A thrilling race featured a peculiar moment that took everyone off guard when a mannequin named “Georgina” – placed by eccentric track owner George Barber in 2016 – fell from the pedestrian bridge onto the grass at the side of the track near Turn 8 on lap 52.
Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing, who was running fourth at the moment, could be heard exclaiming over the radio, “That lady hanging from the bridge fell!”
Larry Foyt, the team’s president, tried to maintain his composure despite the laughing and said, “10-4.” Just continue doing what you’re doing.”
Cars sped by, with Luca Ghiotto, making his IndyCar debut with Dale Coyne Racing, being the first to clip the doll’s hand, which was made of fiberglass and plastic.
This mannequin will need a new hand after falling on the track during the INDYCAR race. 😳 pic.twitter.com/JCzQrVVUrP
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 28, 2024
IndyCar authorities did not issue a yellow for the incident, and the wayward mannequin was collected by safety staff during the next caution three laps later, when Sting Ray Robb, Ferrucci’s teammate, crashed into the Turn 1 barrier due to steering failure.
Motorsport.com inquired about the incident during the post-race press conference with Team Penske’s Will Power, who finished second in the race.
“I saw the yellow comes out and there’s a lady lying on the side,” she said. “I was like, ‘You’re kidding me; who let her down?'” “There is a yellow for that lady.”
“That would have been funny if it came in someone’s cockpit, ‘There’s a lady attacking me!'”
Fortunately, Power recognized “Georgina” and was knowledgeable enough not to confuse her for a genuine person.
“I knew exactly what it was,” he explained. “There was a lady hanging there. They’re going to need some really good cables.”
When Power enquired if somebody ran over it, he was told that Ghiotto smashed the doll’s right hand.
“Should go in a glass case, preserve the body,” he remarked. “Mummify it!”
Scott McLaughlin, Power’s teammate who led 58 laps to win for the second year in a row over the 2.3-mile, 17-turn road track, was initially furious when he thought the caution was issued for the mannequin’s dramatic return to earth.
“I was a little mad,” McLaughlin admitted. “Then I noticed that someone else had hit the barrier. That’s not what the yellow was for.
“I enjoy the artistic stuff, but it probably doesn’t have to be over the music to generate a yellow like that. It is likely that something will change next year. I do not know.
“I really enjoy that part of this. It is unique. It’s simply a pleasant track. Yeah, if I lost to that, to a lady who slid off… I won’t say anything else. It was a mannequin. It wasn’t an actual person.”
