Race driver Tony Renna, taking his first laps with his new team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a tire test, was fatally injured Wednesday morning, a Target Chip Ganassi Racing spokesman confirmed. Renna, who would have turned 27 years old next month, was going into Turn 3 when his car jumped sideways and became airborne. According to witnesses, the car cleared the four-foot concrete wall and smashed into the catch fence — breaking in half in the cockpit area. The Indy Racing League medical team reacted instantly and tried to revive Renna but could never establish a heartbeat. In becoming the 40th driver to lose his life at Indianapolis, the native of Deland, Fla., was the first Indy-car racer to die since Greg Moore perished in a CART race at Fontana, Calif., in 1999.( ESPN/AP )(10-22-2003)
