Tag: Simon Pagenaud

Kurt Busch and Pagenaud sharing concussion experience together

Kurt Busch knows better than anyone what NTT IndyCar Series driver Simon Pagenaud is going through after a concussion prematurely ended the open-wheel ace’s season. Pagenaud suffered a suspected brake failure on the back straightaway at Mid-Ohio in …

Kurt Busch knows better than anyone what NTT IndyCar Series driver Simon Pagenaud is going through after a concussion prematurely ended the open-wheel ace’s season.

Pagenaud suffered a suspected brake failure on the back straightaway at Mid-Ohio in late June, sending his Meyer Shank Racing Honda off the course and barrel-rolling through the gravel. It came to rest against the tire barriers.

Although the former series champion and 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner was checked and released by the IndyCar medical team, lingering concussion symptoms kept him from the final eight races of the season. Pagenaud is still not cleared to race.

“His marketing agency and scheduling agency are the same as mine,” Busch said Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway when asked about Pagenaud. “I was able to get his phone number very quickly and I’ve communicated with him. Texts, phone calls, even things with his wife just to add in where I can help and to offer different doctors that I’ve seen and different procedures that I’ve gone through. His [injury] is very similar.”

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Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion, was forced into retirement sooner than he anticipated after being sidelined by a concussion in July 2022. A rear impact from a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway took Busch out of his 23XI Racing Toyota for the second half of the season as he struggled to get clearance to race again.

Hopeful to return to racing, he said he wouldn’t be full-time in 2023 as 23XI Racing welcomed Tyler Reddick into the fold, and Busch continued to work with his doctors. Last month, Busch officially retired.

There is no way to determine a timeline for Pagenaud to return.

“At the end of the day, working with different neurologists, I’ve learned there are six different major types of concussions, and then there are 20 to 30 variants of each,” Busch said. “Age can come into play. The violent accident that was the final one of you couldn’t pass the concussion protocol. Then there is quantity of wrecks and other things over time that add up.

“It’s not just a playbook that says, ‘Hey, you broke your arm, and you’re going to be back in three weeks or six weeks.’ A guy like Aaron Rodgers just tore his Achilles tendon, and is his schedule the same as a young guy that would tear and have that same injury? We don’t know.”

Sympathy for a guy on the wrong side of racing’s cruel streak

I find myself deeply in love with motor racing about 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent is spent in a state of hate with some aspect of the sport that’s either dumb or cruel, and it’s here where I’ve been struggling to stave off those …

I find myself deeply in love with motor racing about 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent is spent in a state of hate with some aspect of the sport that’s either dumb or cruel, and it’s here where I’ve been struggling to stave off those sentiments whenever I think of Simon Pagenaud and the painful reality he’s been dealing with since the end of June.

More than one month removed from the frightening brake component failure and repeated barrel rolls he endured at Mid-Ohio, the Frenchman’s plight is a reminder of how the time required to make a full recovery from a bad concussion is hazy at best, and confusing at its worst.

The sheer violence of Pagenaud’s crash was astonishing. But more so, what stood out was his remarkable ability to climb from the battered car and walk unaided across the sand trap at Mid-Ohio’s Turn 4 — on unstable ground — without any apparent signs of difficulty.

His interview afterwards with NBC also gave no indications of cognitive issues, and based on the smooth walk to the emergency vehicle and fully lucid interactions on the broadcast, the full effects of Pagenaud’s concussion went largely undetected in the 30 minutes that followed the impact. Any notion that he emerged from the crash unscathed was soon dispelled as IndyCar’s doctors conducted testing that confirmed he was unfit to drive for the remainder of the weekend.

Today’s news of Pagenaud’s ongoing absence from the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, which will reach six consecutive races after Saturday’s IndyCar race on the IMS road course, draws a bolder line beneath the unpredictable nature of brain injuries. There’s no answer to when the lingering effects of a concussion will subside and allow for a return to the cockpit.

It also raises the uncomfortable question of whether he’ll be able to resume his career before the championship concludes on September 10.

There are just over 30 days left in the season, and for his sake as a free agent, Pagenaud is facing a heart-wrenching urgency to demonstrate he’s at full strength and capable of delivering great results to secure a new contract to stay in IndyCar.

There were few hints of the full implications of Pagenaud’s Mid-Ohio crash when he first emerged from the car. Travis Hinkle/Motorsport Images

Without the necessary clearance from IndyCar’s medical staff to get back to work, he’s in a situation that’s becoming more precarious as the clock winds down and the opportunities to drive are surrendered to time. Pagenaud will have the August 27 oval race at World Wide Technology Raceway, the road course at Portland on Sept. 3, and Laguna Seca circuit on the 10th as the last chances to compete before the offseason arrives and nearly five months of inactivity ensues.

My sympathy for Pagenaud is immense. As a former champion and Indy 500 winner, his acquisition by MSR was a huge thing for the team as it went into 2022 with Helio Castroneves as his teammate. And despite a few bright spots along the way, 2023 — the second year of their two-year contract — was filled with disappointment prior to the crash.

The sympathy from his team is also a powerful thing, and as Mike Shank told me after Linus Lundqvist made a strong case to be given the keys to the No. 60 for the rest of the season, they aren’t rushing to move on from Pagenaud.

“We’re just not those people,” he said. “We’re not going to let Simon out of our lives because a part failed on our car. That’s heavy for me. So we want to see him get better, on his time.”

Where the difficulty for Shank, fellow co-owner Jim Meyer, and Pagenaud is found is in the need for MSR to raise its game in 2024.

The team arrived at Mid-Ohio with Castroneves sitting 20th in the championship and Pagenaud in 24th, which is miles below expectation. And while MSR’s drivers by no means shoulder all the blame for the team’s poor form, the Ohio-based outfit must improve if it wants to keep its partners and sponsors fully invested in the program.

Going forward is the only acceptable outcome next year, and being able to continue running with Pagenaud over the last three races would give MSR a chance to make an informed decision on whether he’s ready to lead the team in that process. Without that chance, MSR will need our sympathy as well.

“We have a very delicate balance we’re dealing with, because we’ve also got 45 people that work here full-time and we have to start figuring out our Plan A and Plan B and what our future could look like,” Shank said. “It doesn’t feel so good for anyone; not knowing what that will be. I can tell you that we’ve made no decision on that yet, and we’re literally taking it week by week with Simon.”

Daly back in for MSR as Pagenaud’s recovery continues

The lingering effects from Simon Pagenaud’s massive crash in practice earlier this month at Mid-Ohio will sideline the 2016 IndyCar champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner for this weekend’s doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. In his place is former Iowa …

The lingering effects from Simon Pagenaud’s massive crash in practice earlier this month at Mid-Ohio will sideline the 2016 IndyCar champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner for this weekend’s doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. In his place is former Iowa polesitter Conor Daly, who subbed for the Frenchman at Meyer Shank Racing in Mid-Ohio.

“I’m thankful to Mike [Shank] and Jim [Meyer] to calling me up to fill in for Simon again this weekend in Iowa,” Daly said. “Obviously I’m wishing him the best and hope that he gets well soon. Iowa has definitely become one of my favorite tracks in the last couple of years.”

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Daly will pilot the No. 60 Honda carrying a special livery promoting the new SiriusXM channel for country singer Carrie Underwood, who is performing at the Iowa Hy-Vee IndyCar Weekend event.

“I have qualified really well there – qualified on the pole and started in the top three the last two years,” Daly continued. “Hopefully we can replicate that qualifying performance, but also deliver in the race. The team does an incredible job to prepare the car, so we’re going to do our best for Simon again. We’ll do everything we can to score some more points for the team and I’m thankful to drive this No. 60 car again.”

Pagenaud’s car was driven last weekend in Toronto by MSR sports car champion Tom Blomqvist, who qualified 20th and was taken out in a first-lap crash caused by another driver.

Blomqvist to make IndyCar debut in Toronto as sub for Pagenaud

Reigning IMSA DPi champion and winner of last weekend’s GTP race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park Tom Blomqvist will make his IndyCar debut for Meyer Shank Racing this weekend in Toronto as the substitute for Simon Pagenaud. The temporary move with …

Reigning IMSA DPi champion and winner of last weekend’s GTP race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park Tom Blomqvist will make his IndyCar debut for Meyer Shank Racing this weekend in Toronto as the substitute for Simon Pagenaud.

The temporary move with Blomqvist comes after IndyCar’s medical team did not clear Pagenaud to drive after demonstrating concussion-like symptoms following a heavy brake failure-related crash at the most recent round in Mid-Ohio.

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“Simon says he’s feeling fine and absolutely ready to get back in the car once he is cleared, but he knows there is an IndyCar protocol in place to protect the drivers, so we just have to follow those guidelines,” Shank said. “I know he was disappointed to end his long streak of starts, but everyone wants him to be as healthy as possible so we just have to follow the IndyCar medical guidance on this.

“We are fortunate to have Tom available to jump in on such short notice. He’s a champion, has a little bit of experience in the car, and is coming off another big IMSA win last weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, so this was not a tough call for us to make.”

Blomqvist, who is tipped to be taking a full-time role with MSR in IndyCar next year, was asked to stay in Canada after Sunday’s win with teammate Colin Braun in the No. 60 Acura ARX-06, in case Pagenaud was unable to race, but flew back to the UK and is turning around to fly back to Toronto.

“First and foremost, I’m thinking of Simon and hoping that he recovers as quickly as possible so that he can get back behind the wheel,” Blomqvist said. “I have to thank Mike and Jim [Meyer] for considering me to fill in this weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what IndyCar has to offer. Diving straight into the deep end is an understatement after only having one test in the MSR IndyCar last year. I’m excited but aware of the challenges getting up to speed during a race weekend, so I’m not putting any pressure on myself. Just going to go out there soak it all in and give it all I’ve got.”

MSR rebuilding Pagenaud’s crashed car

Simon Pagenaud’s primary No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda chassis which protected the Frenchman during the wicked barrel roll caused by brake failure at Mid-Ohio will live to race on in the NTT IndyCar Series. Although Pagenaud was ruled out from …

Simon Pagenaud’s primary No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda chassis which protected the Frenchman during the wicked barrel roll caused by brake failure at Mid-Ohio will live to race on in the NTT IndyCar Series.

Although Pagenaud was ruled out from driving for the rest of the event after experiencing concussion-like symptoms and Conor Daly stepped in to take his place using a spare car, team co-owner Mike Shank says the battered Dallara DW12 from the Turn 4 crash is destined to make a return later in the season.

“The first thing I thought of was how lucky we are to have the aeroscreen and all the safety stuff IndyCar’s built into these cars over the last however many years,” Shank told RACER. “They’ve just saved so many lives at this point. Once we knew that Simon was going to be OK, and the crash was not his fault whatsoever, we went into race mode to get through the weekend.

“Then, after we got Conor sorted out — and I thought he did a great job for us and he gave us some good feedback on our car in the race — we went into repair mode with Simon’s car. The tub has some cosmetic damage, but it survived and will race again.”

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Most of the components that bolt directly to​​ the DW12’s tub and its drivetrain were destroyed in the crash, but the majority of those items — from suspension to bodywork — can be replaced with relative ease. Readying the tub to receive the new components is where added time is required.

“We won’t have the tub done before we go to Toronto; trucks have to leave on Tuesday, so we’ll use the same car we used with Conor, and then go from there on when it will go back into rotation, but it will return,” Shank said.

“We’re still figuring out if we need to send it out for fixing, or if we can do it ourselves in our composite shop. But more than anything, we have Conor’s race car from Mid-Ohio that’s ready to go again, so I’m trying to get the crew to have the weekend off to rest up after how crazy things were last weekend.”

Shank and fellow co-owner Jim Meyer will learn early next week if Pagenaud will receive clearance from IndyCar’s medical team to drive at Toronto, and like the plans to repair his broken car, the team is also working through its driver options for the series’ lone visit to Canada.

“Next, we’re having to look at if Simon gets cleared or if he isn’t, because we have to keep the car running,” Shank said. “And if he can’t, who are we gonna put in it, and how are going to do that? We’re going through that cycle right now, looking at people that have done IndyCar before, people we’re maybe planning on doing something with and stuff like that.

“We’re really just waiting to know when we can have Simon back, and I think on Monday, he gets evaluated again, so then we’ll see how he’s doing. Right now, he’s got a headache, and these things can take time, so we’re not gonna rush him at all, but he’ll have a car waiting for him as soon as he can go again.”

Daly to sub for Pagenaud at Mid-Ohio

Conor Daly will drive Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda in today’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio after regular driver Simon Pagenaud was ruled out following his accident during Saturday practice. After a brake failure, Pagenaud took …

Conor Daly will drive Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda in today’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio after regular driver Simon Pagenaud was ruled out following his accident during Saturday practice.

After a brake failure, Pagenaud took quick action to initiate a spin to reduce his speed, leaving the track sideways, but going airborne as the car was caught by the run-off gravel outside Turn 4. The No. 60 entry made a series of rolls at high speed before coming to a stop against the tire wall.

Pagenaud was evaluated and released by the NTT IndyCar Series medical team, but required to be signed off per protocol to return to action. A follow-up test did not provide the clearance for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner to race, although the team says Pagenaud is feeling OK and is in good spirits and will be on hand to support the team on Sunday.

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“First and foremost, I have to speak to the safety of these cars,” said MSR team owner Mike Shank. “To walk away from an accident like that is incredible and we cannot thank everyone at IndyCar, the AMR IndyCar Safety Team and the IndyCar medical team for everything they did to get Simon out and evaluated as quickly as possible.

“This is obviously not a scenario that we had planned for, but everyone at MSR has pitched in to get our backup car ready for Sunday. It’s actually Helio (Castroneves)’s Indy 500 car and the one he won the 500 with in 2021. We have to thank Conor for being here and stepping into this, he’s been super great through all of the chaos. Now we will get back on our feet and see what we can do in the race.”

For Daly, who was released by Ed Carpenter Racing following the Detroit Grand Prix, it will be his eighth IndyCar start at Mid-Ohio. He’ll start 27th in Sunday’s race.

“Obviously I have to think about Simon — you hate to see someone wreck like that,” said Daly. “The most important thing is to get him as healthy as possible, as soon as possible. This is his car and his group of folks and I am here to do the best job that I can for this team. I’ve known Mike (Shank) for a long time and I’ve tested for his sports car team many years ago. I’ve always had a lot of respect for this organization. It’s an honor to be a part of this group and fill in – we will just do the best job that we can.”

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Pagenaud to miss Mid-Ohio qualifying after huge practice crash

Simon Pagenaud will sit out qualifying for this weekend’s NTT IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio following his huge crash in practice on Saturday morning. The 2016 series champion and 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner suffered a suspected brake failure at …

Simon Pagenaud will sit out qualifying for this weekend’s NTT IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio following his huge crash in practice on Saturday morning.

The 2016 series champion and 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner suffered a suspected brake failure at the end of the back straight, pitching the No. 60 Meyer Shank Honda into a series of high-velocity barrel-rolls through the gravel before finally coming to rest against the tire barriers.

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Pagenaud was quickly checked and released by IndyCar’s medical team, but has not been cleared to return to the cockpit today. A further evaluation on Sunday morning will determine whether he will be able to play any further part in the weekend.

“Following this morning’s incident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the driver of the No. 60, Simon Pagenaud, was evaluated and released by the IndyCar medical team,” read a statement issued by the series. “As per IndyCar protocol, Pagenaud has not been cleared to return to racing today. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow morning.’

Pagenaud is a previous winner at Mid-Ohio, claiming victory from pole en route to winning the title in 2016, and also finished on the podium in 2012 and 2015.

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Pagenaud walks away from huge shunt as Power tops IndyCar FP2 at Mid-Ohio

Will Power led the field in second practice for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, but the talking point of the session was Simon Pagenaud’s escape from a shunt that involved multiple high-speed barrel rolls. Eight minutes into the session, Peacock’s cameras …

Will Power led the field in second practice for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, but the talking point of the session was Simon Pagenaud’s escape from a shunt that involved multiple high-speed barrel rolls.

Eight minutes into the session, Peacock’s cameras captured Pagenaud’s Meyer Shank Racing-Honda broadside but still at high velocity at the end of the back straight. The car launched over the strip of grass, before the right-side wheels dug into the sandtrap, and the car went through six-and-a-half rolls before the belly of the car hit the tire wall with ending up coming to rest on its rollhoop.

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The 2016 champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner radioed to the MSR team to inform them he was OK and that he had suffered brake failure. The AMR Safety Team stabilized the car on its side while Pagenaud slithered out, paused a couple of times to capture his breath, and then walked to the safety vehicle unassisted.

He later told NBC’s Dillon Welch, “It was a hell of a ride, for sure. Something broke and I couldn’t slow down. I tried to make the corner anyway. I know that gravel is deadly. Michael Andretti’s done it, so I’m joining another legend, so that’s cool! But I was just trying to bail out.

“It’s downhill, which is nuts: the car took off, it hit the gravel and I just rolled. I’m just glad I didn’t go over the tire wall. I’m so glad we have the aeroscreen. I’m really thankful for IndyCar and the aeroscreen safety.”

Asked if that was as bad a ride as he’s suffered in his career, Pagenaud said: “Definitely the wildest. Funnily enough, my first crash was exactly the same circumstance. So… yeah, interesting.”

Regarding his return to action for qualifying at 2.45pm ET, Pagenaud declared he was “ready, it’s not a problem” but admitted it would be the doctor’s decision.

When the session restarted, the lap times remained as incredibly tight as in first practice, with Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport-Honda, Friday pacesetter Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet and Scott Dixon covered by just half a tenth with 15 minutes to go.

Team Penske-Chevrolet’s Will Power then jumped to the top with his 14th lap, and clipped 0.28sec from that time on his 15th. That kept him a quarter-second clear of runaway points leader and 2021 champion Alex Palou of Ganassi, who also jumped up the order to second.

Santino Ferrucci brought out the second red flag with an off at Turn 12, although the AJ Foyt Racing machine looked fairly undamaged. That wasn’t the end of his drama as he spun over the hill at Turn 9, but managed to continue without stalling.

Arrow McLaren’s Felix Rosenqvist also had a spin toward the end of the session, while Scott McLaughlin of Penske was a late improver, jumping to sixth behind compatriot Dixon.

Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey confirmed the improved Rahal Letterman Lanigan-Honda form hinted at by Lundgaard’s pace at Road America two weeks ago and on Friday here at Mid-Ohio. The trio finished the session in seventh, 11th and 14th.

Another happy surprise was David Malukas, who slotted his Dale Coyne Racing-Honda into eighth, ahead of Kyle Kirkwood and Rosenqvist.

RESULTS

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Pagenaud leads IndyCar warm-up in Detroit

Simon Pagenaud gave Meyer Shank Racing-Honda a fillip by topping the final practice session ahead of this afternoon’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The 2016 champion used alternate tires to lap the new downtown Motown course in 1m02.3615s, an …

Simon Pagenaud gave Meyer Shank Racing-Honda a fillip by topping the final practice session ahead of this afternoon’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

The 2016 champion used alternate tires to lap the new downtown Motown course in 1m02.3615s, an average of 94.962mph around the 1.645-mile layout, on his 16th of 19 laps. It justified the positive outlook that Pagenaud displayed on Saturday after qualifying eighth, believing that not only does the track suit his driving style, but that the MSR team had made a breakthrough in learning what shock and damper combo best suits this bumpy track.

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His fastest effort was 0.1203s faster than Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Callum Ilott, who outpaced his pal at Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda, Marcus Armstrong.

But it was Armstrong’s teammate and compatriot Scott Dixon who turned heads with a 1m02.7192s effort on Firestone’s primary tires. He used this harder compound in the Firestone Fast Six session yesterday, and while he was half a second off pole-winning teammate Alex Palou, Dixon was still quick enough to ensure he will roll off from the second row this afternoon.

Josef Newgarden, who will start fifth, was fastest of the Penske-Chevrolets this morning again with fifth best time (also using primaries) ahead of Arrow McLaren-Chevy’s Pato O’Ward, Palou, David Malukas of Dale Coyne Racing w/HMD_Honda and the fastest Andretti Autosport-Honda of Colton Herta. Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing rounded out the Top 10.

UP NEXT: Race coverage begins at 3:00pm local (Eastern) time.

RESULTS

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Peugeot 908 LMP1 memories with Bourdais and Pagenaud

Team building or team destruction? The most dangerous part of Peugeot’s former factory 908 HDi FAP factory LMP1 program wasn’t the driving; it was the pre-season team building events where bruises and broken bones were the norm, as Sebastien …

Team building or team destruction? The most dangerous part of Peugeot’s former factory 908 HDi FAP factory LMP1 program wasn’t the driving; it was the pre-season team building events where bruises and broken bones were the norm, as Sebastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud share in Part 2 of our look back on the great French endurance racing program that ran from 2007-2011.

“It’s OK, you’re not going to die alone,” Bourdais said of one harrowing team exercise. The on-track action was also no picnic.

To start, factory driver Franck Montagny, frequently mentioned as the center of Peugeot-related mayhem, hit a cat at 205mph while testing and the results weren’t pleasant…

They loved the original 908 model which ran through 2010: “It was just a perfect car,” Pagenaud said. The all-new car for 2011? “It was difficult,” he continued. “It was very pointy to drive. Man, the V8 diesel was a lot more vibration than the V12.”

And how about another Montagny tale of “Days of Thunder” rental car racing on the highway to get to the airport after testing at Monza? Then there was the time Pagenaud threw up in the morning at Le Mans… And how much money did(n’t) Peugeot pay Bourdais, its big national star?

Take a listen to the conversation, and below, we have Part 1 with Bourdais, Anthony Davidson, and Pedro Lamy.