INDIANAPOLIS -- A crew member was in critical condition but recovering today after a race car hit him during a pit stop at the Indy 500.
Steve Fried, chief mechanic for Robby McGehee, was directing his driver's car out of the pit in lap No. 12 when Jimmy Kite's car hit him from behind.The accident was triggered when Kite, the youngest driver in the race at 23, was hit by Johnny Unser, whose brakes failed as he entered the pit.
Fried flipped and landed on his face. He was admitted to Methodist Hospital with head and chest injuries, but doctors said his vital signs had stabilized and he was responding to commands.
The collision disabled Kite's steering, preventing him from avoiding Fried.
"I was on the brakes as hard as I could. There's nothing you could do with broken steering," Kite said. "It's the most helpless feeling I've ever had."
STEWART'S DAILY DOUBLE: As Tony Stewart flew over the speedway, one race down, the second just about to start, he looked down at the crowd that was cheering and waving at him, and shook his head.
"This is awesome," he said.
Yes, his double-duty day was quite a trip.
Stewart became the first driver to complete both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day Sunday, racing 1,090 miles in about 10 hours. He went from last to fourth with a hard-charging drive in the Coca-Cola after finishing ninth at Indy.
And when the day was finally done, he collapsed.
"Eventful. Definitely eventful," a weary-looking Stewart said after the race. "I'm ready for a nap."
Or hibernation, perhaps. Stewart, who ate barely anything all day Sunday, was sick for the last hour of the Coca-Cola. When he climbed out of his car, his legs gave out and he sank to the ground.
He sat next to his car for several minutes with a wet towel wrapped around his head, occasionally drinking fluids. He got oxygen, and then was put on a stretcher and taken to the track hospital where he was given fluids and released.
"I never use the head rest in cars and I used the head rest the last 60-70 laps," he said. "I felt like I was about 90 percent and leaving 10 percent on the table."
That's not good enough for NASCAR's hottest rookie, who said he doubts he'll try the double again next year.
For more on the Coca-Cola 600, see Page D5.