WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was hosting the final weekend of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season. The Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama was running as a support event before Practice 2. Saturday was the sixth and final round of their season. It was routine until Manuel Gil Del Real hit the end of the Rahal Straight with no way to stop.

“Crazy wreck on the Corkscrew. Porsche driver hits the end of the Rahal Straight apparently with no brakes, goes through the fence. Driver reportedly was conscious. That’s where us IndyCar photogs could have been! Scary!” IndyCar photographer Elias Funez posted on X.

Gil Del Real’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup appeared to lose its brakes on the approach to the Corkscrew. The corner drops roughly six stories over 450 feet through a left-right sequence, with drivers entering at full speed before the track suddenly falls away. At that point, any mistake leaves little room for recovery.

His car went straight and launched off the circuit, nearly clearing the tire barrier before tearing through the catch fencing. It rolled multiple times before coming to rest in the trees beyond the track. Photos from the aftermath showed the barrier ripped apart and the fencing completely bent over.

Just a day earlier, the corner had been formally renamed the Zanardi Corkscrew in honor of Alex Zanardi’s legendary 1996 pass at the same location. By Saturday morning, that stretch of asphalt had become the site of one of the weekend’s most severe accidents. What happened to Del Real in the moments that followed quickly became the focus at the circuit.

Eyewitnesses confirmed that Del Real was conscious after the impact. He was airlifted from the track to a hospital in Salinas for evaluation.

“Driver was airlifted out, apparently. Absolutely insane wreck,” S1apSh0es posted on X.

Porsche Motorsport North America released a statement shortly after. “Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West driver Manuel Gil Del Real is awake following an on-track incident during Saturday morning’s race at Laguna Seca. He has been transported to a Salinas hospital and is being evaluated and treated. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”

The nature of his injuries and any official explanation for the apparent loss of braking have not yet been confirmed. The car cleared the tire barrier, broke through the catch fencing, and came to rest beyond the track. Officials later confirmed that no fans or photographers outside the car were injured.

Funez’s post highlighted how real that risk was. The Porsche had breached a section of the circuit where media personnel can be positioned during a race weekend. The incident quickly became a concern beyond the Porsche paddock.

A Crash That Stopped the IndyCar Weekend

The damage to the barrier and fencing required extensive repair before any car could return to the track. IndyCar Practice 2, scheduled to begin around 10 a.m. local time, was held up until the circuit was safe again.

The NTT IndyCar Series confirmed it on X. “UPDATE: The start of Practice 2 is on hold as track repairs are underway following an on-track incident this morning.”

The session did not get underway until around 11 a.m. and was cut to just 25 minutes. Scott McLaughlin topped the abbreviated practice. The shortage of track time carried real consequences at this circuit. Practice 2 on road courses runs in structured segments designed to help teams prepare for qualifying. Because of the delay, that format was abandoned entirely.

Laguna Seca is a 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course with dramatic elevation changes. Teams work through braking points, tire behavior, and car balance in those structured windows. All of it was squeezed into less than half the planned time.

This was the season finale. Alex Palou had already secured his fifth championship, but the fight for second remained unsettled. Christian Lundgaard entered with 507 points, Kyle Kirkwood with 505, and Pato O’Ward with 503. Four points separated all three heading into the final race of the year.

Each of them needed a specific combination of results to claim second, making every session count. It was also Scott Dixon’s last race with Chip Ganassi Racing before his move to Arrow McLaren.

Del Real’s crash overshadowed the battles at Laguna Seca. While his recovery remains the priority, the incident also raised serious questions about safety at one of motorsport’s most challenging corners.