Scott McLaughlin, the 2024 Indy 500 pole sitter, endured a massive crash during a practice session ahead of the Indianapolis 500 qualifying, significantly jeopardizing his chances of competing for the pole position and potentially impacting his prospects for the race itself. The incident occurred on Sunday, May 18, 2025, just before the Top 12 qualifying session was set to begin.

McLaughlin, driving the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, lost control of his car coming out of Turn 2. The car spun and made hard contact with the SAFER Barrier, becoming airborne before landing heavily on its left side. The vehicle then bounced onto its wheels and slid to a halt on the apron at the exit of the corner, sustaining extensive damage. Visuals from the scene showed the track surface gouged where the car scraped along the ground, necessitating repairs that were expected to delay the practice session.

Despite the violent nature of the crash, McLaughlin emerged from the car unassisted. He was promptly evaluated at the circuit's medical center and subsequently released, confirming that he escaped serious injury. However, the condition of the car presented a significant challenge for Team Penske, who faced a race against time to prepare a backup car for McLaughlin to use in qualifying.

The crash occurred just 16 minutes into the one-hour practice session reserved for the 12 fastest drivers from Saturday's qualifying, who were preparing for the Top 12 qualifying session. Ironically, McLaughlin had just clocked the fastest lap of the session at 223.553 mph before the incident.

Team Penske General Manager Kyle Moyer indicated that McLaughlin would likely not participate in the Fast 12 Qualifying, with the team's focus shifting to ensuring he would be ready for Monday's practice session. This decision underscores the severity of the damage and the extensive work required to get McLaughlin back on track.

McLaughlin expressed his remorse following the crash, stating, "I'm really, really, really, really sorry to everyone at Team Penske, my guys on the 3 car, everyone who builds these fantastic cars. It (car) was talking to me, and I sort of felt it, and I probably should have backed out. But you're trying to complete a run to see what it feels like. Very grateful to INDYCAR, the safety and my team, the SAFER Barriers and all that. Kept me safe. We had a great car, and I just destroyed it."

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in racing at such high speeds and the importance of safety measures in place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It also highlights the resilience and determination of drivers and teams to overcome adversity in their pursuit of victory at the Indy 500. The team had approximately three hours to prepare a backup car for McLaughlin, who was scheduled to run 10th out of 12 in the Top 12 qualifying session.