Scott Dixon walks away from massive accident at Indianapolis 500

28 May, 2017

 

After claiming pole position last Monday, Scott Dixon looked hopeful to win the 101st Indianapolis 500 and repeat his success of 2008 where he won from pole position.

But after leading early into the race, Dixon was taken out by Jay Howard after his car got up out of the groove in Turn 1, contacting the outside wall, and barreling down into the path of Dixon’s car — the result was a wild ride up and over Howard, sending Dixon flying through the air and plummeting down onto a barrier which damn near ripped the car in half.

Helio Castroneves can be seen driving completely underneath Dixon as he is airborne and run off into the grass to avoid being collected in the incident.

Thankfully all drivers involved were able to emerge unaided and the race was red-flagged in order for repairs to be made to the barrier and fencing.

As for the cause of the incident,  Howard blamed Ryan Hunter-Reay for pushing him up in the gray, saying: “We were out there just trying to pick up some laps and see if we get some yellows and try to salvage something from the race. Hunter-Reay comes, gets a run on me [and] I lift, let him go trying to be the nice guy. And then he merged right over on me and pushed me out in all the gray and all the marbles. And the rest is history … [causing] a massive accident.

“To say I’m unhappy is an understatement.”

Dixon remained a lot calmer and humble following the horrifying accident, telling local media that he was “Just bummed” and “Glad [that] everybody is okay. It was definitely a wild ride for sure. Big thanks to Dallara and everybody for the safety we have right now.”

See just how lucky he was in the footage below:

Project Adder – an MGB with bite

Bill and Rae Denize have been active MG Car Club members in Wellington for nearly 32 years. They have held a variety of positions on the club committee, and now that they are both retired, they can be even more involved in the club’s activities. Bill is currently the president of the MG Car Club, Wellington Centre.
The list of cars they’ve owned over the years is testament to their passion for the brand. It includes a 1972 Midget — the round rear-wheel arch model with 1275cc motor; a three-door 2004 MG ZR; a 2005 MG ZR (five-door); and Rae’s 2005 MG TF, which they still own. Bill also raced a 1967 Morris Mini Cooper S at Manfeild for many years. That car featured in an article in the January 2013 issue of this magazine.
In April 2013, Bill sold the Cooper S and decided to buy a low mileage, freshly imported MG RV8 from Japan. He liked the idea as there were only 1983 built in the early 1990s, which, hopefully, would translate into these cars holding their value. More importantly, their bodies were galvanised, which meant fewer rust problems, although Bill and Rae didn’t escape encounters with oxidation unscathed.