Scott McLaughlin Crashes Hard in IndyCar Practice at Barber Motorsports Park
The Team Penske driver was unhurt and eager to put back-up car back on track for qualifying.
Scott McLaughlin Crashes Hard in IndyCar Practice Michael 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. ” A HUGE moment for Scott McLaughlin as he goes through the fence in Barber practice. He's okay.