Dixon and McLaughlin rack up laps in post-season test

Kiwi IndyCar duo Scott Dixon and Scott Mclaughlin have kicked off the 2021 pre-season just a week after the two made history of their own at St. Petersburg.

The official post-season test at Barber Motorsport Park had rookies and team newbies get their first taste of IndyCar action.

Six-time series champion Dixon ended the test ninth fastest overall, six-tenths adrift of pace-setter Rinus Veekay.

Dixon was just one place behind Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson but spent a majority of his time working with his team’s latest additions Alex Palou and Jimmie Johnson.

Palou finished 11th with the seven-time NASCAR champion last of the field, but he did set a respectable 100 tours of the 3.8km circuit.

Reigning Formula E champion Antonio Felix da Costa was a notable entry in the test, finishing 12th overall and setting the third-highest number of laps on his IndyCar debut.

McLaughlin turned 73 laps of his own as the newest Penske driver continued to rack up more mileage in his new machinery.

Last week, McLaughlin drove his first laps of the hallowed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in what he described as having him feeling ‘on top of the world’.

Today, the Kiwi was only five-tenths off the Penske pace-setter Josef Newgarden who ended up 13th fastest. Will Power and Simon Pagenaud ended the test 16th and 17th respectively.

While full 2021 packages remain under wraps, several teams used the opportunity to experiment with aerodynamic tweaks. The improvements were evident with 15 cars breaking the unofficial lap record.

Dixon and McLaughlin will have their final test of the year at Laguna Seca in California on November 10.