AVONDALE, Ariz. - A massive five-car pileup has dwindled the 21-car Verizon IndyCar Series field in tonight’s Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix down after a first turn accident.
Points leader Sebastien Bourdais, rival Mikhail Aleshin (the two have collided several times before), Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal and Max Chilton were all involved in the accident.
Aleshin, who started seventh in the No. 7 SMP Racing Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, lost control coming through Turn 2 and collected the others. Bourdais, in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda, tried to avoid to Aleshin to the outside but crashed into him. Andretti, in the No. 27 Oberto Honda for Andretti Autosport, spun behind him after contact with Bourdais. Rahal, in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda, tried to split the gap but got caught up. Chilton’s No. 8 Gallagher Honda has also sustained enough damage to be sidelined.
All drivers were out of their cars after the accident, and have been checked, cleared and released from the infield medical center.
Quick quotes are below, Aleshin, Rahal and Chilton talking to NBCSN’s Robin Miller, Andretti to Marty Snider and Bourdais to Kevin Lee.
“Unfortunately when I started to turn into Turn 1, the rear went and I couldn’t do anything. With full lock, I understood that was it. Snap oversteer. Couldn’t do anything about it. It was obviously my mistake. I am sorry for the guys who hit me as well. That’s racing,” Aleshin said.
.@mikhailaleshin is out of the care center. #DesertDiamondPGP #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/rwphM1mB0a
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 30, 2017
Andretti said, “I want to be able to just finish a race. Everyone was trying to miss Mikhail. It looked like he had more downforce. Ryan just missed it. I tried to spin to miss him, then my smoke is why Graham couldn’t see. He hit me. It’s not ideal seeing blue smoke with most of the field coming at you. Glad everyone is OK. It was a product of Mikhail losing it and us trying to avoid it.”
.@MarcoAndretti is out of the care center and talks with @heymartysnider. He just wasn't able to avoid it. #DesertDiamondPGP #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/bwPPtMfqZq
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 30, 2017
Rahal added, “I didn’t have a perspective. I don’t know what happened. The spotter yells go low, Chilton’s spinning in front of me, I tried to go above him, and his car came up the banking. Legitimately I don’t know what happened. Our luck right now. Need to go to New Orleans for a voodoo doll. Spotter yells one thing. Where else do you go? This is what happens when you qualify at the back. Our sponsors, mechanics don’t deserve this. A lot of work to be done ahead. You’ve been around this long enough – you, PT – you’re just doomed. I was wrong place, wrong time.”
"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. -@GrahamRahal to Robin. #DesertDiamondPGP #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/hxOJMIQqIb
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 30, 2017
Bourdais said, “You’re just along for the ride. I was too close to brake. Marco was already in there anyway. Ryan cleared it barely. Not much you can do. It was a pretty big slap. It was a shame. You have to have wiser moves on the start like that. Everyone gets caught up in the moment and we were collateral damage. Our Sonny’s BBQ car is busted on the left and right side.”
Chilton concluded, “We had a pretty decent start. I was sort of tensing because four-wide is never good on a short oval. Mikhail lost his car. You only need one car to make a mistake and it’s a disaster. I did the normal human reaction. I spun, as I came back, I got collected by Rahal. Frustrating way to end the day. But so much downforce and these races are so boring, everyone tries to overtake on Lap 1.”
.@maxchilton tells Robin "I was sort of tensing because I knew 4-wide on the start on a short oval wasn't good." #DesertDiamondPGP #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/h0541tXMx9
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 30, 2017
A quick video of the accident via the inside of Turn 1 is below along with the main video above.
Big wreck on Lap 1 at @PhoenixRaceway. #DesertDiamondPGP #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/SGTrJTqqK3
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 30, 2017