INDIANAPOLIS — Brazil's Mario Moraes has crashed during Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

Moraes was on the fourth lap of his first qualifying attempt on Saturday afternoon when he skidded at turn two. The KV Racing Technology car slid sideways until ramming into the outside wall and damaging the rear end.

Moraes got out of the car and was walking around afterward. He averaged 224.469 miles per hour during his first three laps.

Moraes finished 18th at the Indy 500 in 2008, but crashed on the opening lap of last year's race after starting seventh.

It's been a rough day for KV Racing. Paul Tracy went out for his warmup lap during qualifying, but never took the green flag and pulled into pits. He said he got stuck in neutral. He hasn't returned to the track.

JAPAN'S SATO CRASHES

Japanese driver Takuma Sato will have X-rays on a sore back after crashing in a morning practice session at Indianapolis.

Sato spun coming out of the second turn on the 2.5-mile oval, slid up the track and hit the outside wall with the rear of his No. 5 car. After being helped out of the car and walking around on the track, the former Formula One driver was taken to a local hospital with back pain. No additional details about his condition were immediately available.

The crash occurred about two hours before qualifying begins for the Indianapolis 500.

Sato is the third driver from KV Racing Technology to hit the wall this week. Mario Moraes, of Brazil, and E.J. Viso, of Venezuela, both crashed Tuesday.