IndyCar race delayed: Pace car and Will Power lose control in wet conditions - video
After four aborted starts, three wrecks, and two red flags, today's IndyCar race in Toronto has been cancelled.
Photo by: Rebecca McKay
Chaos ensued as the IndyCar race in Toronto tried to get going under ominous skies. As they prepared for a standing start, race officials decided to pull the cars down pit lane. Visibility was minimum and the conditions were incredibly treacherous.
After a 45 minute wait, the cars were rolling again. The track was still very wet, so the officials decided to abort the standing start and opt for a single file one. Three major incidents took place before the green flag even waved.
First, Ganassi's Ryan Briscoe nosed into a tire barrier, but was able to continue and rejoin the pack. Soon after that, the pace car (driven by Arie Luyendyk) that was leading the field went for a bizarre ride. With all four wheels locked up, the Honda slid into a runoff area, but not before tagging the wall with the rear end.
With the green flag in hand and the field rounding the final corner, more carnage ensued. Championship contender Will Power lost control and spun into the concrete wall that lines the frontstretch. He was running second at the time.
After the wreck, a despondent Power simply said, "I had no chance....my bad." The team is working feverishly to repair the car during this delay.
The start was called off again, then aborted a third time a few minutes later. The race has since been red flagged for the second time. It has not officially started, yet three cars (including the pace car) have suffered damage.
Under the red flag, the Penske team worked to resolve electrical issues on Juan Pablo Montoya's machine. Tony Kanaan, while obviously wanting to race, said "People need to consider that this is dangerous right now. We can not race in these conditions."
Michael Andretti was upset with Power's team being allowed to work on the car, calling it a 'clear violation of the rules.' 13 laps have been completed behind the pace car, but none of them count.
After a two hour delay, IndyCar officials have decided to cancel Race One. Information regarding whether or not they will try to make up the race tomorrow is pending.
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