IndyCar

Harvey test crash could ruin 2016 IndyCar race chances

2 Mins read
Jack Harvey - Credit: Chris Owens / IndyCar

Jack Harvey’s testing crash at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Thursday may prevent the British racer from making his Verizon IndyCar Series race debut later this season.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsport were giving the quick Briton a test this week with a view to giving Harvey a seat in a third car at one of the season ending rounds at either Watkins Glen or Sonoma, but shunted the car at turn six during the morning session that curtailed his day’s running.

“Jack had a shunt at Turn 6 which is a little strange – not the usual place to crash there, and so unusual that there wasn’t a protective tire wall there so he hit a concrete wall,” said team owner Sam Schmidt.

“It was a typical rookie off-course excursion in one sense, losing the back end, but without tires there, that is why there was so much damage and why he was done for the day.

“For both Zach [Claman De Melo] and him, we weren’t really treating them like rookies; we had given them actual tasks, a bunch of aero and damper stuff that we needed to get through and couldn’t use private days. So they had a strict regimen of things to do. But I want to say it was 11.30am, just before lunch, when Jack went off. He wasn’t doing anything crazy.

“So we’ll do a proper analysis of the car, because it’s extremely unlike Jack. In two years of racing Indy Lights for us, he never put a wheel wrong and crashed, unless someone drove into him. So we’ll look at it tomorrow and see what the deal was and go on.

“We had hoped to run Jack in a third car at either Watkins Glen or Sonoma, and use this test as a launch pad to create interest. But that might be too difficult now; I don’t know.”

Schmidt believes Harvey is deserving of a change within the Verizon IndyCar Series, and praised the Briton for not giving up on his career in the championship, never being far away from the team when they need assistance.

“Jack definitely has been deserving of a chance and has always raced well for us,” said Schmidt. “And he’s spent the whole year sleeping on a couch in Indy and working for the team and helping out where he can; I give him credit for staying active and being a presence.

“But this accident may have thrown a wrench in our plans for this year at least, because it will be expensive. That would be a shame because I think he could be quite good in one of the big cars.” 

13769 posts

About author
Long time motorsport fanatic, covering Formula 1 and the occassional other series. Feel free to give him a follow on Twitter at @Paul11MSport.
Articles
Related posts
IndyCarOpen WheelOpinion

OPINION: Exhibition races have a place in IndyCar. The Thermal Club wasn't the right choice.

2 Mins read
IndyCar is racing this weekend, but not for points. That’s a sentence that hasn’t been written since 2008.
IndyCarOpen Wheel

Dale Coyne Racing adds Harvey, Braun and Siegel in split 2024 schedule

2 Mins read
After months of speculation, DCR announced its 2024 driver lineup on Tuesday, just three days before cars are on track for the first race of the IndyCar season.
IndyCarOpen Wheel

Marco Andretti returns to the #98 for 2024 Indy 500

1 Mins read
IndyCar veteran Marco Andretti will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 this year the same way he has for the past three: as a one-off affair with Andretti Global’s (formerly Andretti Autosport) #98 car.