DETROIT — Felix Rosenqvist has been taken to a Detroit hospital following a crash early in the IndyCar race on Belle Isle.
The throttle appeared to stick in Rosenqvist's car as he entered the sixth turn at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park on Saturday.
The Swede slammed into a tire barrier with tremendous force, moving the retaining wall. Rosenqvist's car was stuck nose-up at a nearly 45-degree angle jammed into the scattered tire barrier.
The wall and the car were destroyed, but thankfully, Rosenqvist was alert and conscious when rescue crews got to him.
He seemed to struggle to catch his breath, and IndyCar's safety team placed Rosenqvist in a neck brace.
He was taken to the track medical center, where doctors said he had no visible injuries. Rosenqvist was then transported to a local hospital out of precaution.
Crews worked to repair the barrier before restarting the race, which Marcus Ericsson won. It was his first IndyCar victory. He became the seventh driver to win through seven IndyCar races this season, and he’s the fourth first-time winner this year.
It was the first victory for the former Formula One driver since a GP2 race at Nurburgring in 2013. It was the first victory for Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 8 car since 1994 when Michael Andretti won at Toronto.