Rossi, O’Ward Take Indy Crash In Stride

By Dennis Krause

There’s a saying about race drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — there are those who have crashed at the legendary 2.5-mile rectangular speedway, and those who have yet to.

Monday, Alexander Rossi and Pato O’Ward were two drivers involved in a huge crash during a rain-abbreviated, second-to-last practice for Sunday’s 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Rossi lost control of his No. 20 Java House Chevrolet for ECR in the middle of turn 2 and backed hard into the outside wall. O’Ward, following closely in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet spun trying to avoid Rossi, but hit him anyway and then made contact with the inside wall on the backstretch. Romain Grosjean was also involved and uninjured.

Rossi was sent to a local hospital where he received outpatient treatment for an injury to a finger on his left hand as well as an injury to his right ankle. O’Ward was seen and released at the Speedway’s infield medical center.

“It's a little bit of a weird one,” Rossi said in trying to describe his crash. “I don't know that there's a specific answer. The Speedway is a punishing place for any sort of -- it minimizes margins, I think. We just were a little bit too far out of that window.

“That's the way it goes around here sometimes. Unfortunate obviously to have it happen. In some ways incredibly fortunate that it happened on a Monday after qualifying, where the ultimate true car speed isn't as important. Very fortunate it didn't happen on Carb Day, so the team has had quite a bit of time, unfortunately for them, to rebuild a car from scratch. It's the car I raced last year. It's always been a Speedway car.

“As I said, a trying couple of days for everyone involved in the 20 car. Also it will be a very rewarding one if we can accomplish what we think we can on Sunday.”

Race drivers are a special breed. They have to be considering they’re rocketing around a track at speeds lined with concrete wall, albeit cushioned with the steel and foam SAFER barriers, at well north of 200 mph in race trim.

“Yeah, I mean, unfortunately I've crashed twice here. Both times have been turn two. For whatever reason... “ commented Rossi on the inevitability of the danger involved at Indy. “I recovered from that. I don't see this being any different. We crash race cars. That's part of the job description. Been doing it my whole career, so... Doesn't really change this week.”

O’Ward, too, has had some hard hits at Indy.

“Yeah, I mean, I'm a pretty big believer, especially when guys come here as rookies and they haven't had that first shunt. After you do around here, I think anything above 50 Gs in motorsport is considered a massive hit. You're lucky if you're below a hundred here.

“I would say after the first time that I had one in my rookie year, but after you have that first shunt, one, you definitely feel more like a man when you get back in it. Two, I feel like it just puts some reality into your head. Like dude, you're moving. You need to be aware of your surroundings, be careful who you're running. You do grow quite a bit. At least I did.

"I would say that is the biggest part is after that first one. I've had three here. They've all been pretty solid. Yeah, I'm going to get back in it like nothing happened.

“It's no joke. The hits here are no joke. They hurt.

“Every time you strap into this race car, you need to realize, beyond what the safety has gone, how amazing these cars are now in protecting us, there's only so much the human body can take. Even like a small hit can surprise you how much damage it can do.

“Yeah, I mean, I way much rather would be doing this than doing something else.”

Cleared to drive in Friday’s final practice and Sunday’s race, Rossi described what he had to do to prove he was physically able to compete.

"I am cleared to race. I will have to be on crutches because it's a non-weight-bearing injury. Fortunately to drive a race car, you don't have to bear weight. Range of motion is good. Pain is minimal. Swelling, as you can see, I fit into my race boot. I'm good to go.

“I had to drive in a sim. Get in and out of the car in an appropriate amount of time. I had to show that I could react to instances quick enough with my right foot in the race car with the pedal and my boot on. That was done over several increments and durations with all of the stuff that will be on me.

“As thorough as you can be without actually being on the racetrack.”

He will also need to drive wearing a specially designed boot.

“There will be a brace of sorts that's still kind of being finalized. There's a lot of different things to consider, from a size standpoint, you got to preserve the function of being able to do that on the pedals, you have to ensure it's providing stability, fire resistant. There's a lot of caveats.

“It's been an incredible team effort from no less than 12 people in order to make this happen.”

In having to go to a backup car for Sunday’s race, Rossi claimed he no concerns that it might not be as equal to the car he qualified in the middle of the front row.

“No. This is the car that we've used here at the Speedway many times before. All through this month, we switch race running to qual sims, that requires a whole myriad of changes. If this was all new components, a different chassis, all that sort of thing, maybe you'd start to question it a little bit.

"This was truly going to be our race car until some other things shifted. This was built all off-season in preparation for this month to be my race car anyways.”

O’Ward, too, says he’s comfortable with his backup car.

“Every car is different. Every car has its little differences to one another regardless of the setup being the same or not. There are differences. This car, I've had a past with this car, a good past with this car. I'm not worried. It's been a great car to me. It's been a great car for the team.

“I mean, ultimately I'm not actually worried too much about me with the car, I'm more worried about there's a lot of new pieces on the car that you want to get some running on to just let it kind of settle in. That's the most important part.”

Friday’s two-hour Carb Day practice is scheduled for 11 AM (ET).

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.

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