Scott McLaughlin has achieved so much in only a comparatively brief period of time in motorsports, stacking up a CV stuffed with wins from across the globe along with capturing three Supercars titles in Australia.
And it began at an early age for the Kiwi, setting the mark because the youngest winner within the historical past of Supercars after taking the checkered flag at Pukekohe in 2013 at 19 years, 10 months and three days outdated.
He went on to assert 55 extra wins within the sequence, together with the 2019 version of the Bathurst 1000.
After McLaughlin’s IndyCar Collection one-off begin on the Streets of St. Petersburg in 2020, he made the full-time swap with Team Penske the next season.
In 2022, he delivered a rousing win on the very observe he made his debut, keeping off then-reigning (and now two-time) sequence champion Alex Palou.
Presently contesting his fourth season in North America’s premier open-wheel championship, McLaughlin has amassed six wins. His newest victory within the opening race of a double-header weekend at Iowa stood as his maiden on an oval and noticed him declare he may “name myself an IndyCar driver now” to pair along with his success on highway and avenue circuits.
Scott McLaughlin, Staff Penske Chevrolet, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, begin
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
With that, it begs the query: Which sequence win is extra satisfying than the opposite for McLaughlin?
“It’s arduous to reply that query with out pissing individuals off on either side of the world,” quipped McLaughlin, who additionally captured an LMP2 class victory in IMSA’s 12 Hours of Sebring final 12 months.
“I believe from an IndyCar perspective, successful a race in IndyCar, there are such a lot of variables that go into an IndyCar race. Like, successful an IndyCar race is extraordinarily satisfying.
“A V8 (Supercars) race, they differ. I imply, when you’ve got a dash V8 race, the place you simply must get off the road and drive it dwelling, that’s so much simpler than a three-stop race in Toronto or one thing like that.
“However then you’ve got Bathurst and that’s a six- or seven-hour race, and one other driver and there’s a variety of variables which are out of your management; it’s extraordinarily satisfying if you win that race.
“So, I believe it differs. And it’s the identical right here, I imply, I’m positive that the Thermal race that Alex (Palou) received perhaps wasn’t as satisfying as his race win at, wherever it was, I can’t keep in mind as a result of he’s received at a variety of locations.
“I believe it simply relies on how tough the win is, I believe, and that determines the satisfaction.”
Scott McLaughlin, DJR Staff Penske Ford
Picture by: Dirk Klynsmith / Motorsport Images
With that mentioned, although, McLaughlin make clear what he views as essentially the most satisfying win of his profession so far.
“It’s arduous to go previous Bathurst,” McLaughlin mentioned, the 2021 IndyCar Rookie of the 12 months.
“For me, that basically arrange my profession right here. You recognize, I obtained out of the automotive and the very first thing that Roger (Penske) mentioned to me was, ‘Alright, time for America.’
“Yeah, that set me up, proper. Then, in all probability, a really shut second is my first win at St. Petersburg.
“That was a great one. I had gentle site visitors and Alex, the reigning champion, respiration down my neck, that was a little bit of my arrival type of second, particularly after the 12 months I had beforehand.”
