Indy 500 Race Already Starts Out With a Homicide

INDIANAPOLIS -- This weekend's death of an IndyCar Series team member who collapsed after a fight at an Indianapolis bar has been ruled a homicide, police said Monday.

Police said David Evans, a British man who worked for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, died of a stroke after fighting with someone at Kazablanka bar at 5801 Rockville Road early Sunday.

The county coroner's office determined that stress from the fight induced the stroke and ruled the death a homicide, Indianapolis police said. Police said they are investigating a person who fought with Evans and that the county prosecutor's office will decide whether to file charges.

The team, which includes drivers Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal, intends to compete in this month's Indianapolis 500. Wilson and Rahal passed the Indianapolis 500 rookie orientation program on Sunday, hours after Evans died.

Police said they were called to the bar at about 1 a.m. Officers found Evans unresponsive, and he was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m., police said.