After 2016 Indy winner Alexander Rossi spun on the warm-up lane, and four-time and defending Indy winner Helio Castroneves spun out of the warm-up lane and into the Turn 2 wall, Power’s incident was the third of the day and brought the test to a premature close.
Power completed a 360deg spin on the strip of grass that separates Turn 1 from pitlane exit. As he gathered up the #12 Team Penske-Chevrolet, its rear hung over the racing line at the apex of Turn 1 when Herta arrived on the scene at around 225mph. The Andretti Autosport-Honda driver moved up half a lane to avoid contact, but that put his car into a drift that became a spin. Herta’s car tagged the outside wall with its rear wing, and slid broadside with wheels locked down to the inside of Turn 2. A closely following Marcus Ericsson managed to avoid causing another serious impact.
