The 2018 Detroit Grand Prix of Belle Isle was halted by a crash before the race even started - and it had nothing to do with one of the Indy Car drivers. The race was delayed by 27 minutes after the 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 pace car drove into a wall during the parade lap. General Motors executive vice president of global product development Mark Reuss was behind the wheel. Both the driver and passenger Mark Sand, an IndyCar official, were unharmed and exited the vehicle after the incident.
"I want to thank you all for your well wishes today. I am ok," Reuss wrote on his personal Facebook page. "I have driven this course many many many times. I have paced this race in the wet, cold, hot, and calm. On Z06's, Grand Sports, and other things. It is never a casual thing for me, but an honor to be asked.
"Today I let down my friends, my family, Indycar, our city and my company. Sorry does not describe it. I want to thank our engineers for providing me the safety I know is the best in the world."
Reuss is one of the better-known and well-regarded automotive executives with a genuine love of cars.
Will Power, winner of this year's Indy 500, was sympathetic.
"It's very easy to do as you go over that crest, and the traction control must have been turned off," Power said. "So yeah, I felt — wasn't really his fault. It's just such a bad corner. Like it's very easy to do ... You know, that's racing, right? I've seen plenty of pace car crashes. Like I've seen plenty of people coming off in the wet and crash, and not abnormal."
Following the 27-minute delay, a backup pace car was brought out, driven by IndyCar veteran Oriol Servià. Ryan Hunter-Reay went on to win the race.
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"I want to thank you all for your well wishes today. I am ok," Reuss wrote on his personal Facebook page. "I have driven this course many many many times. I have paced this race in the wet, cold, hot, and calm. On Z06's, Grand Sports, and other things. It is never a casual thing for me, but an honor to be asked.
"Today I let down my friends, my family, Indycar, our city and my company. Sorry does not describe it. I want to thank our engineers for providing me the safety I know is the best in the world."
Reuss is one of the better-known and well-regarded automotive executives with a genuine love of cars.
Will Power, winner of this year's Indy 500, was sympathetic.
"It's very easy to do as you go over that crest, and the traction control must have been turned off," Power said. "So yeah, I felt — wasn't really his fault. It's just such a bad corner. Like it's very easy to do ... You know, that's racing, right? I've seen plenty of pace car crashes. Like I've seen plenty of people coming off in the wet and crash, and not abnormal."
Following the 27-minute delay, a backup pace car was brought out, driven by IndyCar veteran Oriol Servià. Ryan Hunter-Reay went on to win the race.
Related Video:
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