LONG POND, Pa. – Felix Rosenqvist was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and later released after being involved in a five-car crash on the opening lap of Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.
Rosenqvist was collected in a five-crash crash in turn two, which started when Takuma Sato came down across the nose of Ryan Hunter-Reay as the field charged towards turn two.
The resulting crash also collected James Hinchcliffe, Alexander Rossi and Rosenqvist, who clipped Sato’s when it came back up the track. Rosenqvist’s car partially flipped and rode the outside wall before coming to rest at the exit of turn two.
Rosenqvist was taken to the infield car center, where it was decided he would be taken to a local hospital for further evaluation according to IndyCar Director of Medical Services Dr. Geoffrey Billows.
“Felix we’re just sending down to the trauma center for a little bit more evaluation,” Billows said. “He’s got non-life-threatening injuries. I think he’ll be fine. He walked to the ambulance on his own.”
NTT IndyCar Series officials announced shortly after 5:40 p.m. that Rosenqvist had been evaluated by officials at a local hospital and was set to be released.
Felix Rosenqvist has been evaluated at local hospital and will be released shortly ?#ABCSupply500 // @FRosenqvist pic.twitter.com/osrUVCCAPh
— NTT IndyCar Series (@IndyCar) August 18, 2019
Rosenqvist later confirmed via Twitter that he had been released from a local hospital.
Just got cleared from the hospital. Definitely feel lucky escaping without any serious injuries after visiting the catch fence there… Good to see @scottdixon9 back in the championship hunt! On to Gateway next weekend ?? #NTTDataRacing #Pocono
— Felix Rosenqvist (@FRosenqvist) August 18, 2019
The incident on the first lap of the race damaged the catch fencing on the outside of turn two, resulting in a 45-minute red flag period to repair the damage.
It is the second-straight year a violent crash has taken place in turn two early in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. Last year on the sixth lap Robert Wickens crashed violently in turn two, leaving him severely injured.