After a clean first week of running, the first crash in the buildup for the Indy 500 occurred during Monday’s practice as Katherine Legge and Stefan Wilson tangled in turn 1 with about 30 minutes remaining in the session.
With teams running race simulations in a big pack, cars ahead of Legge and Wilson slowed going into turn 1, causing a chain reaction. Legge, though she lifted out of the throttle and downshifted, was not able to slow her car enough and ran into the back of Wilson, sending both into the wall.
Wilson gave the crowd a thumbs up as he was placed on a backboard before being transported to the infield medical center, while Legge got out of her car under her own power. Track medical personnel said Wilson was communicative and in good spirits and is being transferred to an area hospital for advanced imaging.
Wilson, driving for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, is taking part in his fifth Indianapolis 500 and qualified 25th. His best qualifying (23rd) and race result (15th) at the speedway came in 2018 while driving for Andretti Autosport.
Legge, driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan racing, qualified for her third Indy 500 safely in 30th Saturday, while three of her teammates had to sweat it out during Sunday’s last-chance qualifying. That session ended with RLL’s Jack Harvey bumping Graham Rahal – son of team co-owner and 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal – in a dramatic last-gasp run.
RLL said they will not run their backup car, which is already set up for the Detroit street circuit the series visits next, instead choosing to fix the oval car in time for Friday’s ‘Carb Day’ final practice session. Dreyer & Reinbold have not yet announced what they will do with its wrecked car.