63-year-old Mario Andretti wrecked Tony Kanaan’s IRL car at Indianapolis Speedway yesterday but came away unhurt which is surprising for an IRL car. Andretti put in 50 hot laps and posted a top speed of 225.4 miles per hour. Kanaan is recovering from a broken arm suffered in an earlier accident and may not recover in time to qualify for the Memorial Day classic, the Indianapolis 500. Andretti plans on qualifying Kanaan’s car, and then turning it back to him for race day. From ESPN:
Sweeping through the first turn with the throttle wide open, Andretti found the short chute littered with debris from Kenny Brack’s car, which had just pounded the outside wall. Andretti’s car ran over a piece of Brack’s car and launched the 1969 Indy 500 winner into the air like Evel Knievel.His car soared some 20-to-25 feet in the air, nearly cleared the spectator fence and somersaulted four times before slamming back down to earth — thankfully — rightside up.
Andretti hopped out and, incredibly, only suffered a scrape on his chin. Brack also escaped injury.
Asked if the wreck was an example of the Andretti (Indy) curse Mario admitted he was blessed and said The Man upstairs has been taking care of him for so many years, that he doesn’t see him giving up now.
