IndyCar: The Worst 10 Wrecks In The DW12 Era
By Asher Fair
No. 4: Houston, 2013
This was the devastating wreck that ended four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti’s illustrious career.
Franchitti was on the outside of Takuma Sato on the long, fast, and sweeping turn five section on the streets of Houston when Sato’s car got loose and started to bobble. The front of Franchitti’s car made slight contact with the rear of the out of control car of Sato, which lifted Franchitti’s car’s nose off the ground.
This sent Franchitti’s car straight into the catch fence nose-first before it spinning out of control through the air. Eventually, the car landed, but not before it had been demolished and debris, including part of the catch fence, had been sent into the grandstands.
Sato’s car, which was also very damaged, came to a rest in the middle of the track before being plowed into by EJ Viso, who had nowhere to go to avoid the hard contact.
Franchitti was hospitalized after breaking his back and right ankle in the wreck.
No. 3: Fontana, 2014
Once again, we have another practice crash. This practice crash is the highest ranked (worst) crash on this list.
In the final practice for the 2014 season finale at Fontana, Mikhail Aleshin got loose in turn three and spun up the track. Coming from the high side was Charlie Kimball, who drove straight into the out of control machine of Aleshin.
This contact lifted Aleshin’s car up onto its side before it was sent into the catch fence, which needed a lengthy repair afterwards. In fact, one of Aleshin’s tires ended up stuck in the catch fence itself.
Upon hitting the catch fence, Aleshin’s car was sent into what looked like a vortex before it landed and continued to spin across the track before it came to a stop.
Aleshin ended up not racing in the Verizon IndyCar Series again until the beginning of the 2016 season despite recovering from this accident, which left him in critical condition with broken ribs among other injuries.