Renna dies in crash at Indy

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003 | 11:07 a.m.

Indy Racing League driver Tony Renna, a former Las Vegas resident, was killed this morning after he crashed during a test session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, according to multiple sources in Indianapolis. He was 26.

Renna served as a driving instructor at the Derek Daly Performance Driving Academy at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway until he was hired as a test driver for Kelley Racing in the open-wheel IRL IndyCar Series last spring. Renna then substituted for the team's regular driver, Al Unser Jr., when Unser checked himself into a rehabilitation center for alcohol dependency.

Renna drove in six IRL races for Kelley Racing last season and finished a career-best fourth last July at Michigan International Speedway. Renna competed in only one race this season and finished seventh as a rookie in the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Renna recently was hired to drive next season for Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, one of the top teams in the series.

According to WIBC radio in Indianapolis, Renna was taking part in a Firestone tire test when he hit the wall and flipped into the track's safety catch fence. Renna was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he was pronounced dead.

Renna was driving teammate Scott Dixon's car at the time of the crash, the station reported. Dixon won the 2003 IRL season championship for team owner Chip Ganassi.