finish of his crowning achievement anticlimactic. Ind圜ar said in 2020 there weren’t enough laps remaining to stop the race for a final restart following a crash with five to go four years later, the series now thinks two laps is enough for a red flag. Dixon, a six-time Ind圜ar season champion but only one-time winner of the 500, said this week that the defeats that end under caution are the ones that bother him most. There was no red flag in 2020, when the race ended under caution and was won by Takuma Sato as helpless Scott Dixon had to stay in line with no chance to try a late pass for the win. Since Penske’s first 500 as owner in 2020, both last year and this year have had late red flags to set up a race to the finish. In 107 years, the Indy 500 has ended under the yellow flag or red flag (for rain) just 19 times, but 10 of those endings have been since 2000. “We have a group that is certainly the officials of the track, and to me, we’ve said this before, I think all of you had said, we want to see a checkered flag, not a yellow flag.” “I had nothing to do with (the red flag), obviously,” Penske said. Yet he noted that under Penske leadership, tradition has shifted away from purity to trying to ensure the 300,000-plus spectators see a race to the checkered flag. He spent decades on the timing stand for dozens of winning Penske drivers, but since purchasing the speedway and series at the start of 2020, he has shifted his focus from competition. Penske said after the race that he’s tried to divorce himself as the speedway and Ind圜ar owner from competition decisions that affect the series and his race team. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who cares more about integrity than Roger Penske.” “I have so much respect for Roger,” Newgarden continued. Someone is going to find reason, whenever, to bring us down. “I don’t think he will ever win that battle. “Where does it stop? When is it too comfortable a scenario for Roger owning the track and Roger’s car winning the race?” Newgarden told The Associated Press on Monday. Newgarden dismissed his win being scripted or aided by the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ![]()
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