How talented teenager can bounce back after being bumped out of Indy 500

Last Chance Qualifying at the Indy 500 has long been an agonizing day as drivers attempt to qualify for the race and start on the back row of the grid.

Nolan Siegel failed to make the show after crashing at Turn 2 on his final run, ending a difficult month of May for the 19-year-old. 

The Dale Coyne Racing driver performed admirably during his first attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. After a shunt at Turn 2 in practice, Siegel suffered a knock to his confidence and had to switch to the backup Dallara chassis. 

The teenager is a part-time driver in IndyCar this season, combined with a full Indy NXT campaign.

He is second in the championship after winning at St. Petersburg and finishing second on the podium at Barber Motorsports Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Siegel proved his credentials in IndyCar earlier this season at the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club and the following round at Long Beach. He made few mistakes and finished 20th in a highly competitive field.

"Super, super disappointed," Siegel told NBC Sports. "We knew it was a possibility going into today. I did my first run. That was the best four laps that I've done around here ever. Some of the best four laps I think I've ever done. It felt really maximized."

Siegel was up against three drivers with much more experience than him, including the 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson. The American said they pushed the car to its limit, and he would always stay on the throttle during his final run.

"We maximized the car, and it just wasn't good enough," Siegel continued. "Took a swing at it because we had no choice. We were going to be out of the show anyway. 

"I said it before; I'll say it again. I'm not going to go home because I lift it on my last run. I'm going to go home because I did everything I possibly could. Ultimately, that wasn't enough, and we went too far. Going flat was either going to lead me to the grid or to the wall, and it led me to the wall."

The teenager is incredibly talented, taking multiple victories as he ascended IndyCar's junior series. He will surely return to the Indy 500 as a full-time driver in the near future.