Rookie Pigot first to crash in practice for Indy 500
Rookie Spencer Pigot became the first Verizon IndyCar Series driver to crash in this month’s practice for the Indianapolis 500 on Wednesday.
Pigot went into a first-turn spin that led to the left side of the car slamming the outside wall and lifting slightly before resettling.
Pigot took a moment to get out of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing machine, and he was checked and cleared from the infield medical center.
“We made a change to reduce the downforce a bit, and everything felt right,” Pigot said. “It was my third lap and the balance seemed right, but all of a sudden I entered Turn 1 and it snapped around on me.”
The right side of Pigot’s car, a Honda, briefly lifted off the ground, but it settled back on its wheels without further incident. Last year, three Chevrolets got airborne in crashes, leading IndyCar officials to adopt plates on the bottom of the cars designed to prevent lifting. Those are known as domed skids.
Pigot is a 22-year-old native of Pasadena, Calif. He won the Indy Lights championship last year and the Pro Mazda series title the year before that. He is Graham Rahal’s teammate.
Pigot was told to stay in the car briefly to make sure he wasn’t injured, but he reported everything to be fine except for a sore left foot. It was bruised, and he was cleared to drive again.
The No. 16 car wasn’t so fortunate. The first impact was with the left front wheel, which folded under the car. Such a rotation led to the tub hitting square with the left side, creating a significant blow.
The team is based in nearby Brownsburg, so officials sent for a backup car that was, in Pigot’s description, “bare.” Because of the amount of work required to get that car ready to drive, Pigot did not return to the track Wednesday and finished 25th on the speed chart at 223.667 mph.
As they did Monday, the only other day of practice, Andretti Autosport drivers turned the two quickest laps. This time, Ryan Hunter-Reay (228.202) and Carlos Munoz (228.066) led the way, the only drivers clocked in the 228-mph bracket.