Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske escaped injury after crashing heavily during practice ahead of the NTT IndyCar Series Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, scheduled for March 27, 2026, at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama.
The New Zealand driver lost control of his No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet entering a high-speed left-hand turn, with the car sliding off track and striking the wall rear-end first. Commentators estimated the impact speed at least 150 mph.
In-car footage showed McLaughlin raising his hands to his head as the car began to spin out of control.
Emergency response teams attended the scene, but McLaughlin climbed from the wreckage and walked away unaided.
McLaughlin, 32, from Christchurch, New Zealand, is a three-time Australian Supercars champion (2018-2020) who joined Penske for oval testing in 2020 before his full-time IndyCar debut at St. Petersburg that year.[1]
In six full IndyCar seasons through 2024, he has five series wins, finished third in the 2023 drivers' standings and second in 2024.[1][2]
His best result at Barber Motorsports Park, a 2.38-mile, 17-turn road course, is second place in the 2024 Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix won by Christian Lundgaard.[2][3]
In the Indianapolis 500, McLaughlin took pole position in 2024 but finished 12th.[1][4]
Sources
- NTT IndyCar Series, "Scott McLaughlin", accessed October 2024, https://www.indycar.com/Drivers/Detail/Scott-McLaughlin
- NTT IndyCar Series, "2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Standings", October 2024, https://www.indycar.com/Stats/2024/Driver-Standings
- NTT IndyCar Series, "Lundgaard Prevails in Thrilling Finish at Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix", April 7, 2024, https://www.indycar.com/news/2024/04/04-07-24-indy-grand-prix
- NTT IndyCar Series, "Newgarden Wins Second Consecutive Indy 500", May 26, 2024, https://www.indycar.com/news/2024/05-26-indy-500-race-report
