IndyCar has countered Arrow McLaren's attempt at easily gaining five points at the Iowa Race 2 despite Nolan Siegel not being allowed to compete. The saga began after the IndyCar medical team did not clear the 20-year-old to race at the Farm to Finish 275 on Sunday, July 13.
Siegel suffered a rough crash towards the end of Race 1 at the Iowa Speedway on Saturday, which teammate Pato O'Ward won. The No. 6 driver was on the slate to record a Top 10 finish after starting P8. However, on lap 246 of 275, Siegel lost the rear of his car and spun. His No. 6 Chevy went rear-first into the barriers before coming to a stop facing the wrong side.
A few hours before Race 2 on Sunday, Arrow McLaren announced that the IndyCar medical team didn't clear Siegel to race. The team also shared that it would put no replacement drivers in the No. 6 car and withdraw the entry.
However, IndyCar reporter Marshall Pruett revealed that Team Principal Tony Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner, was fitted to the car in an attempt to start the race and park the car later, so they would get the five points for starting the race.
"Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan has been fitted to the No. 6 Chevy. With the car near the cut line in the race for the $1M leaders circle contracts, discussions are taking place on TK starting and parking to receive the 5 points they would otherwise miss if the entry does not take part in the race," Pruett wrote in an X post.Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan has been fitted to the No. 6 Chevy. With the car near the cut line in the race for the $1M leaders circle contracts, discussions are taking place on TK starting and parking to receive the 5 points they would otherwise miss if the entry does not take part in the race.
However, minutes later, Pruett gave an update, revealing that IndyCar prevented Kanaan from doing that so close to the race. He wrote:
"And just as quickly as I wrote that, the series has confirmed it will not permit the TK start and park. No 6-car in the race; 26 entries to take part in the 275-lap race today at Iowa Speedway."And just as quickly as I wrote that, the series has confirmed it will not permit the TK start and park. No 6-car in the race; 26 entries to take part in the 275-lap race today at Iowa Speedway
Though Nolan Siegel won't start the race, he will get three points instead of five. He currently sits in P21 in the IndyCar championship standings after 11 races. Only the Top 22 entries at the end of the season get to be in the Leaders' Circle and get a bonus payment of $1 million per entry.
Nolan Siegel feels bad for his Arrow McLaren crew after medical setback at Iowa

Nolan Siegel felt disappointed after the IndyCar medical crew prohibited him from racing in the Farm to Finish 275. The 20-year-old shared his feelings about qualifying in P5 for the race after an impressive two-lap qualifying run on Saturday.
"There's no place I'd rather be than out there driving today, especially from P5, one of my best starting positions of the season. I know I'm in good hands with the IndyCar Medical Team and thank them for the great care they provide us drivers," Nolan Siegel said after the announcement.Siegel also apologized to his No. 6 Arrow McLaren crew for cutting their race weekend short with the crash that affected both races.
"Most of all, I feel for the 6 car crew. They gave me a rocket this weekend and put in a ton of work last night with hopes we'd be racing today. They deserve to be out there fighting for podium, and we'll be back soon to do just that."Siegel's best performances this season have been Top 10 finishes at Barber and Road America, where he finished P9 and P8, respectively. The DNF at the Race 1 at the Iowa Speedway was his third of the season.
Why did you not like this content?
- Clickbait / Misleading
- Factually Incorrect
- Hateful or Abusive
- Baseless Opinion
- Too Many Ads
- Other
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
About the author
Edited by Tushar Bahl