Scott McLaughlin Crashes Out of Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Practice

INDIANAPOLIS — Scott McLaughlin crashed his Team Penske car during Sunday afternoon practice, ending his chance to earn a repeat pole position at the Indianapolis 500.

The New Zealand driver had qualified inside the top 12 on Saturday and was set to compete for the pole later on Sunday. However, he lost control of the car and crashed into the Turn 2 wall at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, visible on video as his car became airborne.

After the incident, McLaughlin quickly lifted his hands to his helmet as he braced for impact. Team Penske confirmed that they would place him at 12th position and not attempt a qualifying run for the race.

The team began preparing a backup speedway car originally intended for teammate Josef Newgarden, who is scheduled to compete in next week’s pit crew competition. McLaughlin led a Penske sweep of the front row in qualifying last year and expressed disappointment following the crash.

“I’m OK. I’m just really, really, really, really, really sorry for everyone at Team Penske,” McLaughlin stated after leaving the medical center. “I probably should have backed out, but you’re trying to complete a run to see what it feels like. Was it worth the risk? Probably wasn’t. I’m incredibly sad.”

He also noted his relief that the car didn’t hit the catchfence, though the crash damaged the track surface, requiring repair during a stoppage. “They can build a new car for me, but I’m just really gutted more than anything,” he added. “It’s hard to take, like you wish it was for something, but it was for nothing, right? In practice.”

Seeing his wife cry out of concern for him added to his emotional struggle. “They’re nervous about me,” McLaughlin said. “I wanted to get out of the car straight away just so she knew I was OK.”

The crash was one of three significant incidents at Indianapolis over the weekend. Drivers Marcus Armstrong and Colton Herta also crashed on Saturday. Armstrong now must qualify Sunday for the field of 33 using a backup car designed for road and street courses, while Herta secured his spot in the top 30.