Andretti Autosport driver Simona de Silvestro was uninjured when the No. 29 TE Connectivity Honda she was driving during practice May 12 for the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race caught fire on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.

An fuel leak was the culprit, according to a team spokesperson. De Silvestro, 26, exited the race car without assistance. Holmatro Safety Team members and track incident response personnel were quickly on the scene and extinguished the fire.

In 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, de Silvestro suffered second-degree burns to her right hand in a practice crash. She went on to qualify and compete in the race. In 2010, she suffered minor burns to a finger on her right hand in a crash during the race at Texas Motor Speedway.

“It’s definitely unfortunate because the car is pretty burnt down, and it’s really frustrating that it seems like fire follows me," de Silvestro said. "Maybe this time is third times the charm, and hopefully the team can get the car back together as quickly as possible. Until now, everything was working fine, and it’s just annoying because it’s a pretty big setback for us, but I have four great teammates and that will make it easier for us to continue moving forward."

The car was transported to Andretti Autosport's Indianapolis headquarters to be rebuilt.

De Silvestro, seeking to compete in her fifth Indianapolis 500, had completed nine laps. She has a best finish of 14th at the Speedway and earned race Rookie of the Year honors in 2010.

Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz, Justin Wilson and defending Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay also are Andretti Autosport entries in the 500 Mile Race.