Jarrett's jackman hit during Brickyard 400

SPEEDWAY, Ind. - John Bryan, the jackman for Dale Jarrett's team, escaped injury in a freak accident on pit road early in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Bryan was checked at the infield medical center and was taken via ground transportation to Clarion Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, complaining of pain in his shoulder and pelvis area.

Dr. Henry Bock, medical services director for IMS, said Bryan was awake and alert but did not provide a report on his injuries, if any. Later Sunday night, track officials announced Bryan was released from the hospital.

Bryan was pinched between pit wall and the spinning car of Jarrett, who was trying to get in his stall to make a green-flag pit stop. Jarrett's car snapped into a spin as it entered pit road and slammed the inside wall, sending Bryan tumbling over the right front.

"This is probably the worst day of my life," Jarrett said. "It's the most devastating thing I've ever been associated with, and it was just stupidity on my part."

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As Jarrett's car slid down pit road, Bryan slumped to the concrete. Bryan's jack also rolled down pit road away from him. Derrike Cope's crew, which was stationed next to Jarrett's, scrambled off the pit wall to miss Jarrett.

Jarrett turned his car around drove into his pit stall as emergency workers tended to Bryan. Jarrett's crew slowly worked on the car, their attention apparently elsewhere.

"I didn't even care about the rest of the race," Jarrett said. "I had to finish it for the guys because they worked hard, but I could have cared less. My thoughts were just, 'God, take care of John Bryan.'"

Joe Krupa, a photographer for the Muncie Star Press, was also released from the hospital. Krupa was struck by a tire in Jarrett's pit during the crash.

The accident evoked memories of a pit road crash at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2001, when Ward Burton spun into Ricky Rudd's pit stall. Bryan, interestingly, was working as jackman for Rudd that day and suffered a minor knee injury.

That crash sparked NASCAR to require any crewmen who go over the wall to wear helmets.