The Alabama circuit features an eclectic mix of trackside artefacts, such as the giant spider statue near the Turn 5/Turn 6 hairpin which thus bears the nickname ‘Charlotte’s Web’.
While Charlotte is safely behind a fence, ‘Georgina’ ordinarily hangs off a bridge.
However, she fell into harm’s way on Lap 51 of the 90-lap IndyCar race, resulting in her losing a hand when she was hit by Luca Ghiotto.
We truly have seen everything now.#INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/nJ5z5wyjtI
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) April 28, 2024
The race remained Caution-free despite Georgina’s perilous position – perhaps for her more so than the drivers – before yellow flags were waved a handful of laps later when Sting Ray Robb thumped the barriers at Turn 1 after his steering wheel broke.
That incident in fact helped McLaughlin strategically and he would go on to win the race, but on his initial reaction to the mannequin, he admitted, “I was a little mad.
“Then I realised that someone else had hit the fence. That wasn’t what the yellow was for.
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“I love the artistic stuff, but it probably doesn’t need to be above the track to cause a yellow like that.
“It’s probably what will change next year, maybe; I don’t know.
“I do love that part of this. It’s unique. It’s just a fun track.
“Yeah, if I lost to that, to a lady that fell off…” he laughed. “Yeah, I won’t say any more.
“It was a mannequin… It wasn’t a real person.”
McLaughlin said he thought it a “matter of time” before the mannequin came down, even if he was able to laugh it off eventually.
Runner-up and Team Penske team-mate Will Power could definitely see the funny side of it.
“I said, ‘If a yellow comes out and there’s a lady lying on the side…’” said Power.
“I’m like, you’re kidding me. That’s a yellow for that lady? Who let her down?
“That would have been funny if it came in someone’s cockpit; ‘There’s a lady attacking me!’
“It should go in a glass case after that. Preserve the body; mummify it.”
Had to meet the ol’girl even though she nearly ruined my race. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/mAtaJRSTY8
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin93) April 28, 2024
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