Pippa Mann out of New Hampshire after crash
British driver Pippa Mann has been ruled out of Sunday afternoon's MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, after a serious crash in final practice on Saturday afternoon left her with a concussion and concerns about neck injuries.
On a track that had been suffering from poor grip because of rubber laid down by one of the support races between IndyCar sessions, Mann lost the rear end of the #30 out of turn 2 during the Saturday afternoon final practice session. The car hurtled backwards into the concrete wall, in an area not covered by a SAFER barrier.
She was able to walk away from the car and was not immediately placed on a backboard or in a neck brace, but appeared to have some injury to her left leg or ankle as she tried to walk. She was subsequently placed on a stretcher and dispatched to the local Concord Hospital by ground ambulance for further evaluation.
X-rays and CT scans proved negative, but IndyCar medical staff said that she will not be cleared to drive until she undergoes a final round of scans and tests in Indianapolis on Monday, and will therefore miss the race on Sunday.
"Been released from hospital," Mann tweeted later in the day. "Pretty decent concussion, nice swollen ankle, knee ... Have to wear a neck brace until MRI in Indy on Monday, concerns about my back/neck.
"Hit of over 100g onto concrete, no SAFER, I guess I just had my first big one," she added.
There had been no news on Mann's condition by the time the qualifying session got underway and she was not released from hospital until later in the day, but the team knew it was highly unlikely that that they would have a driver in a fit state for the race.
"Pippa worked very hard this weekend and we are hoping for a speedy recovery and a return to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Indy Car," said RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal, confirming that the team were withdrawing the #30 from the MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225 and would not be seeking to run a replacement driver in Mann's place.
Mann, who celebrated her 28th birthday on Thursday, had been hoping to make her second IndyCar Series start following her d?but in May at the Indianapolis 500.
