INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Rookie PJ Jones became the second driver to hit the new "soft" wall at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in a crash Tuesday that left him injured and scattered debris across the track.

Jones was taken to Methodist Hospital for precautionary reasons and was alert and conscious, speedway officials said. He was complaining of upper back and neck pain.

Driving for John Menard, Jones spun into the wall in turn one, crossed the warm-up lane and hit the inside guardrail with the left side of his car during practice for the Indianapolis 500. There was heavy damage to the rear and left side of his car.

The yellow flag closed practice for the day.

On Sunday, Robbie McGehee sustained small fractures to his upper spine and lower left leg when he was the first driver to crash into the padding installed on the outside walls of all four turns on the 2½-mile oval.

On Monday, Jones turned in the fourth-fastest lap of the day at 225.930 mph.

His father, Parnelli, won the pole in 1962 with a four-lap average of 150.370. His lap of 150.729 set the one-lap record at that time.

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