Ferrucci to sub for Harvey in RLL-Honda at Texas

Harvey suffered a heavy shunt in second practice yesterday, and although he stepped from his wreck unaided and spoke to media outside the medical center after being released, he was re-evaluated this morning and IndyCar medical team did not clear him.

An official IndyCar statement reads: “Per IndyCar protocol, all drivers wear accelerometers that measure g-forces exhibited during an incident. These get evaluated, fully, after each incident, and if the result of the g-forces surpasses the minimum threshold, drivers must be re-evaluated prior to returning to competition.

“Following the protocol, the driver of the #45, Jack Harvey, was re-evaluated this morning and was not cleared for racing. Harvey is working closely with the IndyCar medical team regarding next steps.”

Rahal Letterman Lanigan stated: “Jack Harvey has not been cleared to drive by the IndyCar medical team following his crash in yesterday’s final practice for the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway. He was checked and released by IndyCar but after reevaluation on Sunday, the team was advised that he would not be cleared to participate in today’s race.

“Santino Ferrucci, who competed in five races for the team in 2021, will compete in the No. 45 Hy-Vee entry today.”

In a poor weekend for RLL, with the three cars of Harvey, Christian Lundgaard and Graham Rahal qualifying between 24^th and 27^th, Harvey was on his 26^th lap of the 1.5-mile oval in final practice yesterday afternoon when the incident happened. His car understeered in the middle of Turn 2, Harvey downchanged, the #45 Hy-Vee car started oversteering, and its right-rear wheel appeared barely to kiss the wall.

However, it was enough to unsettle the car and wrench it out of Harvey’s control. It looped around and across the track to make heavy contact with the inside wall and then slide along the back straight to Turn 3.

The tub was cracked, so the RLL team had to build up the spare, Harvey’s car for the Indy 500.