British racer Mike Conway has vowed to race again after escaping with a broken left leg and a back injury in his horrific crash on the final lap of the Indianapolis 500.
Conway had been racing with Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay when the two cars became entangled, resulting in the Briton being launched into the air.
See Mike Conway's crash at the Indy 500
His car hit the fencing and was torn in half, with the cockpit section landing upside down on the track.
Conway was flown straight to Indianapolis' Methodist Hospital, with the IndyCar safety team fearing delays in traffic if he was transported by road just as the race was finishing. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a broken leg and damage to his back.
"I'm feeling fine at the moment, all things considered" said Conway following surgery, "I'm just thankful that I came out of it alive. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery and am already looking forward to being back behind the wheel of a race car"
Prior to the incident, Conway had looked set for a top ten finish, having briefly led while trying an alternate fuel strategy.
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Re: Brit survives huge crash - pics
beach
I have one last comment regarding this discussion. What's your fascination with fatal crashes? It's not healthy.
I'm from a racing family, and I've been around the sport my entire life. My brother drives, and I know everytime we leave the shop he may not return. Fatalities are an ugly truth of the sport I love. We knew this going in.
However, I'm not only concerned about my brother. I pray that anyone who straps into a race car survives to race again...regardless of whatever form of the sport. Just think about it.
Re: Brit survives huge crash - pics
This accident should say it all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4gtEWQcv1Q&feature=related
End of story. This what happens when you over-correct on an oval at those speeds.
Re: Brit survives huge crash - pics
Glad you lived through that Mike! IndyCar (or Open Wheel in general) doesn't need another tragedy.
IndyCar drivers run the fastest speed ever reached by an F1 car for an average lap at Indy, and they run 200 laps during the race. Average speeds at the Indy 500 rarely drop below 220 mph, and top speeds on the straights can push 240mph. Crashes that occur can have some horrendous outcomes.
To give you an understanding just how insanely fast that is, consider the following F1 facts. Juan Pablo Montoya holds the fastest lap in Formula One history which occurred at qualifying for the Italian GP in 2002. He set a record average speed of 161.46 mph. That topped the mark of 160.95 by Keke Rosberg in 1985. The top speed ever achieved by a formula one car during a race was 229.8 mph set during the 2004 Italian Grand Prix atMonza ,
Italy
Next race is Saturday night inTexas