Scott Dixon has coolly described a "wild ride" after walking away from a terrifying high speed crash at the Indy 500 with a minor injury.
Disaster struck on lap 54 of the famous race for Kiwi motorsport ace and pole-sitter Dixon when lapped driver Jay Howard let another car through but got above the racing line.
Howard slipped up the oval circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, hitting the wall and falling back down the track.
Travelling at about 350kmh, a trailing Dixon had almost no time to react as his car launched off the back of Howard's and into the air, spinning and colliding hard with the safety barrier.
Dixon's No 9 Chip Ganassi Honda then flipped violently onto its top and back onto its one remaining wheel before the splintered wreck slid to a rest.
Dixon and Howard both walked away from the incident and were cleared and released by the medical centre at the track.
The Kiwi later returned to have a sore left ankle assessed and left for a second time in a padded boot.
Speaking to ESPN after the crash, Dixon described the incident as a "wild ride" and said he was happy that everyone was unharmed.
"Just a little bit beaten up there, it was definitely a bit of rough ride. I'm just bummed for the whole team though," the 2008 Indy 500 winner and four-time IndyCar champion said.