Motorsports

Crash ruins Rice's shot at Indy pole

By wire services
Published May 12, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS - Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice was injured in a crash during practice Wednesday, knocking him out of qualifying this weekend for the pole position.

Rice, last year's polesitter, was expected to spend Wednesday night in a hospital after injuring his back and having a concussion.

Several hours after the crash, track officials said Rice would not be cleared to drive until at least next week. That will prevent him from qualifying Saturday and Sunday and probably force him to start from near the back of the 33-car field.

The top 22 spots are expected to be filled in this weekend's qualifying.

"I'm not worried about where he qualifies," said Bobby Rahal, the team's co-owner and the 1986 Indy champ. "He's a heck of a racer and we've got good cars. Where he starts, I think, is irrelevant."

For now, Rahal's biggest concern is getting Rice healthy in time for the second qualifying weekend and then the race May 29. Qualifying resumes May 21. Bump Day, the last of four qualifying days, is scheduled for May 22.

Rice will be the fourth defending champion since 2000 to miss a pole qualifying attempt. Kenny Brack won the race in 1999 and Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000, but neither returned to defend his title. Gil de Ferran won it in 2003 and retired after the season.

Rice's fortunes turned quickly. Sixteen minutes into practice - the second day veterans could drive - Rice's No.15 car spun in the second turn and the back end slammed into the outside wall, scattering debris across the track. The car spun several times as it slid down the track before rolling to a stop.

Rice remained in the car for several minutes before track workers helped him out. He walked away from the wreck but was later diagnosed with a severe back bruise and a concussion.

Track workers also repaired the damage to the SAFER barrier, a device Rahal credited for preventing more serious injuries. Rahal said onboard computers indicated the car hit with a force of 75 Gs - although Rahal believed it was even harder than that.

"He's in good shape, but he's hurting," Rahal said. "It was a big wallop but nothing is broken, fortunately."

It was a big blow for the Rahal Letterman Racing team.

Through rookie orientation and the first two days of practice, Rahal's stable of drivers had been among the fastest on the 21/2-mile oval. Danica Patrick was the fastest driver Sunday and Monday in rookie orientation, topping 222 mph on the second day. Brazil's Vitor Meira was 10th fastest Tuesday with a speed of 224.172.

Patrick and Meira finished among the top 10. Patrick was second-fastest at 226.944. The only driver who was faster was defending IRL champ Tony Kanaan of Brazil at 227.453. Meira was ninth at 225.714.

The big question, though, was what happened to Rice, who has completed all but one lap in his first two Indy 500 starts. He finished 11th in 2003 after starting 19th.

Rahal said there was no indication anything broke and that replays didn't show any fluid leaking before the crash. He also said chief operating officer Scott Roembke told him Rice was frustrated and angry.

"It's odd where it happened," Rahal said. "I'm afraid it's one of those situations that you'll never know what caused it."

Rice won a rain-shortened Indianapolis 500 last year. He also won last year at Kansas and Michigan, and finished third in the points behind Kanaan and England's Dan Wheldon.

[Last modified May 12, 2005, 00:31:16]