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Scott McLaughlin Crashes Hard in IndyCar PracticeMichael L. Levitt - Getty Images
NTT IndyCar Series racer Scott McLaughlin’s self-described “little misjudgment” led to the biggest scare of Saturday morning at Barber Motorsports Park, cutting pre-qualifying practice at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix four minutes short.
McLaughlin said he was “trying to open the apex of [Turn] 1” when he got the right rear tire off the track, corrected, went into a high-speed skid, and slammed through the bottom of the catch fence—directly beneath a hanging banner that read, “It’s Nice To Have You In Birmingham.”
The Team Penske driver of the No. 3 Odyssey Battery Chevrolet exited the car on his own and was unhurt. His plan was the change to a back-up car for NTT P1 Award qualifying.
After the wreck, which sent him backwards halfway through the fencing and displaced retention cables, McLaughlin said, “I knew I was done. I dropped the right rear and spun, so I just tried to brace myself a bit. I think the crash looked a lot worse than it felt. I’m gutted for my Odyssey Battery guys.”
The two-time winner at this venue (2023, 2024) said that as he was sliding backward, the rear of his car speeding dead-on for the wall at approximately 150 miles an hour, that’s when “I knew I was screwed.
“The car felt good. A little bit loose this morning. Cold temps were making it a bit different,” he said. “But I feel good and love this place. I just want to get back out there [for qualifying] and be good. I just want to go out and go for pole,” he said.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, the St. Petersburg winner was fastest in the practice session.
Sunday’s 90-lap race is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday (FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio).
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