Ryan Hunter-Reay Faces Setback on Carb Day with Fire Incident
Ryan Hunter-Reay encountered another setback during a challenging month of May, as a fire broke out in the rear of his No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold/Cusick Motorsports Chevrolet during Carb Day festivities leading up to the Indianapolis 500. The incident necessitated the use of a backup car for Sunday’s race.
The fire, which originated during the final practice session, caused significant damage to the Dallara DW12 safety cell, compelling the team to switch to a spare chassis. Despite this setback, Hunter-Reay will maintain his 25th-place qualifying position, as per IndyCar regulations.
During the incident, Hunter-Reay made a pit stop but was forced to leave the box with flames visible from his car. He attempted to extinguish the fire using wind as he drove down the back straight but ultimately returned to pit lane, where safety personnel quickly intervened.
“The liquid I felt could have been fire-retardant after I hit the fire bottle, but it just started smoking more and more,” Hunter-Reay explained. “It really caught my attention when I was in fourth gear and the cockpit started filling up with smoke. I just kept going, trying to keep the airspeed up, and to get back to pit lane where there would be more help.”
The team continues to assess the situation for its root cause as Hunter-Reay prepares for the race in the new chassis.
