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Coming into 2024, three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin had only won on road courses and street circuits — but never an oval.
Now, he finally believes he can call himself an IndyCar driver.
Indeed, it was his oval debut in 2021 that caught everyone’s attention. Then only in his fourth IndyCar race, the Kiwi finished second to countryman Scott Dixon at Texas Motor Speedway.
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McLaughlin would have to wait 15 more oval races and more than three years to finally get that elusive win at Iowa Speedway.
In his previous speedway starts, he had been a podium finisher in five of them. For McLaughlin, winning at the short track ticked a box he had long agonised over.
“I felt like an open-wheel driver, but an IndyCar driver is someone that can win on all three race tracks,” McLaughlin said.
“Thankfully, very proud to say I’ve won on an oval now along with a road and street course. Proud moment for me.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work, work hard behind the scenes to be better. Whether it’s here or with the old surface, Texas, any of the other ovals, I feel like I’ve been really strong, just haven’t quite finished it off. We were able to do that today.”
In 2022, McLaughlin looked like he was on course to win in just his second visit to Texas Motor Speedway only to be pipped by Team Penske stablemate Josef Newgarden.
The IndyCar sophomore lost the lead on the final lap after lapped traffic stifled his run to the chequered flag.
“Especially after losing Texas in ‘22, that hurt for a long time,” said McLaughlin.
“You sometimes think if you ever get that chance again, you know how hard it is.
“Ultimately I’m in such a good race car, race team, thankfully we come with a really good oval package as a team.
“At the end of the day I have two of the world’s best oval drivers in the same equipment. It’s a matter of beating them, which is tough to do.
“I feel like we’ve shown up since the start of the weekend with a really good car, a stranglehold on what I want from the car.
“Before qualifying today I had confidence I could post some really good laps. In the race I was biding my time, saving fuel when I needed. Thankfully we got out in front of Herta.”
So what exactly did McLaughlin do to finally break through?
He said Newgarden has been helpful. Perhaps too helpful to the point where he’s given up more information that he should have, McLaughlin admitted.
Another helping hand has been his race engineer Ben Bretzman, an experienced head with more than two decades of experience in IndyCar and sportscars.
Simon Pagenaud has been key in McLaughlin’s success too.
“Working with Simon Pagenaud has been a huge help for me and taught me a lot,” the 31-year-old explained.
“He’s a huge feather in my cap, in my corner. Very lucky to have him. He’s been an open book.
“To get my first oval win, I don’t think that’s by coincidence. It’s because I started working with Simon. He’s been a massive help.
“Then Benny, my engineer, a guru with car setup. An old IRL [Indy Racing League] guy. He loves this sort of stuff. I really enjoy working with him.”
On Pagenaud, McLaughlin added: “Like I said before, he’s been unreal for me, as you know.
“Such a good teacher. It’s special to work with someone like that. For him to basically give me everything, it’s crazy.
“You should see the notes I get. He sends me notes every morning before I go on track. I don’t even have time to read it sometimes. It’s crazy. It’s like essays, longer than your reporting stories. It’s crazy.
“Ultimately I treasure them. I save them. I’ll never give them to anyone else ’cause they’re just that good.”
“I’m gonna call myself an INDYCAR driver now!”@smclaughlin93 soaks in his first oval win.#INDYCAR // @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/nqdb1U9ttl
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 14, 2024
When Roger Penske took a chance on McLaughlin and brought him across to the IndyCar Series, the Kiwi said it came with the expectation that he could win on any track – especially ovals.
Ticking that box goes a long way to proving the motorsport magnate right in his call to bring McLaughlin to the United States.
“You’re expected to win on all tracks for Penske,” he said.
“It was getting pretty slim for me on the ovals. It’s just nice to deliver when you need to and have the chance to.”
