'A bit hungry and could use a coffee': Marcus Armstrong prepares for Indy 500 qualifying run

Indianapolis Star

17-05-2025

INDIANAPOLIS — Marcus Armstrong emerged from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield care center Saturday afternoon looking for a coffee and some food. And then as soon as his backup No. 66 Honda might be ready, the 24-year-old New Zealander is eyeing a return to the track.
Five hours prior, the Meyer Shank Racing driver was being extricated from his mangled car after it slid and slammed into the wall during Indianapolis 500 qualifying practice and put on a gurney by IndyCar's AMR safety team, his legs strapped to it as he was rolled into the safety vehicle. More than 90 minutes after his accident, Armstrong emerged from the care center, walking under his own power and was whisked away to MSR's garages to survey the damage to not only his car but his body.
More than 90 minutes after his crash, the series medical team had released Armstrong but not cleared him to return to the cockpit. Due to IndyCar's protocols around concussions, triggered when cars and drivers' ear buds record a certain G level of impact in a crash, the medical team requires them be reevaluated before a return to on-track action.
Following that second review around 1 p.m., Armstrong had been cleared to return.
'The experience was an interesting one, for sure,' Armstrong told IndyStar after his second visit to the care center. 'I was expecting clearly a lot more grip when I arrived in Turn 1 than there was, but we didn't quite get everything right.
'It is what it is. My first reaction was, 'Oh, I hope I'm OK, because I thought it may be a little worse than it was, and I was hoping I wasn't badly injured. But some time passed, and I'm all good, and now we're going to drive again.'
Armstrong elaborated that he underwent X-rays along with the concussion tests to make certain he had no other internal injuries.
'I feel good. Feel a bit hungry and could use a coffee, but yeah, I'm all good,' he said. 'I'm confident we can make the field. I want to at least get a shake-down (run) today, in case we have to do all the things tomorrow, but I'm confident we'll be OK.'
With his primary 500 car written off in the crash that started with a bobble in Turn 1 and led to Armstrong losing the rear of his No. 66 Honda, spinning around and having the left-rear corner making first contact with the outer SAFER barrier before the left side whirled around and slammed into the wall, too, MSR will go to a backup car for any future attempts Armstrong makes this weekend. That car is one reserved for road and street course racing for Armstrong — one that had raced on the IMS road course last weekend and that was prepped for the Detroit Grand Prix in two weekends.
At the time of writing, MSR officials said it would be close as to whether the team would have enough time to get Armstrong back on track in any form Saturday. Its first target would be an initial lap or two as nothing more than a systems check to ensure the backup No. 66 was properly prepped, and if there's additional time, then they might attempt to lock themselves into the top 30 and ensure a spot in the 109th Indy 500.
Should they fail to make an attempt before the checkered flag at 5:50 p.m., or if their attempt leaves them unable to crack the top 30, they'll go onto Sunday's Last Chance Qualifier with three other cars vying for the final three spots in the race.
Despite his vicious crash, Armstrong said he has no worries about his confidence.
'I absolutely expect to be flat in (Turn) 1 and (Turn) 2 on my first lap,' he said.