Watch A Mannequin Fall Onto The Track During An IndyCar Race

File this one under ‘headlines we didn’t expect to write’. If you’re finding Formula 1 a bit samey at the moment, then there are at least some other racing series that can generally be relied on to inject a bit more unpredictability to proceedings.

Unpredictable is certainly one way of describing an incident that took place during Sunday’s IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The track is owned by American businessman and philanthropist George W. Barber, who chose to scatter various art installations throughout its grounds, most notably an arachnophobe’s nightmare in the form of giant spider sculptures.

Another installation that appears every year for the IndyCar race is ‘Georgina’, a mannequin that dangles above the track from beneath a pedestrian bridge. Apparently, she’s a particularly dedicated fan.

We have to assume that every precaution is taken to make sure Georgina is safe and secure in her precarious spot, but even so, the inevitable happened during this year’s race, and viewers were greeted with the bizarre slight of her falling lifelessly from the bridge and face-first onto the grass, right alongside the live racing surface.

Mannequin by the track at the Barber IndyCar race

The commentary team was very quick to point out that it was a mannequin and not a real person, although it must have come as a shock to the drivers to see a human-like figure lying face down by the track.

Insult was added to injury first as the impact caused Georgina to, erm, lose some modesty, and secondly as a hand was taken clean off by IndyCar debutant Luca Ghiotto.

Shortly afterwards, Sting Ray Robb (real name, by the way) caused a yellow flag when he put his car in the wall, during which Georgina was safely recovered by IndyCar’s safety team. If Barber chooses to bring her back next year, we hope she’s a little more securely in place.