Pole sitter Scott Dixon, teammate Jay Howard involved in terrible crash

The first crash of the 101st Indianapolis 500 was a bad one that involved pole sitter Scott Dixon and fellow Honda teammate Jay Howard.

On Lap 53, both drivers viciously collided leading to Dixon's Chip Ganassi being sawn in half, flying through the air. Both driver's have since been medically cleared.

"I’m OK, I was just a little beaten up there. I’m bummed for the team, man," Dixon said afterwards. "We were starting to make some progress, we were a little light on the downforce. I’m just glad everybody is OK. It’s just a wild ride and you have to hold on and believe in the safety progress that we’ve made over the last many years."

The crash resulted in a red flag and delayed the race for several minutes. Howard was also interviewed shortly after the collision that ended both his and Dixon's day.

"I’m fine. I’m really glad Scott’s OK. It sucks," Howard said.

Dixon is the first polesitter to finish 30th or worse since Bruno Junqueira in 2002, according to ESPN Stats & Info. He averaged over 232 mph as his qualifying speed, placing him first in the pole.