Curt Cavin

curt.cavin@indystar.com

FORT WORTH, Texas — IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden suffered a fractured right clavicle and a small fracture of the right hand in a double-impact crash Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

The crash occurred on Lap 42 of the Firestone 600, which was stopped shortly thereafter by a second day of heavy rain. Due to a poor weather forecast and IndyCar’s scheduled tests at other tracks this week, the race, originally scheduled for Saturday night, was postponed to Aug. 27. The Saturday race will restart at 8:15 p.m. EDT.

James Hinchcliffe will be the leader on Lap 72.

Conor Daly’s car lost traction exiting Turn 4, then hooked toward the outside wall, where Newgarden’s car was passing. The first contact took them hard to the right, then there was a secondary hit with Newgarden’s open cockpit exposed to the wall. In the latter hit, the roll hoop on Newgarden’s car dug into the steel portion of the energy-absorbing barrier, creating a hole that had to be repaired.

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After a couple of minutes, Newgarden got out of the car under his own power before reaching for his right shoulder and then slumping to the ground. He was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the track’s infield care center. He managed to wave to the crowd with his left hand.

On Twitter, fellow driver Ryan Hunter-Reay called it “a gnarly hit.”

Daly said he talked to his longtime friend in the care center.

“I apologized to him in there because it was my mistake, for sure,” Daly said. “He’s a tough kid; I grew up with him. I feel so bad. To ruin someone’s race is never good.”

Newgarden was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital but was expected to be released Sunday night, according to an IndyCar statement.

Both cars were heavily damaged.

“The car appeared to do what it was supposed to do, the SAFER barriers did what they’re supposed to do,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said. “Thank goodness (Newgarden) is OK. ... He appears to be in good shape.”

In the IndyCar statement, Newgarden thanked Dallara, the car manufacturer, along with IndyCar, the Holmatro Safety Team and track officials.

“The car held up great and the response from the safety team was amazing,” he said. “I’m banged up a little bit but I’m generally OK. That’s all thanks to IndyCar and all the work everyone within the series does.

“I am feeling a little pain but I hope to be ready to rock and go again soon. We had a great car today, it just did not go how we planned. I feel bad for both Conor and myself, but I’m glad Conor is OK as well. I’ll be back there fighting as soon as I can.

“Luckily, I am all right, thank you again to everyone who helped me.”

Said Ed Carpenter, who is Newgarden’s teammate and car owner: “The car did a very good job protecting Josef.”

Carpenter said Newgarden’s helmet was not scuffed.

Daly was not injured. “I didn’t even hit hard,” he said.

Daly was one of the last drivers still running with the same tires he started the race on when he lost control.

“It felt like the right rear (tire) just went and lost all grip and basically drifted from (Turns) 3 to 4,” he said. “I couldn’t get out of (the throttle) quick enough. It’s my fault. I lost it in front of Josef.”

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During the pit stops that followed under caution, Marty Armstrong, the inside front tire changer for driver Jack Hawksworth, suffered a lower back injury when he was struck by the air gun hose. Armstrong took stitches in the infield care center and was released.

After Saturday night’s race was rained out, a second wave of heavy rain arrived Sunday about 4:15 p.m., ending hope for a resumption of the race this weekend.

With a strong likelihood of rain Monday, a busy week of testing ahead and several drivers flying to France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race, series and track officials agreed to postpone the event.

All tickets purchased for this event will be honored, and the one-day event will include a practice, an autograph session and a resumption of the race. That means 177 laps remain. The television component has not been finalized, Frye said.

Running the last weekend in August makes it the 14th of 16 races this season, with the penultimate race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Sept. 4 and the season finale Sept. 18 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

Follow IndyStar reporter Curt Cavin on Facebook and Twitter: @curtcavin.