Team Penske has announced that current Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin is set to make his NTT IndyCar Series debut at the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
McLaughlin, who tested for Penske at Sebring last month, will drive the #2 Team Penske-Chevrolet as current IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden takes over the #1 for 2020.
It seems McLaughlin’s Sebring testing isn’t just a one off reward for the two time Supercars champion and Bathurst 1000 winnner and that McLaughlin has a real interest in racing open-wheel cars.
Roger Penske said: “Scott has experienced tremendous success in Supercars over the last three seasons with DJR Team Penske and we believe his talent and his drive will continue to shine behind the wheel of an Indy car.
“It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop as we work up to his first race at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. We know Scott will work hard to improve with every lap and he will represent Team Penske well as he gets acclimated to the IndyCar Series.”
“This is an amazing opportunity – to race against some of the best open wheel drivers in the world on one of the most historic tracks in motorsports.
McLaughlin commented
“I’m excited about the challenge of trying to win a third-consecutive Supercars championship while helping to keep the Shell V-Power Racing Team at the front of the field this season. I’m also really looking forward to this new opportunity.
“It’s a driver’s dream to get a chance to race an Indy car for Team Penske. With the experience I gained at the test in Sebring, I know a little bit more about what to expect when I get back into the car at COTA.
“I just want to learn as much as I can every time I’m in the car so I can make the most of the opportunity to race with the team at the Grand Prix in Indianapolis.”