Indy 500 driver narrowly avoids ‘huge head-on crash’

Whoever wins Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 will no doubt have to drive in close quarters, narrowly avoiding a crash at some point in the race.

One of those racers, Marco Andretti, was given a spontaneous practice session at avoiding crashes on Thursday. Only, he wasn’t on the track.

Andretti was driving on the streets of Indianapolis when was all of a sudden faced with a potential head-on collision. Fortunately, he avoided it.

Andretti took to Twitter to share the experience on Thursday night.

“Already getting texts: All is fine,” he tweeted. “Avoided a huge head on crash as someone turned right across us on 16th street. I reacted and took the path of least resistance. Everyone is okay.”

That can definitely help put whatever happens during the race on Sunday into proper perspective.

Andretti, whose grandfather, Marco Andretti, won the Indy 500 in 1969, will be looking for his first win there. Marco’s first Indy 500 came in 2006, when he finished in second place. He has not improved upon or matched that finish in the years since, with his best finishes since 2006 coming in 2008 and 2010, when he finished third. He’ll be starting from near the back of the pack, in the No. 24 spot of the 33-car race.

[Marco Andretti]