Elliott blames himself for latest crash during break in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS » A few days and a few replay reviews have given Chase Elliott a new perspective on last weekend’s crash at Daytona.
Now he believes there’s only one driver to fault.
“I’ll take the blame,” Elliott said Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I don’t have an issue with it.”
That’s a stark contrast to Elliott’s profanity-laced tirade on the radio Saturday night. Back then, Elliott let his Hendricks Motorsports team know exactly who he thought was responsible for the contact — Michael McDowell.
McDowell fired back Wednesday on Twitter.
“I wonder if @chaseelliott watches the replays and realizes he wrecks himself,” McDowell wrote. “That is Twice now.”
On Thursday, during a trip to the 2.5-mile Brickyard, Elliott acknowledged what was said Saturday night came in the heat of the race and time had helped him reach a different opinion — one that may help him produce a better result at Kentucky this weekend.
It wasn’t the first time Elliott and McDowell have tangled this season. They also were involved in a pit crash at Kansas in May. And, like many drivers, Elliott doesn’t have a problem with a little controversy.
“My assessment in regards to Daytona is that you’ve got to keep on moving down the road but I do appreciate all the sponsor plugs it’s gotten us,” he said.
Andretti getting back to racing
INDIANAPOLIS » John Andretti is back in the garage after having his spleen and gall bladder removed last month.
The former NASACAR and IndyCar driver returned to the team’s Indianapolis headquarters.
Andretti’s ongoing battle first emerged in early May when it was announced he had been diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to his liver.
The 54-year-old Pennsylvania native said his prognosis is getting better since last month’s surgery.
“I went in the week after my surgery and they basically said, we don’t need to see you for maybe about another three weeks,” Andretti told WTHR-TV in Indianapolis. “Scheduled the next appointment and they said we’ll scan you then. Until then, no chemo, you’re a free man.”’
Andretti begins another round of chemo later this month.
F1: Hamilton and Vettel make up
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA » A contrite and apologetic Sebastian Vettel accepted full blame again for the controversial racing incident with Lewis Hamilton at the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Sitting alongside him at a packed news conference on Thursday, Hamilton accepted the apology but maintained justice was not done.
Two weeks ago, an irate Vettel swerved into Hamilton, albeit at slow speed, because he thought the British driver slammed his brakes on recklessly late, right in front of him, seconds earlier.
“It was the wrong move to drive alongside him and hit his tire. I guess that’s what you all want to hear,” Vettel said. “Am I proud of the moment? No. Can I take it back? No. Obviously what I did was wrong and I apologized. I did make a mistake and I can understand if he’s upset. It’s good that we can move forward.”
Vettel escaped further punishment this week after Formula One governing body the FIA reviewed the incident in Paris. Vettel traveled to the hearing, apologized, and escaped with a verbal warning from president Jean Todt.