IndyCar: Pagenaud OK after scary crash in Saturday practice at Mid-Ohio (see VIDEO)

The French driver apparently lost his brakes and went through a series of barrel rolls before his car came to a rest alongside a tire wall.
IndyCar: Pagenaud OK after scary crash in Saturday practice at Mid-Ohio (see VIDEO)
IndyCar: Pagenaud OK after scary crash in Saturday practice at Mid-Ohio (see VIDEO) /

IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud went for a wild and scary ride during Saturday morning's practice at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course.

Pagenaud was coming out of Turn 4 when he caught air and flew for probably at least 30-40 feet off the surface, apparently having suffered complete brake failure.

"I had no brakes, I had no brakes, I'm okay," Pagenaud said on his team radio after the car came to an end of a series of barrel rolls and flips into the grass and eventually coming to rest nearly completely upside down against a tire barrier.

Pagenaud was essentially stuck in the car for a few moments as rescue workers tried to upright the car so he could be released from his safety harness and climb from the wreckage.

The French driver climbed out under his own power and walked to a waiting ambulance, waving to the crowd several times to indicate he was okay. He was taken to the Mid-Ohio infield medical center, was examined by a doctor and was ultimately -- and thankfully -- released.

Simon Pagenaud waves to fans as he climbs into a safety vehicle to take a ride to the infield care center after a scary crash during IndyCar practice Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo courtesy IndyCar.
Simon Pagenaud waves to fans as he climbs into a safety vehicle to take a ride to the infield care center after a scary crash during IndyCar practice Saturday morning at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo courtesy IndyCar

Pagenaud will be reevaluated Sunday morning before the race to see if he is given medical clearance to compete in the race for the Meyer Shank Racing team.


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Jerry Bonkowski
JERRY BONKOWSKI

@JerryBonkowski is an award-winning writer/columnist/editor who has specialized primarily in motorsports -- most notably coverage of NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA -- for much of his 30-plus-year career. He has worked full-time for many of the largest media brands including USA Today, ESPN, Yahoo and NBC. He started AutoRacingDigest.com in partnership with Sports Illustrated in 2022 and serves as the site's editor and publisher. He also is a regular contributor to Autoweek.com and NASCAR.com. Follow Jerry on Twitter @JerryBonkowski