Both Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti have been cleared as fit to drive by doctors following a spectacular seven-car crash on lap 144 of the Firestone Indy 400 in Michigan that saw Franchitti’s car cartwheel through the air.
The pair made contact when Wheldon attempted to overtake the Scot for the lead of the race. Franchitti’s car was sent airborne, and collected several others on landing. All drivers involved were unharmed – although A.J. Foyt IV was left with Franchitti’s tyre marks across his helmet.
The race, the last to be held in Michigan, was eventually won by Tony Kanaan after Danica Patrick was forced to pull into the pitlane with a puncture from a very competitive second place with 14 laps to go.
Franchitti told the Associated Press: “I had a very fast car and I was just trying to stay ahead of Dan. The same time he moved out, I moved in. We touched. It’s not Dan’s fault and I don’t believe it’s my fault. We’re just out there trying to get an advantage.
“I closed my eyes and, when I opened them, I found myself up in the air, backward about 30 feet in the air. I was just hoping it wasn’t going to hurt when I came down. When it landed, it wasn’t a hard impact and I was lying upside down. They were saying on the radio, ‘Are you OK?’ I was saying, ‘I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m just uncomfortable right now.’”