• Latest
  • Trending

Why Dario Franchitti recommended Scott McLaughlin for IndyCar drive

October 8, 2020

Feeney dominates in Townsville strategy game as Kiwis make gains with Payne finishing P5 and Wood P7

July 13, 2025

Jack Stokes wins The Bruce McLaren Trophy at Elite Motorsport Academy

July 13, 2025

Broc Feeney tops Townsville shootout as Payne secures front row start

July 13, 2025

Payne storms to provisional pole in Race 22 Townsville Qualifying

July 13, 2025
(Photo by HHP/Tom Copeland)

Connor Zilisch holds off Van Gisbergen in epic Sonoma showdown

July 13, 2025

Van Gisbergen grabs pole at Sonoma ahead of NASCAR Cup Series race

July 13, 2025
BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 12: Race winner Mitch Evans of New Zealand and Jaguar TCS Racing celebrates on the podium during the Berlin E-Prix, Round 13 of the 2025 FIA Formula E World Championship at Tempelhof Airport Circuit on July 12, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)

Evans back on top with Berlin win as Cassidy charges from P21 to P5

July 13, 2025

Scott McLaughlin fastest in Iowa practice before qualifying crash

July 13, 2025

Mixed fortunes for Kiwis in chaotic Supercars race: Payne secures podium, Evans endures another DNF

July 12, 2025

Bewley clinches podium in thrilling scrap as Robb cracks Top 10, Exton retires

July 12, 2025

Kostecki claims commanding Townsville win as Kiwi Payne just misses podium in Supercars Sprint opener

July 11, 2025
Sunday, July 13, 2025
VelocityNews
Subscribe
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard
No Result
View All Result
VelocityNews
No Result
View All Result

Why Dario Franchitti recommended Scott McLaughlin for IndyCar drive

by Matthew Hansen
October 8, 2020
in Australia, Supercars
0

Scott McLaughlin’s fanbase is known to extend far and wide. And, it includes former IndyCar Series and Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti.

While the Scotsman never raced in the IndyCar Series with McLaughlin’s Team Penske squad, he has reportedly been part of the consultation process that’s seen the Kiwi drafted to compete in the competitive open-wheel category.

In an interview with Motorsport.com, Roger Penske has said Franchitti was asked by team principle Tim Cindric about whether McLaughlin should be put through an open-wheel junior formula like Indy Lights before taking on IndyCar. But Franchitti, who himself came from tin tops to IndyCars, said no.

“Tim [Cindric] spoke to [Dario] Franchitti about it, because Franchitti came to Indy cars from DTM,” said Penske.

“That’s where I first met him, when he was racing for Mercedes-Benz in the mid-1990s. Tim asked Franchitti if we should put McLaughlin straight into Indy cars or go Indy Lights or Formula 3, 4, 5 or 6… And he said, ‘No, put him straight in at the top.’

“And if you look at [Robert] Wickens. Obviously he had some open-wheel experience and success before he went to DTM, but he was a DTM racer for a long time before he came to IndyCar and looked very strong right away. I think if you’re a racer, you’re a racer.”

Following the upcoming Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, McLaughlin will fly to the US to prepare for his IndyCar Series debut at the category’s season-ending event at St. Petersburg.

It will cap a tumultuous year of IndyCar exposure for McLaughlin, following a barnstorming performance at his Circuit of the Americas test, victory in the category’s eSports series, then the delay of his debut in the series due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s strongly tipped that McLaughlin will race for the storied team in IndyCar on a full-time basis in 2021. But, Penske remains adamant that no deal has been done just yet.

“We haven’t made the decision yet on McLaughlin,” he said. “That’s a decision about going to four cars next year in IndyCar.

“Entering McLaughlin at St. Pete is another part of the evaluation of what we’re doing, and of course sponsorship is a part of this too. He’s a special driver. He’s won 48 Supercars races for us, almost 60 poles, three championships — I have never seen anyone deliver like Scott. But now he would love to get in a series over here.”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.

No Result
View All Result
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.