A Swedish IndyCar driver was headed to a hospital Saturday following a violent crash into a tires-and-concrete barrier during the first race of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader at Belle Isle Raceway in Detroit.
In-car video of the collision replayed on NBC Sports appeared to reveal that the vehicle's throttle was open or stuck, and it did not appear that the driver hit the brakes as it careened into the barrier at nearly full speed in turn 6.
The driver, 29-year-old Felix Rosenqvist, was conscious and moving, but stayed in the vehicle as a safety team in a pickup rushed to the scene and pulled him out of his No. 7 Dallara-Chevrolet, carrying him away on a stretcher.
IndyCar's director of medical services, Dr. Geoffrey Billows, told NBC Sports that "Felix is doing fine."
"He was conscious and alert the whole time," he added. "No loss of sensation anywhere. No loss of function."
Rosenqvist tweeted Saturday night: "I’m doing ok, except alot of soreness! Thanks for all the messages and to the @IndyCar medical staff for looking after me. What a race we had going til that point, bummer... "
Billows later said in a statement released by Rosenqvist's team, Arrow McLaren SP, that doctors at Detroit Receiving Hospital found "no life or limb threatening injuries." "He will be observed overnight prior to discharge from the hospital," he said.
The crash happened on lap 28 of 70 laps. The race was stopped under a red flag, but was expected to resume after track workers reinstalled the barriers and cleaned debris.
Scott Dixon was leading the race at the time; James Hinchcliffe was in the next position. Fellow Swede Ericsson Marcus won the race.
"Our thoughts are with Rosenqvist," driver Alexander Rossi told NBC Sports.
The open-wheel race was part of the NTT IndyCar Series' weekend doubleheader.
