Motorsports

Elder Andretti flips car in Indy test run

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mario Andretti crashed during a practice session for the Indianapolis 500 on Wednesday, sending his car sailing through the air and flipping end over end.

The retired 63-year-old former Indy 500 winner -- testing a car owned by son Michael's team -- walked away from the crash virtually unhurt. Andretti was helping out because two of his son's drivers are injured.

"I'm okay, a little bump on my heel and my chin," he said. "I didn't hit anything hard."

But he found himself in an unfamiliar position -- wheels up and over.

"I haven't been upside down too many times, and I didn't want to do it here," he said.

The crash occurred when he hit debris between Turns 1 and 2 at more than 200 mph. The car flipped at least twice and landed on four tires, said Carol Wilkins, spokeswoman for Andretti Green Racing.

Andretti was checked out at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's hospital, IRL spokesman John Griffin said.

The debris apparently was left on the track after a crash involving Kenny Brack, who hit the wall out of Turn 1. He was not injured, Griffin said.

Andretti retired in 1994, but he might try to qualify one of the team's cars for driver Tony Kanaan, who has a broken arm. The crash did not change those plans, Wilkins said.

Would Andretti get back in the car in May if necessary? "Oh, yeah," he said without hesitation.

Andretti has driven at Indianapolis 29 times, second-most in history, and he was happy to be back.

"I have great memories here, no question," he said after an early session. "I can tell you I've enjoyed this joint, a lot. The way it looks from the cockpit is the way I remember it."

Andretti also remembers the frustration, when something always seemed to go wrong and ruin his chances to win another Indy 500.

Andretti crashed six times at Indy between 1971 and 1992. In 1981, he thought he won the race after Bobby Unser was penalized for passing a line of cars during a yellow caution period. But four months later, a USAC appeals panel overturned the penalty and gave the victory to Unser.

In 1985, Andretti led 107 laps but finished second to Danny Sullivan, who won despite spinning. Two years later, Andretti started from the pole and dominated 170 laps before his car went dead with a bad ignition 20 laps from the finish. In his final race in 1994, a problem in the fuel system knocked him out after 23 laps.

The final day of qualifying is May18. Kanaan is expected to be ready for the race on May25, but even if Andretti qualifies in his place, Kanaan would start at the rear of the 33-car field.

"I'm not starting a career again," Andretti said. "This is something that's a great opportunity Michael gives me, and he knows I'm always up for a challenge."

Andretti, the oldest driver to test an Indy car, drove more than 50 laps and turned a top lap of 225.4 mph. Last year at Indy, the 33rd car had a qualifying speed of 227.096.

GRAND PRIX RESTORED: The Grand Prix of Road America was restored to the Champ Car schedule. Organizers said the issues that caused the cancellation have been resolved. The race, back on for Aug.3, will be renamed the Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America in honor of the racing great credited with pushing for further discussions to settle the dispute between Road America and CART.

As part of the deal, both sides agreed to cease legal action. CART announced in the winter the race was canceled because of noncompliance with a sanctioning agreement, a charge denied by Road America.

CART filed suit in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis in February, claiming it had not received the final installment of the sanctioning fee for last year's race or the first payment for this year's. Road America countersued, alleging the open-wheel racing body broke its contract with the track when it canceled the race.

Road America has hosted a CART race each year since 1982.

EX-F1 DRIVER ATTACKED: Retired Formula One driver Nigel Mansell received cuts and bruises when he confronted several men on the grounds of his cliff-top mansion on the Channel island of Jersey in England.

Five men in their late teens and early 20s were arrested on suspicion of assault after the confrontation Friday. Police said they were searching for three others. The 49-year-old Mansell was the 1992 F1 champion.

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