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The reason for Nolan Siegel not participating in the second Iowa IndyCar race

July 13, 2025

Nolan Siegel Out of Race After Crash

Nolan Siegel was all set to take the green flag from P5 for the second race of IndyCar’s doubleheader in Iowa on Sunday. Unfortunately, after a significant crash during the closing lap of Saturday’s race at Iowa Speedway, he hasn’t been cleared by the IndyCar medical team. As a result, Arrow McLaren decided it wasn’t ideal to race six cars without him.

During the closing moments of Saturday’s race, specifically lap 248, Siegel collided with the wall and triggered the red flag.

Once the race resumed, Siegel’s teammate Pat O’Ward took home the victory.

In a statement from the team, Siegel shared his frustration about not being able to race on Sunday after showing promising speed throughout the weekend. He mentioned, “There’s no place I would rather drive today, especially from P5, one of my best starting positions of the season. I have a good relationship with the medical team at IndyCar, and they really look out for the drivers. Most importantly, I feel for my team with their six cars; they worked hard for this weekend.”

Tony Canaan, who leads the Arrow McLaren team, expressed his empathy for Siegel, noting his experience in such situations. “I was there. I know how Nolan feels not being able to race today. It’s a tough pill to swallow. But, the most important thing is that he’s doing okay. Unfortunately, it’s just not his day,” Canaan remarked. “It was a challenging decision to keep him sidelined, but after determining he wasn’t cleared this morning, we felt it was best not to switch drivers this weekend.”

Regarding the upcoming race, Canaan highlighted the need for a backup plan if Siegel isn’t cleared in time. “From today onward, we need to prepare for an emergency if Nolan can’t race in Toronto. For now, this is the best course for the team,” he added.

Could the emergency plan involve a former Indy 500 winner? Kanaan mentioned that he participated in a test ahead of this year’s Indianapolis 500, just in case NASCAR champions needed someone to fill in for Kyle Larson during a double-header event.