Marcus Armstrong health update: Will he compete in Indy 500 qualifying after big crash in practice?

Meyer Shank Racing driver Marcus Armstrong was involved in a huge crash at the Indy 500 practice that preceded the Saturday qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 24-year-old was taken to the infield medical centre following the huge impact.

The Kiwi driver was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the medical centre in the ambulance. Before being loaded, Armstrong gave a wave and a thumbs-up to the crowd and the camera, suggesting he was fine. However, such a huge impact usually leads to bruises and even a concussion, which can only be detected at a medical centre.

MSR’s social media handle suggested that Armstrong was taken to the medical care centre after the crash, as the tweet read,

“Marcus has made contact with the wall. He is being sent to the infield care center for further evaluation.”

A few minutes after the crash, a FOX reporter interviewed the IndyCar Medical Chief Officer, Dr. Julia Vaizer, about Marcus Armstrong’s condition. She said,

“He is awake, he is alert, he is doing well. You know these hits at Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval can be really hard and we just wanna make sure we don't rush things. We take our time and make the right decisions for the driver.”

Motorsport reporter Nathan Brown confirmed 30 minutes before the Indy 500 qualifying that Armstrong, 24, was released from the medical centre. However, the MSR driver wasn't cleared to return to the track.

“Armstrong has been seen & released from the infield care center. Importantly, he has NOT been cleared to return to the track. May take a couple more hours to get an update on that part,” read Brown's tweet.

The qualifying for the Indy 500 will start in 30 minutes after Armstrong is released. Meyer Shank Racing hasn't yet confirmed whether Marcus Armstrong will be participating in the qualifying session.

MSR also confirmed that the crashed car won't be repaired and that it is moving to the #66 Honda used for the street/road course.

IndyCar reporter Jenna Fryer also shared a tweet suggesting that MSR co-owner Michael Shank is the busiest man, and that he is probably getting a lot of calls from drivers to fill in as Armstrong's replacement, as the Kiwi driver hasn't been cleared to participate yet.

Notably, Marshall Pruett shared an update regarding Armstrong's crash on X, saying that, as per Racer, IndyCar has cleared four drivers to go straight in without a refresher course in case Armstrong is unable to drive. Linus Lundqvist, Romain Grosjean, Katherine Legge, and Pietro Fittipaldi are the four drivers.

Update: Marcus Armstrong has been cleared to race with over four hours left in the qualifying session.

Marcus Armstrong’s crash at the Indy 500 analysed

Marcus Armstrong had a huge moment going into Turn 1 at the IMS, losing the rear end of the car and being sent into the barrier at 230+ mph. Replays suggested that the MSR driver ran a little high into Turn 1, causing the rear to step out. He was initially able to catch it with counter steer before eventually hitting the rear of the car into the wall.

The car then skidded across the track before hitting the barrier at the entry of Turn 2. As the front hit the barrier during the second impact, the car came to a halt on the grass patch on the exit of Turn 2. Marcus Armstrong was able to get out of the car safely, but the impact triggered the medical car.