“Penske cheating karma”: Fans react as Scott McLaughlin suffers Indy 500 heartbreak

Scott McLaughlin’s crash during the Indy 500 has prompted a wave of reactions from motorsports fans. The New Zealand driver saw his entry into the Greatest Spectacle in Racing come to an end shortly after the green flag.

The Team Penske driver, who was starting the event in 10th place, suffered a race-ending crash during the pace lap. The 31-year-old was weaving in an attempt to generate tire temperature following the early showers that had delayed the race start.

However, just as he approached the first turn of the famed oval course, Scott McLaughlin collided with the wall, causing significant damage to his left front suspension.

While the Kiwi driver was left to reflect on the unfortunate incident that had befallen him just ahead of the race’s commencement, a few fans were quick to link his crash to the controversy that had engulfed the Penske team. The Mooresville-based outfit was rocked by a push-to-pass scandal just ahead of the second round of qualifying, leading to the disqualification of both Josef Newgarden and Will Power from qualifying.

Trying to connect McLaughlin’s crash with the qualifying scandal that had plagued his team, one fan commented:

“Penske cheating karma.”

Another fan, who also felt it was fate repaying the Penske team in its own coin, commented:

“Karma.”

A third fan, who seemed to feel a sense of satisfaction with the event that unfolded, wrote:

“1 cheater down!"

A few other fans, however, appeared to find humor in the early crash, with one commenting:

“I'm Laughlin.”

Another fan, aiming a joke at the former Supercars champ's expense, wrote:

“Tom Brady finished ahead of Scott McLaughlin.”

It should be noted that this is not the first time Scott McLaughlin has suffered a crash around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 31-year-old also experienced a freak accident during the final practice session ahead of the Indy 500 qualifying.

Scott McLaughlin reacts after Indy 500 crash

Scott McLaughlin reacted following his crash at the 109th Indy 500 event. The Team Penske driver was involved in a mishap that led to a crash on the pace lap ahead of the commencement of the racing showpiece.

The 31-year-old, who was visibly distraught following the incident, spoke to the media after being discharged from the infield medical facility. Sharing his thoughts in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by IndyCar journalist Bob Pockrass, he stated:

“I don’t know. I have no idea what happened—I just lost it. I don’t know whether it was a little bit of moisture, I don’t know…

Something happened. I am just really sorry to my fans, to my team—they built me two fantastic cars with a lot of hope today. By far the worst moment in my life.”

Scott McLaughlin was not the only driver to suffer an early incident at the Indy 500 event, as Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon experienced a rear brake fire during the pace lap. Also, Andretti Autosport driver Marco Andretti was forced into an early retirement after he was rear-ended by Jack Harvey as both drivers headed into the first turn of the iconic oval circuit.