At today’s IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway, Conor Daly’s car got loose and snapped into Josef Newgarden’s car when he tried to correct it, catching Newgarden’s car and pushing it into the SAFER barrier, top-side-first. Newgarden’s roll hoop punched a hole in the SAFER barrier on impact.
NBCSN commentators mentioned that it takes an impact of at least 50 G to put a hole in the SAFER barrier. Fortunately, Newgarden’s roll bar did its job and took much of the impact, as you can see from the onboard view released from his car:
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Fortunately, both drivers were speaking with crews immediately following the incident and able to get out of the car quickly. Newgarden was able to stand up with the assistance of safety crew, but immediately fell down in apparent shock
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Scott Dixon caught part of the debris from the crash in his front suspension, and much of the field also pitted for new tires as soon as the pits were open.
Daly has been released from the medical center and told NBCSN that he “felt like he was floating through the corner” after losing grip. Daly says he takes full responsibility for making a mistake, and they are still evaluating Newgarden in the medical center.
Daly and Newgarden are longtime friends, and Daly feels particularly devastated for ruining his friend’s race.
Josef Newgarden is being transported to Harris Methodist Hospital in Ft. Worth for further evaluation of injuries to his right shoulder and right wrist. More on his condition as we have it.
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Cars then circulated under yellow as crews made repairs to the hole in the SAFER barrier.
UPDATE [3:43 PM ET]: Newgarden is now being transported by air to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas instead with no reason given for the move. The race has been red flagged on lap 71 (ahead of the halfway point) for rain.
UPDATE [7:31 PM ET]: According to the latest update from IndyCar, Newgarden sustained a fractured right clavicle and a small fracture in his right hand in this crash.
Newgarden also expressed his relief that Daly was also fine after the crash in the IndyCar press release:
I’m banged up a little bit but I’m generally OK. … I feel bad for both Conor and myself but I’m glad Conor is OK as well. I’ll be back out there fighting as soon as I can.
IndyCar Medical Director Geoffrey Billows expects that Newgarden will be released from the hospital tonight.
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