LONG POND, PA – I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that the nerves were on high leading into Sunday’s ABC Supply 500 at the Pocono Raceway. After Justin Wilson’s fluke death in 2015 to Robert Wickens’ frightening crash last year, something about and Indy Car race at the Pocono Raceway seemed jinxed. The only thought I kept thinking for this race was please just get this race in and over with before anything bad can happen.

I would have thought after how last year went, the drivers would have taken care of themselves this weekend. I was wrong.

Takuma Sato made a dangerous move on the opening lap of Sunday’s race which sparked a five car accident that saw him get upside down and Felix Rosenqvist into the catch fencing.

Luckily, Rosenqvist was able to walk away albeit was later transferred by ground to a local hospital for non life threatening injuries, but it was an accident that should have never happened and could have had grave consequences.

Sato, didn’t necessarily think he did anything wrong. That’s why I’m even more concerned about why he did it. He clearly wasn’t clear of Alexander Rossi but came down on him anyways. That contact forced Rossi’s steering to go out and Sato into Ryan Hunter-Reay who was below Rossi on track too. Sato and Hunter-Reay hit the inside wall and spun back up towards the outside SAFER barrier in Turn 2.

Rossi, meanwhile went straight towards the Turn 2 wall himself and collected Rosenqvist and James Hinchcliffe. Sato, hit the outside wall with Hunter-Reay and got upside down.

“I can’t even believe to understand after last year how Takuma (Sato) thinks any sort of driving like that is acceptable,” said Rossi. “To turn across two cars at that speed at that corner in a 500-mile race is disgraceful and upsetting. It might have cost me this championship.”

Hunter-Reay agreed.

“My view is that it was ridiculous,” said the Andretti Autosport driver who was also involved in the Lap 6 crash with Robert Wickens last year. “I think God everyone is alright. I thought we learned out lesson from last year. Lap 1 of a 500 mile race.”

This all happened on the second turn of the race. It was a move Sato didn’t need to make. It was idiotic. It was the first lap. I don’t know what he was trying to accomplish there. He HAD to lift and funnel in behind Rossi. By not lifting and then coming down on Rossi, it was a move that could have killed someone.

The series deemed Sato’s move was dangerous too by penalizing him for avoidable contact.

Sato, leaves Pocono with his fourth straight finish of 19th or worse.