Aussie Indy car driver Will Power’s miraculous escape
Australia's Will Power is somewhere beneath the airborne Indy car of rival Ed Carpenter. AP / Scott Kane
Australia’s Will Power has walked away from a spectacular crash that saw his Indy car hit a track wall at high speed before a rival driver’s vehicle landed on top of him.
The race in Madison, Illinois was won by Power’s American teammate Josef Newgarden, who claimed his fourth series victory and extending his championship lead.
The first 17 laps of Saturday night’s race were run under a yellow caution before the cars could make an official lap after driver Tony Kanaan spun out at the exit of Turn two.
Then, when the green flag finally flew, Toowoomba-born Power immediately dropped to third entering Turn one as Newgarden took the lead.
But before Power could make it through Turn two, he spun, hit the outside wall and Ed Carpenter flew in the air and over the top of Power’s machine.
Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato also spun in the melee. All three were unable to continue.
Newgarden increased his series points lead over Dixon with two races remaining in the 17-race schedule.
Track workers help a shaken but unharmed Will Power from his shattered car.
He led 61 of the 248 laps on the 2.01 kilometre oval en route to his seventh career victory and Penske’s fourth at Gateway and 196th overall.
The 26-year-old Newgarden won Saturday’s event by 0.6850 seconds from New Zealand’s Scott Dixon (Chip Gnassi Racing) with fellow Team Penske driver Simon Pagenaud third.
-with AAP