[URY914]

Let's hope they did better today.....


De Silvestro in massive Indy crash

Thursday, May 19th 2011, 16:56 GMT


Simona de Silvestro has become the first driver to crash during preparations for this year's Indianapolis 500, as the HVM racer had a dramatic accident early in today's practice session.

De Silvestro's car appeared to suffer a mechanical failure at Turn 3, hitting the wall and twice becoming airborne before landing upside down and on fire.

She was able to extricate herself from the wreckage without assistance and is being taken to hospital for further checks. De Silvestro is awake and alert, with initial reports suggesting she has escaped with minor burns.

The incident caused damage to the track's debris fence so has resulted in a long halt to practice while repairs are carried out. Today looks set to be only the second day of the week not interrupted by poor weather, with practice getting underway in cold but good conditions after two consecutive rained-off days.