Crashes leave 2018 Indy 500 drivers shaking their heads

By Josh Olson
INDYCAR.COM

INDIANAPOLIS – Eight drivers crashed out of the 102 Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on Sunday – six of them by themselves – leading to questions about how the Verizon IndyCar Series’ new universal aero kit performed Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The crashes took out several of the sport’s biggest names, including Helio Castroneves, who was trying to tie the race record with a fourth victory, and Takuma Sato, who won the race last year.

“I think we were just learning the car, obviously,” said Castroneves, who spun alone in Turn 4 and struck the inside wall on pit entry. “You can see some other cars (are) able to run a ... little closer without an issue. Myself, for example, when I had the opportunity, I went for it. Maybe with older tires, (it) wasn’t the time to do it, but I felt everything was going to momentum. It’s a shame, caught us by surprise.”

The race’s trouble began on Lap 48 when Sato couldn’t avoid James Davison’s slowing car and struck him from behind. It continued 10 laps later, when Ed Jones spun and hit the wall by himself on the backstretch.

Ten laps later, Danica Patrick’s career came to an end with a spin and crash in Turn 2.

“Turn 2 did seem a little bit more edgy than some of the other corners, but I can’t say that at that point in time I was on edge or that I felt like it was,” Patrick said. “(The car) just swung around as soon as I recommitted back to the throttle – so I wasn’t expecting it by any means. I think it just goes to show that the cars are tough to drive.”

On Lap 139, Sebastien Bourdais crashed on his own in Turn 4. He said the car felt good, so he was trying to be aggressive, but the lack of downforce with the new kit and the 91-degree heat caught him out.

“When I left the pits, I was trying to get ahead of (Alexander) Rossi,” Bourdais said. “I got a good run on him coming off of Turn 3 and tried to stay in and make the pass. The car unloaded, and I tried to drive through the understeer. The front hooked a little bit and snapped out on me, and that was that. I gave it my best shot and, unfortunately, those things were really tricky today with the heat. The downforce was really low and it was very difficult to be flat.”

Six laps later, Castroneves’ No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet spun quickly in Turn 4, sliding across the pit entrance and hitting the inside SAFER Barrier with its rear.

“The car was actually handling good, (but) I couldn’t get ... too close to other guys,” he said. “I guess when I went to pass (Ryan) Hunter-Reay on the outside, maybe got a little debris on the tire – I don’t know, that was obviously the first time. My worry was actually Turn 1, not so much in Turn 4, so I felt a little bit (of) movement, but I was feeling that most of the time. But this time, unfortunately, the rear just over-rotated.”

Sage Karam’s No. 24 WIX Filters/DRR Chevrolet spun around on its own in Turn 4 on Lap 153. Tony Kanaan followed with a lone spin in Turn 2 on Lap 189, setting up the final showdown that Will Power eventually won over Ed Carpenter and Scott Dixon.

Drivers echoed the sentiment that they’re still learning the characteristics of the new kit at IMS and found passing difficult. Still, the race provided 30 lead changes among 15 drivers, the latter tying an Indy 500 record for most to lead the race.

“On a couple of restarts, I got caught out and wasn’t aggressive enough, so I got chewed up by a bunch of guys,” Bourdais said. “I was trying to make up for lost ground and picking them off one by one. The stint before was really strong, I’m just disappointed for the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan guys. They worked so hard all month, and we lost a chance on some valuable championship points.”

Cars must be repaired quickly, as the Verizon IndyCar Series heads to the Raceway at Belle Isle Park this week for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. The doubleheader races air live on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network at 3:30 p.m. ET on both Saturday and Sunday.