LONG POND, Pennsylvania – Ryan Hunter-Reay was able to get out of his car Saturday after it slammed into the SAFER Barrier twice at Pocono Raceway. Walking away without help was another matter.
With the assistance of a Holmatro Safety Team member, Hunter-Reay limped away from a hard crash in Turn 3 while qualifying for Sunday’s ABC Supply 500. It was the third significant accident of the day as drivers struggled to find grip and prevent their cars from bottoming out around Pocono’s three-turn, 2.5-mile layout.
Hunter-Reay was examined by INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows and taken by ground to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for further evaluation. His condition was not immediately available, nor was his status for the race. The 2015 Pocono race winner was favoring his left leg as he was helped away from the car.
Helio Castroneves crashed in Turn 1 earlier in the session and Ed Carpenter crashed in Turn 3 during the morning practice session. Neither was hurt, but Castroneves will start 20th and Carpenter 22nd because neither completed a qualifying attempt. Hunter-Reay will start 21st.
“Certainly it is a mistake, no question,” Castroneves said. “With something like that, you should know a little bit better. But I’m not worried about where you started; the good news it’s 500 miles (in the race).
“Last year, Hunter-Reay actually started last – probably where I’m going to start – and nearly won the race. It shows that if you have good balance, which we do, have a good team and everything, so we should be able to overcome this obstacle. That’s what I’m looking for.”
Marco Andretti, Hunter-Reay’s Andretti Autosport teammate, went out before Hunter-Reay and struggled to control his car after a promising practice session.
Andretti, who was fourth fastest in the morning session, struggled to hang on to the No. 27 Honda before settling for a 16th-place starting position at 216.801 mph.
Afterward, he said he suspected Hunter-Reay would have similar problems.
“We went for pole,” Andretti said. “We just didn’t chase the conditions enough and got too aggressive. I wouldn’t say we got too greedy; it just caught us out.”
After their problems, teammate Takuma Sato – the final qualifier of the session – won the pole position with a two-lap average of 219.639 mph in the No. 26 Honda.
“After what happened to Ryan, I was a little nervous about getting in the car,” Sato said. “But once you’re in there and going, it’s fine.”
INDYCAR will issue updates on Hunter-Reay’s condition as they are made available.
Live race coverage of the ABC Supply 500 begins at 2 p.m. ET Sunday on NBCSN and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network.