The American Le Mans Series championship-leading Highcroft Acura has had an enormous accident in the second practice session for the Petit Le Mans.
The car was launched into a horrifying series of flips and a violent impact with the barriers at Turn 2 when driver Scott Sharp clipped Dirk Werner's Farnbacher Loles Porsche, which was coming out of pits but was still within the blend line.
Sharp got out of the wreckage unaided and escaped serious injury. He was walking around and talking to marshals immediately after the crash. It is not yet clear whether the Acura's chassis can be repaired.
"That's one of the biggest accidents I've seen," said Sharp's teammate Dario Franchitti. "I'm glad he seems OK, because that was a big one. We go [IndyCar] testing for Ganassi at Homestead tomorrow, and I only hope they can rebuild it in time for Saturday."
Acura designer Nick Wirth was equally shaken by the crash.
"I am in a bit of a state of shock at the moment," he said. "I am delighted to see him walk away apparently OK from such a big crash. He appeared to hit the Porsche. I've not seen one that big before here.
"I'm just proud of the team that the car stood up to such a big impact. Don't know yet whether the car can be rebuilt, we need to get it back."
Sharp and his full-season teammate David Brabham currently lead De Ferran Acura duo Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud by 17 points going into the final two rounds.