View Full Version : M Andretti's backward flip at 200mph


Steve A
24 April 2003, 23:48
Indianapolis, April 24 - Mario Andretti was hardly fazed after flipping a race car at more than 200 mph. And the spectacular crash Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway while testing a car owned by son Michael won't change the elder Andretti's plan to help the team prepare for the Indy 500.


Andretti, the oldest driver ever to test an Indy car, hit debris and went airborne. The impact sent his car flipping end over end.

"I'm OK, a little bump on my heel and my chin," he said. "I didn't hit anything hard."

But he found himself in an unfamiliar position - wheels up and over.

"I haven't been upside down too many times, and I didn't want to do it here," he said.

The crash occurred when he hit debris between the first and second turns. After striking the debris, the car went into the air, flipped at least twice and landed on all four tires, said Carol Wilkins, spokeswoman for Andretti Green Racing.

Link to video (not too clear) http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=1246726

ozzy
25 April 2003, 00:08
holy cr@p :eek:

the video clip of Mario talking about the accident is pretty funny - he's got a great attitude. The reporter asks what's going through his mind and he just says 'what am I doing here' :)

He's lucky it landed on it's wheels again and not upside down.

Stefan

JackClark
25 April 2003, 00:50
Lucky man, is it my eyes or does a wheel go into the grandstand?

elgordano
25 April 2003, 07:40
Clicky (http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=1246726 )

Gordo

DaveD
25 April 2003, 12:31
:eek:

One lucky man!!

Marin
25 April 2003, 20:24
Sounds like some of the outrageous crashes in the Stallone movie about Champ car racing that was on Sky the other day - Driven. In one crash, a car is launched about 100 feet into the air, catches fire, explodes and then lands upside down in lake - and he survives!!!

The chase through the streets of Chicago is funny as well - 2 Champ cars mixing it with street traffic. Highway cop with speed gun clocks them at 195mph through a tunnel...

Chris L
27 April 2003, 17:50
:eek: What a crash - one lucky guy.

Chris

Amanda-Jane
28 April 2003, 08:41
After watching Driven last year I remember saying, CART and IRL cars don't do those flips, since then I have seen 3, but that's not including Mario Andretti as it was not during a race!!

I suppose one of the perks of your son owning a team is getting to go out for a blast in one of the cars!!

AJ


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