Scott McLaughlin remains optimistic about his chances in the IndyCar Championship following his victory in yesterday’s race at Barber Motorsport Park.
The Kiwi heads into IndyCar’s famed Month of May with momentum on his side, having bounced back from Penske’s mid-week ‘push to pass’ setup scandal that saw him and teammate Josef Newgarden excluded from the podium in the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
The result moved the #3 driver from dead last and into the top ten in the standings, only 42 points adrift of leader Colton Herta.
“This is the third race of the year. So much time is left to go,” said McLaughlin, speaking after the race. “We know how much of a wildcard IndyCar racing is, and I know how good our team is. I know how fast my car can be, and we’re still building. It’s hard to get into the cadence of the season. I feel we always hit our stride around Detroit or just after.
“I trust my guys, I trust my team, and I trust my speed, and we’ll be OK.
“It’s a nice momentum shift. We did it last year, but we probably didn’t use the momentum the way we wanted to heading into the month of May. We can change that now, and I feel like we’ve got the car and the team to do that. We’ll just keep working.
“There was never a lack of belief there. I’m more proud of the people aspect of it, in the way we stuck together and took the penalty. That was black and white, and you move on.
“We move forward together as a team, race by race, and we’ll keep working hard to win as much as we can and put ourselves into the fight come September.”
Team Penske President Tim Cindric admitted the team expected to be “behind the 8-ball” entering the round as other teams had already tested at Barber this year, but his outfit was quickly on pace, with Newgarden topping the opening practice session.
McLaughlin was third fastest in second practice before qualifying on the pole and holding off Power for the win.
The front-row starters cycled through the mid-field following their opening round of stops, but fortunate timings for following cautions returned them to the front.
“That was an intense mental battle,” McLaughlin said. “The start of the race was going pretty smoothly. We got back into the lead after our first pitstop and built a seven-second lead, which I knew was going to help the two-stoppers. It was a matter of just keeping our nose clear.
“Will actually got past me in that sequence, and I got him back the next lap. I knew that if there was going to be a caution later down the track then I had to stay in front of Will. He was the guy I was racing. Physically and mentally, that’s just so hard, and I’ve got a couple of blisters.
“IndyCar is a wildcard the way the yellows fall and the strategies fall. You can’t get yourself in a box to think, ‘Are we good here?’ or ‘Are we good there?’ You have to make the most of every opportunity you have.
“I knew that we were on the back foot, but then we got somewhat of a lucky yellow when Sting Ray put it in the fence, and that was a way of us getting back, where the other guys had to take fuel.
“I knew I had the pace. If I got out in front and nailed some laps, then I might be able to come in third or fourth, but we came out in the lead.
“By now, I know the race falls. It’s just experience. In my fourth year, I really understand it.”
The Kiwi was also quick to recognise the support of his team, other drivers, and his fans following what had been a difficult week.
“The fans are passionate, and we love them. If you’re getting booed, that’s a good thing, as it means the fans are passionate and they love the sport,” he said.
“If you’re getting cheered, that’s a good thing as well. I’ve always looked at it two ways. You don’t want to be a guy that they don’t like, but ultimately it doesn’t affect the way I go about my racing. I just hope that people eventually see that I race with a lot of integrity, and a lot of honesty, and what happened last week was just a mistake. It’s a human game as well.
“I’ve always had a tremendous amount of support here in America, and I’ve always been grateful for that. Hopefully we can win a few people back.
“A lot of people that say a lot of rap online, on social media, they’re probably the people that will come and shake your hand and say good job. It’s part of it, and it’s part of being in the spotlight, as well.”
IndyCar’s month of May begins on the Indianapolis Road Course on May 11, before the 108th Running of the Indy 500 on May 26.
Header Image: Travis Hinkle/ Penske Entertainment
