Last chance. Qualifying for the Indy 500 has always been a painful experience, with drivers attempting to qualify for the race and starting on the back row.
Nolan Siegel could not make it to the show after crashing at Turn 2 on his final lap, capping off a rough month for the 19-year-old.
The Dale Coyne Racing driver fared excellently in his first try to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Siegel’s confidence was shaken after a shunt at Turn 2 during practice, forcing him to transfer to the backup Dallara chassis.
This season, the youngster is driving part-time in IndyCar while also running a full Indy NXT campaign.
He is second in the championship, having won in St. Petersburg and finished second at Barber Motorsports Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Siegel demonstrated his IndyCar credentials earlier this season in the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club and the subsequent round at Long Beach. He made a couple blunders and ended 20th in an extremely tough race.
“Super, super disappointed,” Siegel told NBC Sports. “We knew it was a possibility coming in today. I completed my first run. That was the best four laps I’d ever done around here. Some of the best four laps I believe I’ve ever done. “It felt really maximized.”
Siegel was up against three far more experienced drivers, including 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson. The American claimed they drove the automobile to its limits, and he always stayed on the gas on his final run.
“We maximized the car, and it just wasn’t good enough,” Siegel concluded. “We took a shot at it because we had no choice. We were going to leave the show anyway.
“I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. I am not going home because I lifted it during my last run. I’m going home because I’ve done everything I possibly can. Ultimately, that was insufficient, and we went too far. Going flat would either lead me to the grid or the wall, and it led me to the latter.”
The teenager is extremely skilled, having won many races as he rose through IndyCar’s junior ranks. He will undoubtedly return to the Indianapolis 500 as a full-time driver in the near future.
