Simpson Airborne Crash Disrupts Indy 500 Practice
INDIANAPOLIS – In a dramatic turn of events during Fast Friday practice for the Indy 500, 20-year-old Kyffin Simpson experienced a harrowing crash just 50 minutes into the session. Driving the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Simpson lost control exiting Turn 4, leading to a violent crash that saw the car go airborne before landing on its side.
Leading into the incident, several drivers had already posted impressive speeds, with Scott McLaughlin averaging nearly 234 mph in his laps. However, Simpson’s day took a critical turn as his car wobbled before spinning into the wall, crashing first into the outside barrier and subsequently into the inside wall at the pit road entrance.
"I’m okay," Simpson reported immediately after the incident. "But man, that was loose."
Despite escaping serious injury, Simpson will need to switch to a backup car due to the extensive damage to his primary vehicle. The session was paused for nearly 40 minutes to repair the SAFER barrier damaged in the crash.
"I kept going right on the weight jacker. It just never really felt the way I expected it to," Simpson reflected. "We’ll analyze the data and aim to prevent this from happening again."
In a separate incident during the previous practice days, Christian Rasmussen spun without significant damage, highlighting the inherent risks faced by drivers. The focus remains on safety as teams prepare for the prestigious race ahead.
