APRIL 18, 2002

Salazar takes a big hit

FORMER Formula 1 Eliseo Salazar has had a serious accident at Indianapolis Motor Speedway while testing. The 47-year-old Chilean, who races for the March, Ensign and ATS F1 teams in the early 1980s, hit the outside wall of the track in Turn 1. The AJ Foyt Dallara-Chevrolet hit the wall backwards and Salazar was quickly being attended to by rescue crews. He was taken to Methodist Hospital where he underwent an emergency operation to repair a torn artery, a piece of artery from his leg being grafted to repair the damaged artery in his chest.

Salazar is not believed to be in any danger but he will certainly miss the next few Indy Racing League events.

Salazar is probably best remembered for an incident at Hockenheim in 1982 when he collided with Nelson Piquet while being lapped by the Brazilian. Piquet was so incensed by the accident that he attacked Salazar live of global television.