MIPS: Connor flips in Liberty Challenge qualifying

Menards Infiniti Pro Series debutant Larry Connor escaped injury after a spectacular accident saw him flip his Genoa Racing entry during qualifying for Saturday's Liberty Challenge race on the Indianapolis road course.

Arie Luyendyk Jr reportedly made contact with the right rear of Connor's Dallara as it entered turn eleven of the 2.605-mile infield circuit, catapulting Connor's car
approximately seven feet into the air. Onlookers reported that the sportscar veteran's car flipped twice in mid-air before it finally landed in a gravel trap on its right side and
then tipped back upright. Connor had only completed four laps and was working his fifth lap when the crash occurred.

"It was very early in the practice session, and I was just taking it easy," he said, "I came out of [turn] ten and turned into eleven, and somebody hit me in my right-rear tyre and catapulted me into the air. I never saw him, but I was in the air long enough to think that this was going to be one wild ride.

"I saw stars - it was a big ride and a big hit. That's the first time I've been upside down in a race car, and I've been racing for quite a while. I feel a little woozy and my legs are a little messed up, but I'm fine."

Connor got out of the car under his own power, before being examined and released from the circuit's medical centre.

"I can tell you that these Infiniti Pro Series cars are very well built," he added, "That was a hard hit and the car is badly damaged, but the driver's compartment held up well."

All four corners of the car were damaged and the Genoa Racing pit crew immediately got to work to try to replace components and make repairs so Connor could race tomorrow, but later the team decided the damage was too extensive to repair in one day, so the car was withdrawn from this race. The team will now focus on getting the car ready for the next Menards Infiniti Pro Series event. Although he was just warming up his tyres and getting a feel for the car prior to the accident, Connor ran a lap in 1min 35.478secs right before the crash.

Connor left the track to head back to Watkins Glen, where he is due to drive two historic cars - an ex-Michael Schumacher 1991 Benetton B191 and a two-litre Lola 292 - this weekend.