Firestone 600 IndyCar race red-flagged, rescheduled, Newgarden injured (4th Update)

UPDATE Verizon IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden sustained a fractured right clavicle and a small fracture on his right hand in his heavy crash in Sunday's Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, INDYCAR has announced.

According to Dr. Geoffrey Billows, INDYCAR medical director, Newgarden is expected to be released from the hospital tonight.

"Thank you to Dallara, IndyCar, the Holmatro Safety Team and everyone we work with at Texas Motor Speedway," Newgarden said. "The car held up great and the response from the safety team was amazing. I'm banged up a little bit but I'm generally OK. That's all thanks to IndyCar and all the work everyone within the series does.

"I am feeling a little pain but I hope to be ready to rock and go again soon. We had a great car today, it just did not go how we had planned. I feel bad for both Conor and myself but I'm glad Conor is OK as well. I'll be back out there fighting as soon as I can. Luckily I am all right, thank you again to everyone who helped me." Source: INDYCAR

06/12/16 UPDATE Medical update from Dr. Geoffrey Billows, INDYCAR Medical Director: Josef Newgarden is being transported via air to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas for further evaluation of right shoulder and hand injuries. Conor Daly has been checked and released from the infield care center and is cleared to drive.

CONOR DALY (No. 18 Jonathan Byrd’s Hospitality Honda): “I was the rookie to make the mistake. The car was really consistent. It was fantastic and we were making great progress. I didn’t expect that slide at all. We were consistently running and all of a sudden the rear (tires) just totally lost grip. I felt like I floated all the way through the corner. It was all my mistake. I should have recognized it but it was definitely a rookie mistake. I was trying to stay a little bit lower because I knew Josef (Newgarden) was coming. Maybe by pinching it a little bit, I just put too much load on the right rear. While the car was quite good I was on the edge in (Turns) 3 and 4 all the time. I apologized to him in there because that was my mistake for sure."

Medical update from Dr. Geoffrey Billows, INDYCAR Medical Director: Marty Armstrong, the inside front tire changer for 41-Hawksworth, was treated and released from the infield care center after receiving stitches for cuts to his lower back.

06/12/16 Newgarden was transferred by air to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas with injuries to his right shoulder and right wrist. According to IndyCar Dr. Geoffrey Billows Newgarden is otherwise all right.

06/12/16 The race today as been called and rescheduled for a night race on Aug. 27^th.

"It's unfortunate that we couldn’t finish the race this weekend due to the weather conditions," said Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations. "Everyone at INDYCAR and Texas Motor Speedway is committed to putting on a great show when we return on Aug. 27."

The race was originally scheduled for Saturday, June 11, but lingering wet track conditions from daylong rain prevented it from starting. The 22-car field took the green flag today at 2:48 p.m. ET, but was able to complete only 71 laps on the 1.455-mile oval before storms returned.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe was leading the race when the red flag came out. The cars will restart the race in August in the same order in which they were scored at the completion of Lap 71.

The schedule for Aug. 27 includes a practice session prior to resumption of the race. Broadcast information will be announced at a later date. Tickets for the original race date will be honored for the makeup date.

Josef Newgarden before the crash

06/12/16

The once postponed Firestone 600 IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway has been red-flagged after 72 of 248 laps due to rain and thunder. The few fans that were there have been asked to evacuate the grandstands. If it rains heavy we will probably see more weepers in the track so there is a good chance this race will not finish today either.

The race was under a long yellow from a big crash caused when Conor Daly lost the backend of his Honda exiting Turn 4 and he drove Josef Newgarden into the wall. Newgarden's Chevy then got on its side and Daly drove him a 2nd time into the wall helmet first.

Newgarden was shaken up and collapsed on the track. He is awake and alert now and being examined in the medical center for a possible concussion, shoulder injury and possible wrist injury.

Standings at the Red Flag