Sunday began with Scott McLaughlin dreaming of his first win in the Indianapolis 500.
Indy 500: Scott McLaughlin’s day ends before it begins
Scott McLaughlin’s crash on a pace lap ended his Indianapolis 500 before it began
Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
That dream will have to wait at least another year.
McLaughlin was set to start tenth in the Indianapolis 500, but a crash on the pace lap ended his day before it even began. The Team Penske driver was swerving to warm his tires when the No. 3 slid off the racing line and into the inside wall:
Speaking with FOX Sports after the medical care center released him, McLaughlin called it “probably the worst moment of my life:”
“I really have no idea what happened,” he said during a brief interview. “Just really upset for my team. They built me a fantastic car again. I’m really sorry to my sponsors, to my fans, my family. I don’t know what happened.
“I can’t believe we’re out of the race. I had so much hope today. Yeah, probably the worst moment of my life.”
You can see the entire conversation here:
This was not McLaughlin’s first crash of this year’s Indianapolis 500. A heavy shunt in the morning practice session ahead of the final day of qualifying knocked him out of the Fast 12 before it began, leading to the tenth-place qualifying spot on the grid.
But he will have to wait another year for a shot at the 500.
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