Elkhart Lake 2006

A.J.ALLMENDINGER WINS FROM BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (2ND) AND SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (3RD). THE RACE SEEMED TO BE A CONTINUOUS SERIES OF YELLOW FLAG CAUTIONARY PERIODS THAT CULMINATED, ON LAP 46 OF THE SCHEDULED 51, WITH A RED FLAG STOPPAGE FOLLOWING ONE OF THE MOST HORRENDOUS CRASHES THAT I HAVE SEEN IN EITHER F1 OR CHAMPCAR. THE REAR WING ON KATHERINE LEGGE'S CAR FAILED AT 180 M.P.H. JUST AS SHE WAS STARTING TO NEGOTIATE THE NOTORIOUS 'KINK' AND THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT THAT SHE WOULD HIT THE BARRIER BECAUSE THERE WAS NOW VERY LITTLE DOWNFORCE AT THE REAR OF THE CAR, WHICH STARTED TO OVERTAKE THE FRONT AS THE CAR SPUN TOWARDS THE CONCRETE BARRIER. I DON'T RECALL EVER SEEEING A RACE CAR DISINTEGRATE IN SUCH A DEVASTING WAY - IT JUST EXPLODED. IT SEEMED THAT, EVEN IF SHE SURVIVED, THERE MUST BE SOME VERY SEVERE INJURIES. AFTER A WHILE, WHEN SHE HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE MEDICAL CENTRE, THE PRESIDENT OF CHAMPCARS GAVE US THE NEWS THAT SHE HAD SMILED AT HIM AND GIVEN THE THUMBS-UP SIGN SO IT SEEMED THAT HER LIFE WAS NOT THREATENED. ASTOUNDINGLY, A FEW MINUTES LATER SHE WAS ALL SMILES AND WALKING TO ONE OF THE MEDICAL FACILITIES. AS SHE SAID LATER, ";ALL MY BITS ARE INTACT AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW STRONG A CHAMPCAR IS";. A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE - LETS JUST HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR'S ALL-NEW CARS ARE JUST AS STRONG.

Race Results posted by
David Little
25th September 2006

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