Kyle Kirkwood flips, tire narrowly misses fans during terrifying Indianapolis 500 crash
A major crash occurred with 16 laps to go in the 2023 Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) resulting in a tire nearly landing in the grandstands.
Running 6th at the time, Felix Rosenqvist got loose going into the corner of Turn 2, hitting the wall and sliding back towards the straightaway. Kyle Kirkwood slammed into the side of Rosenqvist’s No. 6 Chevrolet, sending him sliding upside down against the wall through the corner. After initial contact, Rosenqvist’s left-front tire flew into the air, narrowly missing the fans watching on.
While no fans were struck by the tire, a white Chevrolet sedan parked in the corner of Turn 2 took the full force of the flying rubber.
As for the drivers involved in the crash, both emerged from their cars uninjured. After a near 30-minute delay, the Indy 500 started back up with eight laps remaining. After being cleared from the infield medical center, Rosenqvist described what happened from his vantage point.
“I got on the wrong side of the wake, and the rear came out on the exit of the corner and i just hit the wall. We had a hell of car… I want to thank my team for giving me such a great car,” Rosenqvist said, via USA TODAY.
Terrifying crash halts 2023 Indy 500
Kirkwood, meanwhile, said the crash could have been even worse if the cars weren’t as safe as they are.
“In the aftermath everything happened so quick, you don’t really know what happened,” Kirkwood said, via The Race. “All I’ve heard right now is that I was up in the fence, which is never a good thing in IndyCar. Thank God these cars are so safe. It could have been a lot worse.
“You see the sparks flying around. That was the scary part, when I was upside down and no one was getting to me. You’re kind of stuck at that point. I’m just glad it’s so safe.”
Josef Newgarden of Team Penske is out in front with four laps remaining. The Nashville native is looking for the first Indy 500 victory of his career.