Motor racing-Bourdais has successful surgery after crash at Indy

May 21 ( Reuters) - French driver Sebastien Bourdais has undergone successful surgery for pelvic injuries sustained while attempting to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, officials said on Sunday.

Bourdais, who drives for Dale Coyne Racing, suffered multiple fractures to his pelvis and a fracture to his right hip in the accident on Saturday.

"Surgery went well," IndyCar Medical Director Geoffrey Billows said in a statement.

"I've met with Sebastien this morning and he was doing even better than I expected."

The 38-year-old Bourdais slammed head-on into the safety barriers when his Honda-powered car lost control at Turn 2.

During his first two laps, the former Formula One driver was a full mile per hour faster than the rest of the field at an average speed of 231.534 mph before he crashed into the wall on his third circuit.

Bourdais won the season-opening race at St Petersburg, Florida and had the also clocked the fastest time in Friday's practice. (Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing by Pritha Sarkar)