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Crash knocks pole-sitter Scott Dixon out of Indy 500

By The Sports Xchange
Scott Dixon's car goes airborne after contact with Jay Howard on lap 53 of th 2017 Indianapolis 500, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Larry Papke/UPI
Scott Dixon's car goes airborne after contact with Jay Howard on lap 53 of th 2017 Indianapolis 500, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Larry Papke/UPI | License Photo

Pole-sitter Scott Dixon went airborne in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, sending his car into the inside fence and retaining wall in Turn 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Jay Howard's car made contact with the outside wall and came down before being hit by Dixon, who had nowhere to go.

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Both drivers were able to walk away from the crash on Lap 53 and were checked and released from the infield care center.

"I'm a little beaten up there, it was a bit of a rough ride," said Dixon, the 2008 Indy 500 winner and a four-time IndyCar champion from New Zealand.

"I think when you make those decisions, which way to go with the car, you're hoping Jay there is going to stay up against the wall. We had nowhere to go, and that happens."

Howard made contact with the wall between Turns 1 and 2 just after being passed low by Ryan Hunter-Reay and spun down into Dixon's path.

Dixon's car went over the top of Howard's car and barrel-rolled toward the inside wall and the right side of the car. It went airborne over the car of Helio Castroneves before hitting the top of the wall and flipping and landing with the wheels facing up.

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"I'm glad everybody's OK. It was a wild ride for sure," Dixon said.

The race was red-flagged for 15 minutes as the track crew worked to repair the damaged fence and SAFER barrier.

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