LONG POND, Pennsylvania – Ryan Hunter-Reay returned to the track this morning, a day after he was taken to a hospital after a hard crash at Pocono Raceway.
“I definitely feel like I hit a wall at 220 mph,” Hunter-Reay said after completing installation laps and a pit-stop practice in the No. 28 DHL Honda backup car before the start of the ABC Supply 500. “I’m a little banged up.”
Hunter-Reay sustained injuries to his left hip and knee after his car spun and crashed in Turn 3 during Saturday’s qualifying session. He emerged from the car with assistance from Holmatro Safety Team workers and was helped to a nearby medical vehicle.
ABC SUPPLY 500: Starting lineup
INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows examined Hunter-Reay, who was sent to Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He was released later in the day and, following a re-evaluation by Billows this morning, was cleared to drive.
Hunter-Reay will start 21st in the 22-car field when the green flag waves at 2:40 p.m. ET. That disadvantage isn’t expected to affect his chances in the 500-mile race.
Hunter-Reay, who won at Pocono in 2015 after starting eighth, expressed confidence that he can win today’s race, the 14th of the 17-race Verizon IndyCar Series.
“Absolutely,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting that perfect setup on the car and getting the right aero balance. You need everything to kind of come into tune here at Pocono.”
Hunter-Reay turned two laps at speed before the pit-stop competition. The scene surrounding Hunter-Reay’s pits reflected the interest in his return. Fans stood five deep behind the pit before security shooed them away to allow other teams to move equipment. At one point, team CEO Michael Andretti, riding a scooter, was slowed by the crowd, which barely noticed his presence.
Hunter-Reay, the 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner, was one of three drivers who crashed Saturday and had to use backup cars for the race. Helio Castroneves will start 20th, and Ed Carpenter will start 22nd.
“It was a tough one,” Castroneves said of his crash in Turn 1. “When you have an impact like that, you’re going to lose some air. But we have plenty for today.”
Minutes before the race, Hunter-Reay arrived at driver introductions on a scooter. He was joined in prayer by INDYCAR Ministry chaplain Chuck Lessick, then gingerly ascended the stairs to the back of the portable stage.
Drivers continued to marvel at the work of the Holmatro Safety Team, which arrived at the scene of all three crashes within seconds. As Hunter-Reay’s car came to a stop on the frontstretch, two workers were sprinting toward it. Seconds later, a safety truck carrying more workers arrived.
“I call them our guardian angels,” Castroneves said. “For them to be there in less than 10 seconds in an accident like that is the difference between an injury and possibly a fatal accident.”
Castroneves trails Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden by seven points for the championship lead heading into the race. Newgarden starts 14th. Scott Dixon is eight points behind Newgarden and goes off ninth. Takuma Sato, Hunter-Reay's Andretti Autosport teammate, starts from the pole position.
ABC Supply 500 fast facts:
Race 14 of 17 on the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule
Track: Pocono Raceway, a three-turn, 2.5-mile oval in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, that is hosting its 24th Indy car race dating to 1971.
Race distance: 200 laps/500 miles
Fuel: 130 gallons of Sunoco E85 ethanol
Full fuel stint: 25-30 laps
Broadcast: 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network