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IndyCar driver in coma following wreck

“My first thoughts are with Justin, for sure”, Hunter-Reay said.

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We are likely to see. “Hopefully, he’s OK”. We were three wide, I don’t think Justin (Wilson) knew that probably and I didn’t get any room, obviously. “All I know is he was unconscious, he was not responding and he was airlifted”.

“That’s all very bad”.

He has 7 wins and 27 podiums since 2004 in his U.S. open-wheel career.

That Stewart had his plane fly the Wilson family is not an uncommon gesture by the three-time NASCAR champion, who often performs such charitable acts and only requests that they go unpublicized.

However, the section of the fence where Kimball’s vehicle hit had to be repaired. Karam was able to limp away from the crash, but Wilson was in a coma and listed in critical condition Sunday night.

With more than 30 lead changes but also a dozen caution periods – one of which was caused by a fox running across the track – the third race since Pocono’s return to the IndyCar schedule after a 24-year hiatus was a long way from the fairly pedestrian events here over the past two years. Josef Newgarden, who took the lead from the start thereafter had to overcome several setbacks with wayward handling in traffic and suffering from an inopportune yellow-flag and thoroughly deserved his runner-up finish.

The crash happened with 21 laps to go in the race, which ended under caution as a result.

“I have no update on his condition, he’s been moved to the local hospital, and I’m trying to get there to be with him”. Only 10 drivers of the 24 who started finished the race, LehighValleyLive.com reported.

Director of Competition Derrick Walker spoke to the drivers in during the pre-race meeting about not affecting the championship contenders if the driver had nothing to do with the point’s battle. Sheffield native Wilson’s teammate, Ryan Hunter-Reay, would go on to win the race, but the mood at the track remained subdued.

Hunter-Reay was one of many who was discussing safety measures.

“Come to find out it wasn’t that straightforward”, Hunter-Reay said. “Something that can give us a little bit of protection and still keep the tradition of the sport. Just to be innocent bystander like that and get hit in the head with a nose cone is a scary thought”. He competed for Minardi in Jaguar through the 2003 F1 season, earlier than shifting to race in the USA the next yr. Sunday’s race was his 174th begin in IndyCar. Andretti Autosport signed him to drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May and later announced he would drive the No. 25 for the final five races of the season.

It’s times like this that the greater racing community bands together to help out in any way.

Carlos Munoz finished fifth ahead of Takuma Sato and Simon Pagenaud, whilst Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon and James Jakes rounded out the top ten.

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Rahal was unsurprisingly fuming with the incident, knowing that his hopes of winning the championship had been seriously dented by this clash.

Castroneves takes pole for final oval race of 2015