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IndyCar
V8: Castroneves Crashes In P2
3-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves makes contact with the Turn 11 wall at Surfers Paradise in P2, and Scott Pruett's teammate hits hard in P1.
The Stone Brothers Racing mechanics pour over the stricken Ford Falcon after Castroneves' untimely date with the Turn 11 wall. (Marshall Ptuett)
Team Penske IZOD IndyCar Series driver Helio Castroneves earned the distinction of being the first of the 18 guest drivers to find the wall as practice got under way today in Surfers Paradise. Clouting the Turn 11 wall, Castroneves reported back to the pits that he was "very sorry and very embarrassed" according to his teammate, Tim Slade.
Prior to Castroneves' crash, the Brazilian had posted the fastest time of the second practice session -- one that was dedicated to the guest drivers to gain more familiarity with the cars and the reconfigured circuit.
Back in the pits after the crash, Castroneves told SPEED.com, "It's hard for us to find the limits and this track is very different. I remembered what the corner speeds were before [in Indy cars] but I feel like I'm really slow in them. What happened is that I just braked and thought I had it under control, but it is hard to tell -- I'm still learning -- then it locked, I understeered and hit straight into the wall. In the IndyCar you know in advance what the limit is. With this, it feels like it is accepting everything I do, but I found out maybe it wasn't accepting so much...
"It's a shame because now this puts us very far back; like a day behind the other teams, so I'm really sorry for my team, my teammate...I can hope that it rains maybe. Then the other drivers won't get too far ahead on us while we are stuck fixing the car!"
The Stone Brothers Racing team got the car out towards the end of the third practice session after all three of their individual teams pitched in to work a minor miracle.
The "Dancing with the Stars" winner wasn't the first international pilot to be affected by a collision, as 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Daytona Prorotpe champion Scott Pruett watched in horror as his co-driver, Nathan Pretty, clobbered the same wall as Castroneves, impacting on just the fourth lap of the opening practice session.
"We'll make it out for the third session and the fourth, but it's hard." said Pruett, winner the 1997 Nikon Indy 300 race at Surfers Paradise. "My co-driver [Nathan Pretty] has never driven here before, so they can't really adjust our session plans to get me more laps because I missed out on the first and second practices. He needs the miles, so we'll see what that means for me in terms of seat time. I'll make the most of whatever they give me, but it's hard starting off so far behind."
Prior to Castroneves' crash, the Brazilian had posted the fastest time of the second practice session -- one that was dedicated to the guest drivers to gain more familiarity with the cars and the reconfigured circuit.
Back in the pits after the crash, Castroneves told SPEED.com, "It's hard for us to find the limits and this track is very different. I remembered what the corner speeds were before [in Indy cars] but I feel like I'm really slow in them. What happened is that I just braked and thought I had it under control, but it is hard to tell -- I'm still learning -- then it locked, I understeered and hit straight into the wall. In the IndyCar you know in advance what the limit is. With this, it feels like it is accepting everything I do, but I found out maybe it wasn't accepting so much...
"It's a shame because now this puts us very far back; like a day behind the other teams, so I'm really sorry for my team, my teammate...I can hope that it rains maybe. Then the other drivers won't get too far ahead on us while we are stuck fixing the car!"
The Stone Brothers Racing team got the car out towards the end of the third practice session after all three of their individual teams pitched in to work a minor miracle.
The "Dancing with the Stars" winner wasn't the first international pilot to be affected by a collision, as 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Daytona Prorotpe champion Scott Pruett watched in horror as his co-driver, Nathan Pretty, clobbered the same wall as Castroneves, impacting on just the fourth lap of the opening practice session.
"We'll make it out for the third session and the fourth, but it's hard." said Pruett, winner the 1997 Nikon Indy 300 race at Surfers Paradise. "My co-driver [Nathan Pretty] has never driven here before, so they can't really adjust our session plans to get me more laps because I missed out on the first and second practices. He needs the miles, so we'll see what that means for me in terms of seat time. I'll make the most of whatever they give me, but it's hard starting off so far behind."
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