Carpenter yields to doctor's orders

That's not necessarily Carpenter's wish; it's an order from Dr. Henry Bock, the Indy Racing League's senior director of medical services. But it's an order Carpenter has accepted, especially considering the circumstances.

"I feel fortunate," said Carpenter, who was injured in a crash at Homestead-Miami, which saw IndyCar rookie Paul Dana killed last weekend.

"I'm frustrated because I can't be in the car this weekend, because I feel like I could be. But at the same time, stepping back and looking at the big picture, I'm lucky to be standing here."

Carpenter sustained a bruised lung, spending a night in a Miami hospital before he was released in good condition. However, Bock did not clear him to race this weekend at St. Petersburg.

Carpenter returned to Homestead the day after his release while the IRL IndyCar Series tested on the speedway's road course. He tried to convince Bock that he was OK to drive, but he still was not cleared.

"I would have done anything to get into the car that day," Carpenter said. "That's all I did here in St. Pete on Thursday was try to find a way to get back into the car.

"Once I figured out that it wasn't going to happen - no matter what test I passed or how good I felt or how good I looked, they weren't going to let me drive - then I finally shut up."

The concern by Bock and other medical officials is the effect another hard hit might have on Carpenter's injured lung.

"He's got my best interest in mind," Carpenter said. "I'm OK going out and taking a risk and possibly injuring my lung again. He's not. That's why I'm not running."

Surrounded by family and friends while Moreno qualified 11th Saturday, Carpenter took a more philosophical approach.

"It was a terrible weekend and it's a terrible thing that Paul's family has gone through," he said. "Everybody has been thinking a lot about them this weekend."