IndyCar discusses safety after wreck
MADISON, Ill. — IndyCar’s head of competition said Robert Wickens’ car performed exactly as it was designed when it was torn to pieces during a frightening wreck at Pocono Raceway, leaving the 29-year-old Canadian driver hospitalized with serious injuries to his spinal cord and extremities.
Jay Frye also acknowledged that a host of improvements could be made — to the car itself, to the fencing that shredded the car and even to the injury reporting process some criticized as being much too slow after last Sunday’s wreck in the ABC Supply 500.
“Anytime you have something like this happen, you look at it,” Frye said Friday morning during a downpour at Gateway Motorsports Park, where the series will race tonight. “What was good about it? What was bad about it? Did it do its job? What could be better? How long did it take to fix?
“We were very encouraged by how the car held up — certainly not satisfied, though, because the driver was injured. We’ll never be satisfied until that doesn’t happen.”
The accident occurred early in the race, when Wickens made slight contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay and catapulted into the fencing above the SAFER barrier. Hunter-Reay barely managed to slip under Wickens’ car as it helicoptered along the fence, and other drivers began trying to dodge the debris.
Pietro Fittipaldi, James Hinchcliffe and Takuma Sato also were involved in the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver’s wreck. Hinchcliffe, a fellow Canadian and one of Wickens’ best friends, had minor injuries to his hands from the debris. The fence sustained approximately 80 feet of damage, suspending the race for nearly two hours.
SPM owner Sam Schmidt said this week he would like to see the SAFER barriers at speedways extend higher in places where they wouldn’t obstruct the view of fans. Traditional catch fences, used for decades, are designed to keep cars from catapulting over the wall, but in the case of an IndyCar, it also tends to grab hold of the chassis and break it into hundreds of pieces.
“We’ve very aware of what goes on globally,” Frye said, when asked whether there are innovations elsewhere in wall design that IndyCar might implement. “There are certain minimum requirements we want, and most of our promoter partners greatly exceed our minimum standards. But yes, like with the car, we’re encouraged but not satisfied. We always want to look to help any way we can.”
Frye also said Pocono officials, working hand in hand with IndyCar, did a remarkable job to get the fencing repaired, even though some drivers expressed concern with the quick fix. Yet there was an issue in the chain of communication after the wreck, Frye said, adding he expects that to improve. IndyCar has been criticized for taking too long to report that Wickens was alive and alert, leading to confusion and concern that extended from the garage area to fans watching at home.
IndyCar said Friday that Wickens underwent surgery this week on his right arm and lower extremities, and tests revealed no additional injuries.
He has titanium rods and screws in his spine to stabilize a fracture associated with a spinal cord injury. IndyCar said the severity of that injury is still unknown, and Wickens will require additional corrective surgery and rehabilitation. He remains hospitalized in Pennsylvania.
Friday morning’s heavy rain led to IndyCar canceling qualifying in favor of additional practice. Temperatures were in the 60s under overcast skies, but they’re expected to be in the mid-90s today.