Kyffin Simpson sent flying into air after his wreck during Indy 500 practice

Kyffin Simpson endured a frightening moment during the Friday practice session (May 16) for the upcoming Indy 500 event when his car went airborne. The 20-year-old, who was one of the first drivers to attempt a lap at the iconic oval course, saw his #8 car sent into the barriers during the session.

The Chip Ganassi driver was coming out of the final turn and approaching the straightaway when he lost control of his car and hit the wall. The Barbados native subsequently flipped through the air, landing on his monocoque and aeroscreen before rolling back onto the floor of his car.

Kyffin Simpson thankfully walked away from the wreck unscathed, with track marshals and medical cars arriving quickly at the crash scene. The former Indy NXT star was confirmed to be okay and was subsequently discharged following checks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway medical center.

Moments after Simpson’s crash, Ed Carpenter Racing driver Alexander Rossi also had a close call with the AMR safety truck. The 33-year-old, who managed to avoid a collision, was visibly frustrated as he gestured towards the safety vehicle to express his thoughts on the incident.

The incident temporarily halted the Fast Friday practice session as marshals and cleanup crews worked to clear debris from the track and repair damage to the safety barriers.

The Chip Ganassi team, for its part, continues to assess the damage suffered, and whether the Barbados-born driver will take further part in the session remains to be seen.

Kyffin Simpson reacts after his crash at Indy 500 practice

Kyffin Simpson spoke to the media for the first time following his terrifying crash during practice for the Indy 500. The Chip Ganassi driver flipped upside down after making contact at Turn 4 of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.

The 20-year-old, who was evaluated and cleared by the circuit infield care center, detailed his thoughts on the incident surrounding his crash. Sharing his thoughts in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) by IndyCar on FOX, Simpson stated:

"I'm all good, praise the Lord. It's just a tough way to start out Fast Friday. Just a weird crash. Everything about it was weird."

Further explaining how the incident unfolded, he continued:

"It was weird even from the out lap. Just something didn't really feel quite right. I kept going right on the weight jacker and tried to help the car out, and it just never really felt the way I expected it to. So it was just a weird one. We’ll go back, look at some data, try to figure out what might have been wrong, and try to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Kyffin Simpson’s crash was the second during Indy 500 testing, following the spin suffered by Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen. Simpson, however, will aim to move past the crash and put in a stronger performance at what will be his second appearance at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

The 20-year-old could only manage a 21st-place finish during his debut at the event, where he had qualified in 18th.