DETROIT (AP) - Looking no worse for wear a couple days after his car flipped through the air at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ed Carpenter sized up next weekend's big race.
After several scary accidents over the past week, will the Indianapolis 500 be more of the same?
"Potentially," Carpenter said. "I don't know that there's a solution in place."
Carpenter was at Belle Isle on Tuesday, helping promote IndyCar's stop in Detroit at the end of May. First, though, comes the Indy 500 on Sunday. Scott Dixon won the pole, but only after officials reined in horsepower and slowed the cars down following a few frightening crashes.
Over a five-day period, three drivers hit the walls at Indianapolis and all ended up going airborne. Helio Castroneves crashed in practice Wednesday. The next day, Josef Newgarden flipped his car. On Sunday, Carpenter went flying into the second turn catch-fence.
Those three all drive for Chevrolet, though much of the focus was on the new aero kits in place on all IndyCars.
"The first part of the issue - the crashes - that's normal. That's part of our sport. That's something that we all know can happen and does happen," Carpenter said. "The second part of what's happening after a crash, that's a concerning part, but IndyCar, they're always at the leading edge of safety and innovation, and between them and Chevrolet, I'm confident they'll come to a safe solution."
For the long term, perhaps. But there's a limit to what can be done between now and Sunday's race, the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." In the immediate aftermath of Carpenter's crash, IndyCar officials eliminated the extra horsepower the cars were supposed to have for qualifying. They also required drivers to run in the slower race-day setup and turned qualifying into a non-points event.
"I think what you saw - most accidents or all the accidents we've seen came when we were preparing for qualifying," Carpenter said. "In race configuration, the cars are easier to drive, a little more forgiving, so I think the racing is going to be similar to what it's been the past couple of years. Hopefully we can keep it clean and everyone can keep it going in the right direction and keep all four wheels down."