MEET GEORGINA: THE NEWEST RACE TRACK INVADER TO JOIN GODZILLA AND GOSPEL MAN

Between Godzilla, gophers and men of the gospel, motor racing thought it had seen it all and then came ‘Georgina’, the mannequin that caused confusion at Indycar’s Barber Motorsport race on Sunday.

In the midst of an action-packed IndyCar race, IndyCar debutant Luca Ghiotto had a scary moment when he hit a mannequin that had fallen onto the track at Turn 8.

Georgina and the IndyCar event…

The tumbling lady, that thankfully was a mannequin, suffered damage to her arm when the Dale Coyne Racing driver hit her.

Despite the initial moment of panic, it quick became clear that this was ‘Georgina’, who had been installed by track owner George Barber back in 2016.

She, however, met her demise on Sunday as she fell from the pedestrian bridge onto the grass at the side of the track near Turn 8.

Race Control opted not to throw a caution with ‘Georgina’ only rescued when the next caution came out a few late later.

Team Penske’s Will Power was baffled by the moment as he realised it was ‘Georgina’.

“I saw the yellow comes out and there’s a lady lying on the side,” he told Motorsport.com. “I’m like, ‘You’re kidding me, who let her down?’ There’s a yellow for that lady.’

“That would have been funny if it came in someone’s cockpit, ‘There’s a lady attacking me!’”

That was A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci who didn’t know about the mannequin and shouted over the radio: “That lady hanging from the bridge fell!”

Team president Larry Foyt, laughing, replied: “10-4. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

As for race winner Scott McLaughlin, he had a brief moment of panic when he thought his efforts had been undone by carbon fibre and plastic.

“I knew exactly what it was,” he said. “It was a lady hanging there. They’re going to have to seriously get some good cables.”

Then Power asked if anyone ran over it, to which it was confirmed to him that Ghiotto smashed the doll’s right hand.

“Should go in a glass case, preserve the body,” Power said. “Mummify it!”

He survived the ‘Georgina’ moment to win ahead of Power and Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Linus Lundqvist.

As for the latest F1 star to cross the pond, Theo Pourchaire was the leading Arrows McLaren driver in 22nd place.

2024-04-29T08:40:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd