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Indianapolis Motor Speedway Prez Makes Grand Gesture For Fan Whose Car Got Wrecked By Flying Tire

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A terrifying crash sent hearts into mouths of everybody watching the 107th annual Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

Not only was the crash terrifying for drivers Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood, the latter of whom slid upside down for hundreds of yards, but it was also a horrifying sight for fans.

That’s because Kirkwood’s left-rear tire got severed in the incident, sending it flying into the sky and over the the fence that protects the stands.

Thankfully, the tire cleared the entire grandstand and did not hit any fans. But one fan wasn’t so lucky.

The tire did eventually come down. And when it did, it landed directly on the car of race fan Robin Matthews.

While a car is far preferable to a person, it still presented a headache for Matthews.

“I didn’t see it come down,” Matthews told Zach Osterman and Rob Peeters of the Indianapolis Star. “I came down and they said, ‘Robin, it’s your car!’ I thought, ‘No.’ I thought somebody was pranking me.

“It’s a car. It’s fine.”

But track president Doug Boles still wanted to make it up to Matthews. So he went above and beyond to do so.

Boles reportedly found Matthews and invited her onto the track following the race. He had her take pictures on the track and kiss the famous yard of bricks.

Boles also had Matthews’ car, a Chevy Cruze which she refers to as “Snowball”, towed away and provided her with transportation home from the track.

Matthews spoke with Rich Nye of WTHR Indianapolis after the incident. When Nye followed up with her, she said she was overwhelmed by the attention. Matthews also says she won’t seek anything else from the track.

It’s a remarkable end to what could’ve been a tragic story. And it goes to show why Indy draws over 300,000 fans every year.