Indy Carnage: McLaughlin’s Pole Hopes Smashed in Brutal Practice Shunt

Scott McLaughlin’s quest to go back-to-back on pole for the Indianapolis 500 has come crashing down—literally—after a frightening high-speed accident in Sunday morning practice left his Team Penske Chevrolet in pieces and his crew with a race against the clock.

The Kiwi had been the man to beat all weekend, topping Fast Friday and looking every bit the early pole favourite. And as he rolled out onto the Speedway for practice, he was again the quickest car on track before the moment of disaster.

Midway through his run, McLaughlin’s No. 3 Pennzoil Chevy snapped loose exiting Turn 2, speared into the outside wall and launched briefly into the air before landing heavily and skidding to a halt, shedding a wheel and carving up the track surface in the process. The session was immediately red-flagged.

Miraculously, McLaughlin walked away unharmed, but he wasn’t hiding his devastation.

“I’m OK, I’m just really, really, really, really, really sorry for everyone at Team Penske,” he said. “It was talking to me and I sort of felt it, and 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.”

The incident came just hours before qualifying, effectively wiping out McLaughlin’s chance of defending his 2024 pole position. With the backup car not ready in time, Penske confirmed the 30-year-old will start 12th—the final spot in the Fast 12—for the 2025 Indianapolis 500.

The chassis he was due to use as backup had been earmarked for teammate Josef Newgarden’s pit stop competition car, underlining the team’s sheer logistical scramble.

To make matters worse, Penske’s other two drivers—Newgarden and Will Power—were sensationally booted from qualifying after their entries failed post-qualifying inspection. Illegal modifications to the rear attenuator, a safety-critical crash structure, saw both cars disqualified and dropped to 10th and 11th, respectively.

From sweeping the front row in 2024 to a fourth-row lockout in 2025, it’s been a staggering reversal of fortunes for Roger Penske’s powerhouse squad.

For McLaughlin, who had looked composed, confident and quick all month, the road to victory at the Speedway just got a lot tougher. But with speed clearly in the package—and in the pilot—don’t count him out just yet.

The 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place next Sunday, May 26 (US time).

Scott McLaughlin gives his thoughts after being seen and released following a massive practice crash ahead of Indianapolis 500 Pole Day qualifying.