James Hinchcliffe involved in vicious wreck at Indy practice

James Hinchcliffe is in stable condition after he wrecked while practicing for the Indianapolis 500. Hinchcliffe's car collided with the wall at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and flipped before coming to rest.

Here's video of the wreck:

Hinchcliffe was transported to Methodist Hospital, where he underwent surgery to remove a piece of debris from his left thigh.

Hinchcliffe's left thigh was pierced by a piece of equipment from the car, causing "massive bleeding," according to the Associated Press, requiring surgery.

According to Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star, Hinchcliffe is in stable condition.

On-board cameras show Hinchcliffe's right-front wheel lifting shortly before impact. A Honda spokesperson said the right-front suspension broke.

Hinchcliffe is the fourth driver to get airborne in a wreck at this year's Indy practices. Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden and Ed Carpenter have all wrecked within the past few days.

"Are the new aero kits, which feature aerodynamic trim pieces on the front, sides and rear of the car, helping the cars get airborne so easily? It's a fair question," Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg wrote in the wake of Newgarden's wreck. "It's fair to be concerned about the probability of a car flipping during the race on May 24."

According to the Associated Press, Derrick Walker, IndyCar's president of competition and operations, "has blamed Castroneves' wreck on an aero balance setting that was pushed too far, Newgarden's on a cut tire and said Carpenter simply had an accident."

Hinchcliffe had qualified 24th for the Indy 500. No word yet on if he will be replaced.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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