Scott McLaughlin walked away unharmed from a crash that prompted an emergency response during a session ahead of the NTT IndyCar Series Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on March 27, 2026, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Team Penske driver lost control of his No. 3 Chevrolet while attempting a hard left turn. The car veered off course and struck the wall rear-end first, with commentators estimating a speed of at least 150 mph at impact.

In-car footage showed McLaughlin raising his hands to his head as the car began to lose control. He exited the wreckage on his own power.

New Zealand's Scott McLaughlin, 32, races for Team Penske in the NTT IndyCar Series. [1] He has recorded victories at Barber Motorsports Park in 2022 and 2023,[2][3] followed by a third-place finish in 2024.[4]

McLaughlin finished second in the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series driver standings, improving on his third place from 2023.^[5][6] His best result at the Indianapolis 500 came in 2024, when he started on pole position and finished sixth.^[7][8]

McLaughlin made his IndyCar Series debut in 2020 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.^[1]

The Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix takes place on Barber Motorsports Park's 2.38-mile (3.83 km), 17-turn road course.^[9]

Sources

1. NTT IndyCar Series, "Scott McLaughlin", accessed October 2024, https://www.indycar.com/Drivers/Scott-McLaughlin
2. NTT IndyCar Series, "McLaughlin Wins Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix presented by Hardee's", April 3, 2022, https://www.indycar.com/news/2022/04/04-03-22-indy-gp-race-report
3. NTT IndyCar Series, "McLaughlin repeats with Indy Grand Prix victory", April 2, 2023, https://www.indycar.com/news/indycar/2023/04/04-02-indy-grand-prix-race-report
4. NTT IndyCar Series, "Lundgaard snaps winless drought with Indy Grand Prix victory", April 28, 2024, https://www.indycar.com/news/2024/04/04-28-24-indy-grand-prix
5. NTT IndyCar Series, "2024 NTT IndyCar SERIES Final Driver Standings", September 2024, https://www.indycar.com/Stats/2024/Driver-Standings
6. NTT IndyCar Series, "2023 NTT IndyCar SERIES Final Driver Standings", August 2023, https://www.indycar.com/Stats/2023/Driver-Standings
7. NTT IndyCar Series, "McLaughlin wins Indy 500 Pole presented by Gainbridge", May 22, 2024, https://www.indycar.com/news/2024/05/05-22-24-indy-500-pole
8. NTT IndyCar Series, "Josef Newgarden repeats as Indy 500 winner", May 26, 2024, https://www.indycar.com/news/2024/05/05-26-24-indy-500-race-report
9. NTT IndyCar Series, "Barber Motorsports Park", accessed October 2024, https://www.indycar.com/Tracks/Barber-Motorsports-Park