During the first practice session of the 2026 IndyCar season at the St. Petersburg street circuit on Friday, former champions Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon were involved in separate crashes, becoming the initial drivers to hit the barriers this season. Both accomplished Indy 500 winners experienced incidents that disrupted their runs in the practice session held on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn Florida circuit.
Details of Scott Dixon’s Abrupt Crash at Turn 9
Scott Dixon’s mishap occurred early in the session while running on the softer, alternate tires. Navigating Turn 9, the left-hand corner of the circuit, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver lost rear grip causing oversteer. Attempting to correct the slide, Dixon overcompensated, sending his No. 9 Honda into the outside barrier. The impact severely damaged his front wing and scraped the left front tire, interrupting his session.
“Before turning in, got loose, and over-corrected and lost it,” Dixon explained to FOX reporter Bob Pockrass after returning to the pit lane. “Luckily, it scrubbed off quite a bit of speed. ‘Coz normally when you hit the inside, you are flat out, and it hits pretty hard. So that one wasn’t too bad.”
Dixon’s assessment suggests the collision was moderate, avoiding more serious consequences that could have affected his readiness for the weekend.
Josef Newgarden Spins and Hits Barrier at Turn 13
Josef Newgarden encountered a spin in the Turn 13 left-hander, which led him into the barriers just before Turn 14. Unlike Dixon, Newgarden’s crash was less damaging, with his vehicle escaping major damage. Representing Team Penske, Newgarden indicated that the incident was related to car setup choices rather than track conditions.
“I would say it’s more setup-related for us,” Newgarden stated during a post-practice press conference. “We tried something different on our car, and I just got loose to the corner. It’s pretty simple as that. Nothing on the track. It wasn’t anything track-related.”
This spin underscored the challenges teams face in adapting car setups early in the season on a technically demanding street circuit.
Additional Incident: Rookie Louis Foster Also Crashes
Rounding out the day’s crashes, 2025 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Louis Foster brought his No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car into the barriers at Turn 14. A front tire lock-up entering the hairpin caused Foster to lose control, resulting in front wing damage. This marked the third crash during the first practice session, highlighting the tricky nature of the St. Petersburg circuit early in the season.
Scott McLaughlin Leads Practice Session Despite Early Wrecks
Amid the incidents, Scott McLaughlin set the fastest lap time of Practice 1 with a 1:1.1020 around the circuit. The No. 3 Team Penske driver, who was the 2025 pole sitter at St. Pete, completed 27 laps and was the only Chevrolet driver in the top five for this session. His closest competitor was Felix Rosenqvist of Honda, who finished just 0.064 seconds behind in second place.
Other top ten drivers included Christian Rasmussen (P8), David Malukas (P9), and Christian Lundgaard (P10), all representing Chevrolet. Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou ended the session in sixth place, maintaining competitive pace despite the early knocks to several drivers.
Rookie Standouts and Upcoming Sessions
Among the three rookies competing this season, Dennis Hauger posted the best result by finishing 17th in practice. Fellow newcomers Mick Schumacher and Caio Collet placed 23rd and 24th, respectively, out of the 25 cars on the track. The next practice session is scheduled for Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET, preceding other racing events, including the NASCAR Truck Series and qualifying sessions for Indy NXT and IndyCar.
Significance of Early Practice Crashes and What Lies Ahead
The crashes involving top drivers like Newgarden and Dixon so early in the weekend have added tension and complexity to preparations for the St. Petersburg race. These incidents reveal the unforgiving nature of the street circuit where oversteer and tire management are critical and setup miscalculations can have costly consequences. Teams will now need to reassess their approaches quickly to recover lost track time and optimize performance for qualifying and the race.
As the kickoff event of the new IndyCar season, the developments in practice Friday underscore the high stakes and challenge drivers face, setting the stage for an intense and unpredictable competition moving forward.
