Keanu Reeves Narrowly Avoids Crash During Racing Return In Hair-Raising Moment

Keanu Reeves narrowly avoided a crash during his debut race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his return to professional motor racing.

Feb 26, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; Film actor Keanu Reeves before the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images / Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images

Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves, known for the likes of The Matrix, John Wick, and Point Break, made his professional racing return at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier today. 

In a gripping Toyota GR Cup race that lasted 45 minutes, he suffered a close call, narrowly avoiding a significant mishap on the track, successfully dodging a pile-up at Turn 14 on his very first lap.

With over 35 seasoned competitors vying for the top position, the Canadian began the race in 31st place but ambitiously climbed to 21st. However, with just over 21 minutes left in the race, Reeves spun off course at the exit of Turn 9, sending his car skidding across the grass. In another quick evasive move, he avoided a potentially damaging collision and continued with the race. Ultimately, he crossed the finish line in a respectable 25th position.

Despite the hiccup in the race today, Reeves has another chance this weekend with the second race tomorrow. Qualifying and Race 2 will take place at 8.00 a.m. and 11.55 a.m., respectively.

Reeves, now 60, is no stranger to the adrenaline rush of a racetrack, having previously taken part in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach's celebrity event. This weekend, however, Reeves shares the track with teammate Cody Jones, widely recognized from the "Dude Perfect" entertainment group.

‘The Matrix’ star is also often seen at Formula 1 races across the globe and was a part of the Disney+ documentary series 'Brawn: The Impossible F1 Story,’ which gave fans a deeper view into the astounding story of the Brawn F1 team. Whilst speaking to Give Me Sport, Reeves commented at the time of the release of the docuseries:

"When I got told the story about this team that was bought for £1 went on to win the championship, I was like 'what?'. It started with that, and then we got into what it meant with the financial crisis, the team splitting apart and maybe ending Formula 1. As I learned more and more about it, it became such a huge canvas including racing on track and off the track with the politics and the team owners.

"All the drivers and team dynamics, even the relationships between the engineers and Ross Brawn coming in with all his championships. There are so many cool elements that went into the story, and obviously with happened that year it was almost impossible to not make it extraordinary."