Notes: Castroneves, Meira spar over crash

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Helio Castroneves could hardly wait to get back to Michigan International Speedway after winning there in 2006.

It was definitely not worth the wait.

Castroneves wound up on crutches after a collision with Vitor Meira sent both of their cars hard into the concrete wall 58 laps into Sunday's 200-lap Firestone Indy 400.

"We're just being cautious right now," Castroneves said. "Thank God we have nothing broke. We'll be fine for next week."

Watching the replays, it was hard to tell who was at fault. Both were furious after the wreck, with Castroneves standing up in the cockpit of his battered car and waving his hands excitedly at his Brazilian countryman.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner walked back toward the team transport with his head and neck restraint in his hands, apparently talking to himself and gesturing angrily before Penske Racing team president Tim Cindric rode alongside on a motorbike and calmed down his driver.

"I respect Victor a lot," Castroneves said after walking out of the infield hospital with a bruised right knee. "He's a good driver. But you can't race 59 laps to go like it's the last lap. He needs to take it a little easier, otherwise he'll never finish the race.

"I'm just disappointed."

Meira was just as upset.

"All you have to do is watch the replay," he said. "He had somebody in front of him, I didn't. I had plenty of room and he didn't have much. I could see him in front of me and he couldn't see me. I think it was pretty obvious whose fault it was.

"Why would I turn down into his car on the middle of the front straight? We've always raced clean before. Helio has always been good to me and I've always been good to him. Then he gets out of the car after the accident and acts like Castroneves, but I'm sure we can resolve this like men."

The result was Castroneves finishing 17th and Meira 18th in the 20-car field.

Castroneves was not the only driver injured in the race.

Darren Manning crashed hard on lap 113, lacerating both knees. The injury to the right knee required two staples to close.

Fine finish

Ryan Hunter-Reay, making only his second IndyCar start since replacing Jeff Simmons at Rahal Letterman Racing, managed to avoid all the carnage in the race and finished sixth, the last car on the lead lap.

But it was still an eventful day for the newcomer, who had to change his helmet halfway through the race after the visor became damaged. The team took advantage of a caution period to bring Hunter-Reay in to the pits and make the exchange, also making sure the radio, drink bottle and HANS device were all plugged in before sending him back onto the track.

"We were able to get it done without losing a lap, and that was really the race for us," Hunter-Reay said. "This was a learning day for me."

Sparkplugs

• Although Dario Franchitti led a race-high 101 laps before crashing out on lap 144 of the 200-lap event, there were 23 lead changes among nine drivers. Race winner Tony Kanaan led 30 laps, including the final 27.
• Despite a 4 1/2-hour rain delay before the green flag, it appeared that close to 20,000 spectators stuck around for the race.
• With six caution flags for a total of 63 laps, Kanaan's winning average was 141.481 mph.