Scott McLaughlin is remaining confident that opportunities will arise for him to get some race mileage in an IndyCar under his belt as he reemphasises his eagerness to land a drive in the series which has interested him for quite some time.
The defending two-time Supercars Champion completed both speedway and road course tests with Team Penske, the same squad with whom he competes in Australia, earlier in the year.
The Kiwi received countless plaudits for his adaptability to an entirely new car and was slated to contest the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis back in May but had his plans disrupted by the global pandemic.
But McLaughlin has said in an interview with NewsTalkZB that the thrill of IndyCar was unworldly and he is not ruling out a jump to the states to contest some races in the near future.
“[IndyCar] is an entirely different beast, it is a different kettle of fish in regards to how it is on your body,” said McLaughlin.
“But also, the discipline and driving of the race car is just so different. You have to find the right setup but the setup is so different cause the car is lighter and has more power.
“I have really been interested in IndyCar for a long, long time and to have the opportunity with Team Penske is great.
“You know to have that opportunity to race at Indianapolis in the GP race this year which didn’t happen, but hopefully in the near future, I am able to get a race under my belt and have a go and really see if I do like it.
“When I tested the car it was such a thrill. The speed they do and the forces they have on your body are like nothing else.”
McLaughlin is extremely unlikely to compete in the series this year given IndyCar is set to conclude just a week after the Supercars finale at Bathurst.
The Kiwi is yet to fully firm up his intentions for 2021 with the potential to remain in Supercars for another season if the United States continues to lose its battle on Covid-19 which adds another dimension of difficulty on migrating there from Australia.
Fortunately, McLaughlin has been able to stay in the loop with the IndyCar paddock despite being stuck on the other side of the world. Two weeks ago he was able to tune in to Penske’s team radio for the Indy 500.
Though he admitted he was perhaps rooting for the opposition as he cheered on New Zealand compatriot Scott Dixon who lost the victory in the final stint after a dominant drive and was forced to cruise home in second behind the Safety Car after a crash five-laps from the finish.
“I couldn’t imagine [losing behind the Safety Car]. I actually felt really bad for him and I was meant to text him but I am kind of scared to.
“You never want to see that as a racer. You want a race all the way to the flag and it looked like Sato might have run out of fuel, my team [Penske] certainly believed that.
So it was a bit of a sad outcome, but a very 2020 ending.”
McLaughlin currently has a 123-point lead over Jamie Whincup in his pursuit of a third successive Supercars crown with four rounds remaining.
The first of which is this weekend for the second leg of the Townsville SuperSprint over September 5-6.