IndyCar legend Danny Sullivan enjoyed a famous “spin and win” at the 1985 Indy 500, but 36 years later, Marcus Ericsson went one better in Sunday’s Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, with his very own “launch and win”.
The Chip Ganassi driver’s car miraculously survived an airborne crash with Sebastien Bourdais on a re-start in the early stages of the incident-packed race, a contact that should have put the Swede out on the spot.
Instead, Ericsson picked himself up leaving a livid Bourdais behind, hobbled back to the pits for a new nose, chased from behind and 75 laps later drove his car into the winners’ circle for the second time this season, having won in Belle Isle in June.
Sunday’s inaugural IndyCar round in Nashville featured no less than of nine full-course caution periods, worth a total of 33 laps, and two red flags which pushed proceedings into the early evening in the Music City.
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But IndyCar fans were nevertheless offered a solid 20 laps of good racing in the latter part of the event between Ericsson and poleman Colton Herta.
With the Swede nursing a potential fuel shortfall, Herta pulled out the stops and closed the gap to his rival. A first attack attempt brought the Andretti Autosport charger dangerously close to the wall and gave Ericsson some breathing space.
But Herta reeled in his opponent once again only to brake late at Nashville’s Turn 9 and veer into the tyre barrier, his race undone while Ericsson sailed to the checkered flag, with Chip Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon and Andretti’s James Hincliffe completing the top-three.
When all was said and done, a bewildered Ericsson still couldn’t wrap his head around his win.
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“I’m just trying to figure out how I ended up winning the race after being up, flying and seeing the sky on Lap 5 and thinking my race was over,” joked the flying Swede. “I can’t believe it! I got good air-time.
“I feel sorry for Seb. I just got caught out there [on the first restart], when I thought they were going. I thought my race was over then. But then I got repair to the car, I got a stop and go [penalty] and we were dead last. It was all about trying to recover.
“On the car we had some damage as well from that flight, but I thought I’d try and recover as many positions as possible and have a solid top 15…
“Then the team did a great job with the strategy, pitstops were great, and there were so many incidents… But we did everything right when we needed to.”
©IndyCar