Brake failure for Hunter-Reay in warm-up

Ryan Hunter-Reay experienced rear brake failure during the morning warm-up session at St. Petersburg. It sent his No. 28 Andretti Autosport Honda hard into the Turn 10 tire barriers; the 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series champion was unhurt in the crash. The head-on impact entering the high-speed braking zone broke the nose and wings from his car and smashed the right-front suspension.

"Thank the Lord that wall over there had two rows of tires because on it I needed every bit of it," Hunter-Reay said after returning to the pits. "It was just a brake failure. The brake pedal went to the floor when I hit it. It looks like the rear brakes failed for some reason; the fronts engaged, but that's not going to do anything to stop the car. Brake lock all the way in; it's one of the scarier feelings in a racecar, I can tell you that."

After the session, Hunter-Reay told RACER's Robin Miller he did not believe the failure was due to the brake overheating issues that have plagued some cars in recent weeks.

"I don't think it was heat related, more like a brake line coming off or something," he said. "No warning. But I hit pretty square so it looks like bolt-on stuff, don't think the tub was damaged so we should be ready for the race."

Hunter-Reay is hoping his brake-related crash is the last of the event.

"I'm really concerned if this happens in fifth gear going into Turn 13," he said. "That would be a lot worse than what just happened here. I don't want anything to happen related to brakes. When you're on a street circuit there's no room error. Every foot that you give up in braking, let alone the brake failure, is a big deal. You're going into a concrete wall."

Hunter-Reay is scheduled to roll off the grid in 12th place when the 110-lap Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg begins at 12:30 p.m. ET.