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Scott McLaughlin has reflected on a “wild” race at Laguna Seca as he was sacrificed to help ensure either of Will Power or Josef Newgarden won the IndyCar Series.
Power would indeed lift the Astor Cup for a second time after finishing third in the final race of the season, one position behind Newgarden, but all three Team Penske drivers had started the 95-lapper in contention for the title.
In the box seat was the man who would go on to win the series, given he had qualified on pole whereas Newgarden was starting off the back row after a spin in Qualifying.
McLaughlin was only ever an outside chance even before the weekend started, given he was 41 points off the pace leaving Portland a week earlier, and that remained the case when he qualified eighth at Laguna Seca.
With the New Zealander starting two positions ahead of Marcus Ericsson and five ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing’s other title contender, Scott Dixon, he was sent out with the aim of covering the latter, who began the day tied for second in the series with Newgarden.
Dixon pitted four times during the 95 laps and, on each occasion, McLaughlin was into the lane one to two laps later.
Highlighting just how closely Car #3 had to track Car #9, Dixon’s first stint lasted just nine laps on alternate compound tyres, so McLaughlin pitted after 11 laps despite starting on the more durable primary rubber.
In the end, however, the Penske driver found himself embroiled in a willing battle with Ericsson, with whom he appeared to get some retribution after an earlier bump from the Swede, as well as getting the elbows out with Alexander Rossi.
“Look, it was wild,” McLaughlin said on NBC Sports.
“The race was sort of up and down for us, because you’re sort of doing the best job you can for the team, covering what we needed to cover.
“Then at the end, the last stint, was like, ‘Alright, we’re good now, let’s just go.’
“I was able to really hustle and bring the tyres up well and I passed a few cars.
“It came off good on some, bad on others, but thankfully we got through it and we finished fourth in the championship.”
With McLaughlin taking the chequered flag in sixth and Ericsson dropping to ninth on the day, the second-year IndyCar driver finished the season tied on points with the day’s race winner, Alex Palou.
However, he beat the 2021 series winner to fourth in the series on a countback given he had already won three times in 2022 compared to Palou’s one now.
Those three wins were McLaughlin’s first in the category, after struggling as a rookie.
“It’s been a dream come true to win races in the IndyCar Series,” he remarked.
“All my guys on the Xpel Chevy have been fantastic, all our partners all year have been great with me.
“People have stuck by me… It was easy to sort of drop me last year and think that I was a nobody or maybe I’m out of my depth.
“But, you’ve got to have that self-belief and just believe that you can get back to the top and believe that you can do it and combat against these guys and girls.
“I’m really proud of everyone at the team. Congrats to Will on the championship, that was our goal all weekend – a Team Penske championship – we got it done, and I’m super-proud for Roger [Penske, team owner] and all the Verizon crew.”
