The PEDS barrier was installed on a trial basis at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in time for the 1998 Indianapolis 500. It was installed along the inside wall near the entrance to the pits. However, it was not impacted during the race. About two months later, the barrier received its first full-scale test. During the 1998 IROC at Indy race, Arie Luyendyk spun and impacted the barrier broadside with his IROC stock car. The violent impact ripped many of the PEDS Barrier components from the wall, threw them high into the air, and littered the track with huge amounts of heavy debris. Luyendyk's car bounced off the wall, across the track and back into oncoming traffic. The car narrowly missed being T-boned by another car approaching the scene at high speed.