NASCAR Cup Series

Fatal crash leads to canceled testing

Published Oct. 18, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

IndyCar officials have canceled this week's two-day test of the new 2012 car at Las Vegas.

Tuesday's decision comes two days after Dan Wheldon, who did most of the testing for the 2012 car, was killed in a fiery 15-car crash at the same track.

Target Chip Ganassi managing director Mike Hull says IndyCar made the call on its own and that his team will test the new car later this year.

Four-time series champ Dario Franchitti was scheduled to run at the 1.5-mile oval Wednesday and Thursday. He and Wheldon were close friends.

Franchitti's wife, actress Ashley Judd, wrote on Twitter: ''I appreciate (at)IndyCar canceling my husband's test at Las Vegas track. The new car needs development - but not now, and never again there.''