With only 20 laps to go Sunday in the Copper World Indy 200 it appeared that Panther Racing was going to head home with both its drivers in the Top Ten. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way.

Tomas Scheckter cruised, moving up quickly from his starting position of eighth. Tomas climbed all the way to third place by Lap 68 and was looking to move higher up the grid. But on Lap 181, after Robbie Buhl hit the outside retaining wall in Turn Four, Scheckter’s run came to an abrupt end. Dario Franchitti, who had been fighting Tomas for position, didn’t see the yellow flag drop from Buhl’s accident. Scheckter checked up. Dario didn’t.

The accident ended the day for the Pennzoil Panther team, and forced Scheckter into an early exit and a 16th place finish. “I slowed for the yellow and was hit from behind,” Scheckter said. “I heard my spotter call, ‘Yellow, yellow, yellow!’ It was so uncalled for and it was a crash that shouldn’t have happened. You should have seen everyone slowing up. I suppose it’s racing.”

Tomas will get his next chance at the winners podium when the Indy Racing League heads east, far east that is. The IndyCar Series will travel to Motegi, Japan for the second time in two years. Practice at the Twin-Ring oval course begins on April 15th with the race to follow on Saturday April 17th.

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