Larson smacks Turn 1 wall in Indy 500 testing
Arrow McLaren/Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson became the first driver to crash at the Wednesday-Thursday Indy 500 Open Test.
The NASCAR champion was uninjured after getting high in Turn 1 on a qualifying simulation run in the No. 17 Chevy that saw the car -- while running north of 235mph -- drift up and out of the groove and strike the wall on corner exit with the right-side suspension. The impact broke Larson’s right-front suspension, which partially folded inward.
The No. 17 Dallara DW12 rolled through the short chute and had a glancing blow that in Turn 2 that did similar damage to the right-rear suspension before coming to a stop. Larson climbed from the car on his own and the broken machine was lifted and towed to the garages.
“Was starting my qualifying laps here and just got really tight, had a bunch of understeer in Turn 1, and just ran out of space,” Larson said. “I fought the understeer feeling yesterday and it carried over today. Honestly, I’m happy to crash my first Indy car and live through it. We’ll just work on it and try to make the balance more comfortable. Just a bummer, but it wasn’t a big hit or anything.”
Larson was seen by IndyCar’s medical staff and cleared to continue testing. Unless some significant and unexpectedly bad damage is uncovered, enough time is left in the day for his crew to repair the car and get him back out to participate in the afternoon session which closes the test.
Marshall Pruett
The 2026 season marks Marshall Pruett's 40th year working in the sport. In his role today for RACER, Pruett covers open-wheel and sports car racing as a writer, reporter, photographer, and filmmaker. In his previous career, he served as a mechanic, engineer, and team manager in a variety of series, including IndyCar, IMSA, and World Challenge.
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