IndyCar confirms no injuries from fence-clearing wheel at Indy

IndyCar has confirmed that there was no serious injuries caused by the loose wheel from Kyle Kirkwood’s car that cleared the Turn 2 fence during Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

Kirkwood’s No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda was hit by the crashing No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Felix Rosenqvist as it rebounded off the Turn 2 wall. The cars collided in a manner that severed the tether that is designed to keep wheels from becoming detached, and Kirkwood’s left rear broke free and flew over the high fence lining the wall.

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The wheel threaded between the two packed grandstands and came to rest on the hood of a car in the parking lot, and IndyCar Series representatives confirmed that there were no injuries caused by the wheel itself. Other debris from the accident did enter the grandstand, and one person was taken to the infield medical center for checks and was cleared.

While airborne wheels have become exceedingly rare since the tethers were introduced, IMS and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said the series will investigate the incident.

“I saw what had happened; saw it bounced on top of a building and went and hit a car over there, which obviously is very concerning,” Penske said.

“We have tethers on the wheels, and it was a rear wheel that came off, and I’m sure the guys at IndyCar will look at it, will determine what really happened. We haven’t seen a wheel come off in a long time. We have high fences here. But we were very fortunate we didn’t have a bad accident.”

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