Ericsson OK after heavy Indy 500 practice crash

Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson became the second driver to crash in practice for the Indianapolis 500 on Thursday as the Swede spun after dipping below the white line in Turn 4 and losing control of the No. 28 Honda.

It was a mirror of the crash from fellow Swede hours prior at the opposite end of the 2.5-mile oval at Turn 2, where Chip Ganassi Racing’s Linus Lundqvist — Ericsson's replacement in the No. 8 Honda — placed his left-front tire below the white line and was tipped into a wall-banging spin.

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Lundqvist’s car damage was minor compared to Ericsson’s, who clobbered the SAFER barrier with the left side of his car, then slid nose-first into the inside wall and then slid into and hit the attenuator placed in front of the wall separating pit lane from the front straight. Ericsson came to a stop on pit lane, climbed from the battered car, was taken to the infield care center, and released to continue driving when his Andretti crew are able to assemble a ready car for Friday.

“I brushed the curb a little bit and that's probably enough to send it and then you’re a passenger,” Ericsson said. “Very disappointed. Very sorry for my team; they've done a good job and they have a lot of work. That's probably the worst thing.”