Scott McLaughlin OK After Sliding Through an INDYCAR Fence, But His Car Is Not

Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Ala.) — Scott McLaughlin spun and backed his car through a foam barrier and a chain link-and-cable fence in a wild-looking accident Saturday during INDYCAR practice ahead of Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (1 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One). McLaughlin said the accident was much more dramatic than how it felt. He exited the INDYCAR medical unit about 15 minutes after the crash, which occurred at the high-speed exit of Turn 1. “I feel fine,” McLaughlin told me and a couple other reporters outside the medical unit. “A testament to the INDYCAR safety and whatnot, [the hit] was fine. I just dropped the right rear onto the exit of [Turn] 1. “I’ve seen other people do that before, actually in testing, and unfortunately, I was the one that did it today. I’m gutted. … The crash was pretty theatrical, but I feel fine and just want to get back out there.” The wreck ended the practice session after about 35 minutes — it was scheduled to be 40 minutes and then a pair of 12-minute group sessions — as INDYCAR had to repair cabling in the fence, a process that took more than an hour to repair. McLaughlin wouldn’t criticize the barrier in the initial moments after the crash. He was fine, and his Team Penske squad was preparing a backup car after the crash. [INDYCAR: Everything to Know About Eclectic Barber Track] His car hit some raised gravel that possibly accelerated it as it backed into the barrier and slid underneath the lowest cable, breaking through the fence. His car stopped with just the nose on the inside part of the fence and the rest of the car (including the cockpit) outside it. “I don’t want to nitpick anything because motorsports is built on accidents like this that we learn from,” McLaughlin said. “Do you want to see a car going through the catchfence? No. But do you want the catchfence to do a good job? “I thought it did everything that I needed to do. I think the skipping on the gravel was probably what made it to that point. I’m not here to blame anyone.” [INDYCAR: Rotating Points Leaders and More Parity Before Barber] McLaughlin said it was far from the hardest hit — and obviously the car didn’t stop as abruptly as maybe it would have if it hit a more sturdy barrier. “It was like the smallest one [compared to others] — and I’ve had a few lately,” McLaughlin said. “Like I said, it looked a lot worse than it felt.” McLaughlin should be able to qualify the backup car Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1).