Woman whose car was damaged by a runaway tire in a scary Indy 500 crash reveals the track’s president gave her a replacement vehicle to go home — after she was invited to kiss the track at the end of the race
- Robin Matthews’ Chevy Cruze, named Snowball, was towed after Kyle Kirkwood’s left rear tire flew off his car, off the track and onto her vehicle
- Matthews was able to walk on the track after the race and ‘kiss the stones’
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A terrifying incident at Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 had a somewhat happy ending for the woman whose car was destroyed by a flying tire.
With 15 laps to go in this year’s race, Kyle Kirkwood’s left rear tire was clipped off his car by Felix Rosenqvist’s sliding vehicle.
The band flew over the barriers and catch fence – hurtling at the fans in the stands, but luckily missed them all.
However, the tire went through a gap in the grandstand and landed straight in the parking lot – crushing the front fender of a Chevy Cruze owned by Indianapolis wife Robin Matthews.
But in an effort to make up for the damage to her car, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president J. Douglas Boles invited Matthews to walk by “The Brickyard” after the race.
Robin Matthews’ Chevy Cruze was destroyed by a flying tire from the Indianapolis 500
Kyle Kirkwood’s left rear tire flies over the catch fence, narrowly missing fans
Speaking to WTHR’s Rich Nye, Matthews said she was not near her car when the incident happened.
“We saw the tire flip, because I was in the second turn, and they said the tire flipped, and somebody said it hit one of the golf carts. Well, I was parked by the golf cart, and I looked, and I saw the back of my car, and I thought, okay. Didn’t think of anything.
And then someone from another suite says, “Robin, it was your car.”
And he’s like, “It’s your car.” And he showed me a picture. Immediately my stomach collapsed and I was shaking. Just anxious and nervous. Just scared.
“Just thankful no one was hurt. My car’s name is Snowball, and she took one for the team.’
No drivers or fans were injured, with ‘Snowball’ the Chevy Cruze seemingly the only casualty
When she got back to her car, Matthews said, “the radiator where the lights were on, and then fluid was leaking out.”
“It was the left side, the driver’s side. It was completely dented. The tire was broken, so they towed it away.’
With Matthews stranded at the track, she said Boles arranged another car for her to drive home.
It’s unclear if the car she’s driving is the silver Chevy Camaro pictured behind her when she got the chance to “kiss the bricks” at IMS.
Neither driver was injured in the wreck, nor were any spectators. Josef Newgard won the race for the first time in his career.