FORT WORTH, Texas - Airton Dare broke his right arm and right leg Thursday when his car slammed twice into the wall and spun out of control during an Indy Racing League practice session at Texas Motor Speedway.
Dare was "awake and alert" and in stable condition late Thursday night at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, said Dr. Henry Bock, the IRL's director of medical services. Dare was expected to have surgery.
Dare was in the fourth turn when his car shot up into the wall, destroying the right side and sending fire from the engine block. The car then hit the wall again before spinning along the front stretch and coming to a rest on the grassy infield.
When the car stopped, Dare removed the steering wheel, an indication he was conscious, and threw it out of the cockpit.
Emergency workers then tended to the driver for several minutes before removing him from the car. Dare was placed on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
Dare was practicing in the second A.J. Foyt Racing entry for Saturday's Bombardier 500. He replaced Shigeaki Hattori as the teammate for A.J. Foyt IV.
SCHECKTER ON POLE: Tomas Scheckter earned the pole for the Bombardier 500 with a qualifying lap of 219.300 mph, his first pole of the season and fourth overall.
His Chip Ganassi teammate, Scott Dixon, also will start on the front row after a lap of 218.654 mph.
The Roger Penske teammates will start in the front half of the field, Gil de Ferran eighth (216.028 mph) and Helio Castroneves 10th (215.408 mph).
Series points leader Tony Kanaan starts fourth (217.149).
O'REILLY 400K: Season points leader Bobby Hamilton will start from the pole in tonight's truck race in Fort Worth, Texas, after rain canceled qualifying.
The lineup was determined by season points and other criteria. It's the third time in seven races this season qualifying has been rained out.
Shawna Robinson, who will be supported by NASCAR's first all-female pit crew, will start 32nd in the 36-truck field.
