INDIANAPOLIS — Vitor Meira is off his pain medication, walking one mile a day and hoping to return to racing in time for the IndyCar season finale in October.
The Brazilian driver broke two bones in his back in a crash during the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. He told The Indianapolis Star he hopes to return by the end of the season “unless the doctor says it’s a real stupid idea.”
A.J. Foyt’s team said Friday that Ryan Hunter-Reay will replace Meira for the rest of the season, and drive in a second Foyt car in the season finale if Meira is back. Paul Tracy and A.J. Foyt IV filled Meira’s seat the past two races.
Hunter-Reay was driving for Vision Racing, which has struggled to find primary sponsorship for the No. 21 car. Hunter-Reay finished second in the season-opening race at St. Petersburg and is 10th in the IndyCar standings.
Vision Racing owner Tony George approached Foyt last week at Texas about using Hunter-Reay. A release Friday from Foyt’s team said the move provided a “driver who can provide continuity in the cockpit while allowing George time to refocus his team’s resources.”
The move does not affect Vision Racing’s No. 20 car driving by Ed Carpenter.
Meira is wearing a restrictive back brace that extends from his waist to his armpits for at least two more months.
The crash at Indy also involved rookie driver Raphael Matos, who was not injured. The two cars collided in the first turn, and Meira’s car ended up sliding backward along the wall.
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