Dixon breaks ankle at Motegi

Four drivers crashed in the fourth turn - including the wreck that left Dixon with a hairline fracture to his left ankle - during the first day of practice for Saturday's IRL IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi. Sam Hornish Jr also crashed in the same turn, but was not seriously injured.

Dixon, the 2003 IRL champion, sustained a non-displaced hairline fracture on the tip of the fibula in his left ankle when his car spun on its own in the fourth turn during the first practice session. Dixon was transported to nearby Dokkyo University Hospital, where X-rays revealed the fracture.

"I'm not sure what happened exactly," said Dixon, who crashed seconds before Tomas Scheckter spun in the same area. "The car just went around on me. I thought there might have been something on the track, and Tomas seemed to have had a problem in the same spot."

Dixon's status for Friday's qualifying was uncertain late on Thursday. IRL officials said he would be re-evaluated before the qualifying session.

Dixon lost control of the car in the middle of the fourth turn. The car spun backward and struck the wall on the left side. Dixon climbed from the car with assistance from safety workers, then sat on the track examining his left foot before standing up without assistance.

Drivers indicated the track was dusty, adding that a strong wind didn't help conditions. In the IRL's first visit to Twin Ring Motegi in 2003, 13 of the 24 cars crashed out of the race, including Dixon and Tony Kanaan, who broke bones in their wrists when they crashed while racing for the lead.

"The track is very dirty," said Kanaan, who had the fastest lap on Thursday - 203.907mph in his Andretti Green Racing Honda-powered Dallara. "I think it's the worst it's ever been, just because nobody runs here. Coincidence or not, people crashed in the same corner. It's been a very difficult day to get the setup right."

Scheckter was not injured. He returned in a backup Panther Racing Chevrolet-powered Dallara during the second session.

"They called for the yellow when I was in three and I was on the brakes immediately," Scheckter said. "I was just sideways, sideways, sideways. I have no clue what happened. Maybe it was because I was braking because of the yellow and there was something on the track."

Hornish and Tora Takagi crashed near the end of the second session, minutes apart. Takagi also was airlifted to Dokkyo University Hospital, where he was undergoing X-rays Thursday evening on his neck and back. His car spun and hit the wall tail-first late in the second practice session.