Scott McLaughlin shuts down Indy 500 crash hoax with a 1-word verdict

Scott McLaughlin has firmly dismissed speculations making the rounds about a horrific crash he allegedly suffered during Indy 500 testing. The final round of testing in the lead-up to the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ has largely been marred by several crashes, even involving veteran drivers.

Following this, the rumor mill went into overdrive, suggesting that the Team Penske driver was involved in a crash in which his car somersaulted. However, the New Zealand driver was quick to debunk what appeared to be a fast-brewing conspiracy theory. Responding to the X (formerly Twitter) account that was spreading the news himself, the seven-time IndyCar race winner wrote:

“Relax.”

The photo circulated by X user @MovementYT was subsequently flagged by a user with the help of the community notes tool, who also attached a link to a YouTube video discrediting the same. Contrary to claims that the person in question was Scott McLaughlin, the image was actually from Colton Herta’s final practice crash at the 2022 Indy 500. Although the Andretti Autosports driver’s car landed upside down, he was unhurt in the incident.

Shifting focus to the 2025 edition of the testing, several experienced drivers, including two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato and sophomore Kyle Larson, have suffered respective crashes, which have marred the second day of testing. Scott McLaughlin, for his part, made headlines for the right reasons, setting one of the fastest times during the morning session, reaching 232.686 mph in his #3 Chevrolet car.

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Scott McLaughlin reacts to Indy 500 testing session

INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Day 2 - Source: Getty

Scott McLaughlin also shared his thoughts following the conclusion of Indy 500 testing. The Team Penske driver had a stellar outing as he outpaced the field during the early sessions of the final day of testing.

The 31-year-old was followed in second place by Takuma Sato, who, racing for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team, achieved a top speed of 232.565 mph before his crash. In his media interaction following the session, McLaughlin expressed optimism about the Penske car.

The New Zealander also acknowledged it was a productive outing, as he shifts focus to the main event in May. Speaking during his post-test press conference via Frontstretch, Scott McLaughlin said:

“We had a really good day — a good couple of days, felt like we got through a lot from a hybrid perspective. Then I felt like the morning qualifying session, high boost session, was a bit of a crapshoot, you could say — couple yellows. When the track got better, it was a bit dirty from some of the shunts as well. Then everyone was trying to cram a lot in 40 minutes.”

“Look, overall, really solid balance to kick off the month of May. The car is certainly different with the extra weight and whatnot. Speaking to a lot of the drivers, I think we all concur the same thoughts: it’s different. It’s fine, fun to get used to and understand it. I feel like I really honed in on a lot of things at a low-intensity level just to feel out the car and see where we’re at,” he added.

Scott McLaughlin’s time would eventually be eclipsed by Alex Palou during the evening session of the test, when the Chip Ganassi driver reached 223.993 mph in his #10 Honda-powered car. The 2025 Indy 500 is scheduled to take place between May 23 and 25, and McLaughlin will fancy his chances of winning the Borg-Warner Trophy.