IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist has been taken to a hospital for further evaluation following a big crash on the first lap of Sunday’s race at Pocono.
Takuma Sato triggered a dangerous wreck when he tried to dart through an opening on a three-wide start to the race and took out Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi.
Rosenqvist’s car dragged on its rear wheels against the wall before settling back on the track. IndyCar tweeted that he had been sent to a local trauma center for further evaluation with non-life-threatening injuries.
IndyCar medical director Geoffrey Billows said Rosenqvist was walking and is expected to be fine.
The incident had an eerily similar look to an accident early in last year’s Pocono race that paralyzed driver Robert Wickens. Hunter-Reay was involved in last year’s wreck.
“I can’t even begin to understand how after last year Takuma thinks that’s acceptable,” Rossi said. “It’s disgraceful.”
Sato, the 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner, said he thought he was all clear as he tried to make an aggressive pass early in the race.
“I’m not really over-aggressive,” he said.
Rossi, who won at Pocono last year, saw his IndyCar championship hopes take a serious blow as his team tried to repair the damage to get him back in the race. He entered just 16 points behind leader Josef Newgarden.
Wickens tweeted that IndyCar should no longer race at the 2½-mile track. IndyCar and Pocono do not have a deal for a 2020 race.
How many times do we have to go through the same situation before we can all accept that an IndyCar should not race at Pocono. It’s just a toxic relationship and maybe it’s time to consider a divorce. I’m very relieved (to my knowledge) that everyone is okay from that scary crash
— Robert Wickens (@robertwickens) August 18, 2019
The race was red-flagged on Lap 4 following the crash as crews were to repair damage to the fence and wall. The race resumed after a delay of just under an hour.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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