Scott McLaughlin explained

Scott McLaughlin
Nationality: New Zealand
Birth Name:Scott Thomas McLaughlin
Birth Date:10 June 1993
Racing Licence: FIA Gold
Record Template1:
Embed:yes
Total Irl Races:64
Years In Irl:5
Irl Car Team:No. 3 (Team Penske)
Previous Year:2023
Prev Irl Pos:3rd
Best Irl Pos:3rd (2023)
First Irl Race:2020 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
First Irl Win:2022 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last Irl Win:2024 Hy-Vee Homefront 250 (Iowa)
Irl Wins:6
Irl Podiums:18
Irl Poles:8
Embed:yes
Championships:3 (2018, 2019, 2020)
Races:253
Wins:56
Podiums:106
Poles:76

Scott Thomas McLaughlin (; born 10 June 1993) is a New Zealand racing driver. He currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He previously raced in the Supercars Championship, in which he won the drivers' title in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

McLaughlin won the 2012 Dunlop V8 Supercar Series and made his Supercars Championship debut at the 2012 Dick Smith Sandown 500 as a co-driver to Jonathon Webb at Tekno Autosports. Having made a substitute appearance for Garry Rogers Motorsport at the final event of 2012, McLaughlin was signed by the team to compete full-time in the 2013 season. He took his first race victory in the sixth race of the year, becoming the youngest driver to win a Supercars Championship race, and went on to finish his rookie season in tenth place. McLaughlin remained with the team for the next three seasons and enjoyed continued success, recording 17 pole positions and eight race victories for the team, with a best championship placing of third in 2016.

In July 2016 it was announced that McLaughlin would join DJR Team Penske for the 2017 Supercars Championship. He enjoyed immediate success with the team, taking a record 16 pole positions during the season as well as eight race victories. McLaughlin finished runner-up to Jamie Whincup in the championship, with Whincup securing his seventh championship title in the final race of the season. The following season, McLaughlin took his maiden championship title after a close battle with Whincup's teammate Shane van Gisbergen in the second half of the year. In 2019, McLaughlin dominantly won his second championship, winning a record 18 races during the season, including the Bathurst 1000, and securing the title with one event remaining. McLaughlin completed a hat-trick of championship wins in 2020, taking a further 13 race victories.

During 2020 it was announced that McLaughlin would join the IndyCar Series with Team Penske in 2021. He made his debut at the 2020 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Early life

McLaughlin was born in Christchurch,[1] New Zealand moving to Hamilton aged 3 with his family before moving to Australia's Gold Coast at 9 years of age and attended Saint Stephen's College throughout his upbringing.[2]

Junior and early racing career

Karting

McLaughlin began racing karts in 1999 at the Kartsport Hamilton circuit outside of Hamilton, New Zealand,[3] winning his first title in 2002.[4] After his family relocated to the Gold Coast in 2003, McLaughlin began contesting Australian titles while also continuing to compete in New Zealand.[5] In 2008, McLaughlin represented New Zealand in the Junior class at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, alongside Nick Cassidy.[6] Starting the Final in sixth place, McLaughlin was involved in an incident on the first lap and eventually finished 19th.[7]

V8 Supercar Development Series

McLaughlin was part of the Britek Motorsport scholarship in 2008, which saw him working closely with team owner and Supercars race winner Jason Bright.[8] McLaughlin attended the 2008 Bathurst 1000 with the team, spending time in the pit garage and seeing the inner workings of the team.[9] McLaughlin completed a week of work experience with Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) in 2009, after which he was offered a four-year apprenticeship with the team, starting in 2010.[10] On 17 December 2009, the team gave McLaughlin his first test in a V8 Supercar. He recorded over 70 laps at Queensland Raceway, driving one of the team's Ford BF Falcons. McLaughlin impressed during the test, recording lap times just over one second slower than those of the SBR's full-time V8 Supercar drivers Alex Davison and Shane van Gisbergen.[11]

McLaughlin was signed by SBR to contest the 2010 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series in a BF Falcon.[12] Due to his limited racing experience in cars, McLaughlin was unable to attain the required competition licence to compete in the first round of the series; he instead took part in the first two rounds of the Australian Mini Challenge and completed a single round of the Victorian Formula Ford Series.[13] He eventually made his debut in the second round at Queensland Raceway, becoming the youngest ever driver to race a V8 Supercar.[14] McLaughlin qualified in seventh position, just under a second behind the pole position time of championship leader Steve Owen, and finished ninth in the first race of the weekend. The finishing order of the top ten was reversed to form the grid for Race 2, meaning that McLaughlin started the second race on the front row. He overheated the clutch during the start procedure and was unable to move his car when the race started. He was hit by Owen Kelly and Ryan Hansford, with the car suffering severe damage and taking McLaughlin out of the rest of the event.[15] He went on to finish the season twelfth in the championship, with a best qualifying result of second at Sydney Olympic Park and a best race result of fourth at Winton Motor Raceway. McLaughlin suffered a heavy crash at Mount Panorama, hitting the wall at the Reid Park section of the circuit during the first race of the weekend.[16]

McLaughlin remained with SBR in 2011 and scored his first podium in the opening round at Adelaide, finishing seventh and second in the two races to be classified third overall.[17] He followed this up with a pair of third-place finishes at Barbagallo Raceway, moving up to second in the championship.[18] After struggling in the third round at Townsville, McLaughlin secured his first race victory at Queensland Raceway. Having qualified second behind championship leader Andrew Thompson, McLaughlin took the lead at the start of the first race and went on to win by two seconds.[19] Six further top-five race finishes in the remaining rounds of the season saw McLaughlin finish fourth in the championship, having updated to a newer FG Falcon at the penultimate round of the championship.[20]

McLaughlin remained with SBR for the opening two rounds of the 2012 season before moving to Matt Stone Racing, a satellite team of SBR, for the remainder of the year.[21] McLaughlin prevailed in a close title fight with Chaz Mostert, Scott Pye and Nick Percat; the quartet became known as the Dunlop Series' "Class of 2012",[22] [23] [24] with all four drivers going on to become race winners in the Supercars Championship. McLaughlin scored his first round win in the series at Barbagallo Raceway, backing it up with another victory at Townsville.[25] Another podium finish at Queensland Raceway gave McLaughlin an 88-point lead over Mostert with three rounds remaining.[26] While on course to finish second in the first race at Mount Panorama, McLaughlin suffered a puncture which dropped him to 13th place. Despite recovering to finish sixth in the second race, McLaughlin left the event with a 20-point deficit to Mostert in the championship.[27] Percat and Pye finished first and second in the penultimate round at Winton, while McLaughlin finished fifth; the results saw McLaughlin take a 32-point lead over Percat into the final round at Sydney Olympic Park, with both Mostert and Pye less than 100 points adrift.[28] [29] McLaughlin won the opening race of the final round, with incidents for Percat and Mostert giving him a comfortable points lead heading into the final race of the season.[30] A third-place finish saw him secure the title with a 73-point margin over Pye.[31]

V8 SuperTourer Series

McLaughlin drove a Holden VE Commodore in the 2012 season of the V8 SuperTourer Series. He won six races for MPC Motorsport on his way to becoming the inaugural series champion.[32]

Supercars Championship

McLaughlin made his debut in the Supercars Championship at the Sandown 500 in 2012, as a co-driver to Jonathon Webb at Tekno Autosports. The pair performed well at both Sandown and Bathurst, finishing in tenth place at Sandown and in sixth place at Bathurst. McLaughlin also drove at the Sydney 500 for Garry Rogers Motorsport after Alexandre Prémat was forced out of the Sunday race due to extreme heat exhaustion the day before.[33] McLaughlin was later signed by Garry Rogers Motorsport as a full-time driver for the 2013 season.[34] McLaughlin continued with Garry Rogers Motorsport into 2014, under its new identity as Volvo Polestar Racing (later Volvo Cyan Racing). On 1 March 2014, McLaughlin scored a podium finish in Volvo's return to the series at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide. Four race wins at Barbagallo, Sydney Motorsport Park, and 2 wins at Phillip Island. He finished 5th in the standings.

2017

For 2017, McLaughlin moved from Garry Rogers Motorsport to DJR Team Penske to partner Fabian Coulthard. Throughout the year, McLaughlin was dominant in qualifying; acquiring 16 pole positions. Along with a string of strong results, McLaughlin would find himself in the box seat for a maiden championship title. After starting strongly in the final round at Newcastle, a chaotic second race saw McLaughlin pick up three penalties which would eventually contribute toward him narrowly missing out on the title to Jamie Whincup.

2018

In 2018, McLaughlin continued to race with DJR Team Penske. He won seven out of the 34 races, winning in Melbourne, Phillip Island, Barbagallo, Hidden Valley, and Ipswich. McLaughlin finished third at Bathurst alongside Alexandre Prémat in which was the Ford Falcon's final appearance at Mount Panorama. On 4 November, at Pukekohe Park Raceway, McLaughlin won race twenty-nine to join compatriot Shane van Gisbergen in winning the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy. In Newcastle, McLaughlin won race thirty (after van Gisbergen was stripped of his victory following a pit lane violation, demoting him to fifth) and finished second in race thirty-one to become the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars champion.

2019

In 2019, DJR Team Penske debuted the Ford Mustang, which replaced the Falcon. McLaughlin was able to continue his dominance with the team, with 18 wins, which broke the record for most wins in a single year, 15 pole positions, 18 fastest laps, and 22 podiums to his name. He became the first-ever driver to claim the Darwin Triple Crown, after winning the first race, claiming pole for the second race, and winning the second race. On 13 October 2019, McLaughlin finally won Bathurst for the first time, with Alexandre Prémat as Scott's co-driver. Two weeks after this he had the biggest crash of his career, a 43g impact at the Gold Coast. He then had to drive a new car, due to chassis damage from the crash, for the last two rounds and was still able to successfully defend his championship title, with a round to go at Sandown.

2020

In a 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 Pandemic McLaughlin won his third consecutive and to date last Supercars Championship and the final championship for DJR Team Penske. He scored thirteen wins on the season to go with eight podium finishes and fifteen pole positions.

2021

McLaughlin and Team Penske attempted to partner with Dick Johnson Racing again to field a car for the 2021 Bathurst 1000 but due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, he was not able to attend the race. McLaughlin stated that in future seasons he intends to compete within the Bathurst 1000 with Team Penske's backing after he completes the IndyCar season.

IndyCar

Speculation around McLaughlin moving to one of Penske's other motorsports programs began in 2019 when Penske team president Tim Cindric and McLaughlin met in Australia to discuss McLaughlin's future in the Penske organisation. Cindric originally envisioned moving McLaughlin to Penske's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship programme to race alongside Helio Castroneves in Penske's Acura Daytona Prototype International entry and potentially competing in the World Endurance Championship. McLaughlin however expressed interest in moving to Penske's team in the Indycar Series. He stated his primary motivators were the challenge of racing open-wheel race cars, his long time goal of racing in the Indianapolis 500, and competing against his childhood hero and fellow New Zealander Scott Dixon.[35] Cindric was sceptical about moving McLaughlin to Indycar as McLaughlin had not driven an open-wheel racecar since he raced in Formula Ford. McLaughlin changed Cindric's mind by altering his strength and conditioning regimen along with undertaking private simulator time that to show he had the talent and physical fitness to move from the mechanical grip reliant Supercars to the downforce reliant Dallara DW12, all during the middle of the 2019 Supercars Championship.[36]

In January 2020, he tested a Team Penske IndyCar at Sebring International Raceway.[37] Team Penske driver Will Power hailed McLaughlin as a phenomenal driver after the test.[38] In February 2020 McLaughlin completed his first laps on an oval during Team Penske's test at Texas Motor Speedway, with reigning Indycar Series champion and future teammate Josef Newgarden hailing McLaughlin's ability to quickly adapt to the demands of racing the DW12 on ovals.[39] On 5 February, Penske announced that McLaughlin will race a 4th Team Penske entry at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, McLaughlin was unable to travel to the United States for that race. On 17 September, Team Penske announced that McLaughlin will instead make his IndyCar debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on 25 October.[40] The day before the race he posted on his personal Instagram feed that he signed a multi-year contract with Penske to compete full time in the series.[41]

2021

On January 25, 2021, McLaughlin and Penske announced that PPG Paints would be the primary sponsor for most of his entries in the Indycar series in his rookie year, while Florida based office technology supplier DEX Imaging and used car outlet Car Shop would sponsor him for select events.[42] For the 2021 Indianapolis 500 he drove a Pennzoil-sponsored car, with the livery paying homage to that company's famed "Yellow Submarine" designs of the 1980s.[43] Going into his rookie IndyCar season both Tim Cindric and Roger Penske let McLaughlin know that he was not expected to compete for wins and that his primary goal would be to finish all the races.[44] McLaughlin spent 2021 learning the different aspects of IndyCar racing. In addition to coming to grips with a car reliant on downforce rather than mechanical grip McLaughlin also had to learn how to drive a turbocharged car with temperature-sensitive tires and carbon-ceramic brakes, all aspects that were drastically different from the cars he raced in the Supercars Championship. McLaughlin admitted after the season that his biggest struggle of the season was learning how to build and manage the temperature of the tires and brakes, which is more critical and difficult in an open-wheel racecar like an IndyCar than it is in a touring car that McLaughlin was used to racing. In qualifying for road street course races, which made up 75% of the IndyCar calendar, McLaughlin struggled through the first three-quarters of the season with understanding how to build and maintain an optimal temperature in the tires and brakes in the short amount of time given in IndyCar qualifying on the road and street courses. These struggles in qualifying meant McLaughlin started with an average position of sixteenth on the road and street courses, meaning he would have to fight his way through traffic and work harder for the position despite recording a slightly above average 4.5 overtakes per race.[45] He recorded his first fast six qualifying slot and first top ten finish on a road course at the first race on the IMS Road Course, where he qualified sixth and finished eighth.[46] [47] McLaughlin would struggle on road and street courses after the Indianapolis 500 and did not pick up another top ten finish on a road course until he finished ninth at Portland.[48]

McLaughlin's strongest performances in his rookie season were on the ovals, with the strongest moment of his rookie season coming in the first race at Texas Motor Speedway, the Genesys 300. In his first race ever on an oval McLaughlin started fifteenth due to qualifying being cancelled by inclement weather, forcing the drivers to line up based on their championship points standings.[49] Despite this technicality McLaughlin got his first IndyCar podium by finishing second to Scott Dixon. Not only did McLaughlin finish ahead of Tony Kanaan and Pietro Fittipaldi (who filled in for Johnson and Grosjean respectively), he finished ahead of all his Penske teammates and all the active drivers who had won the Indianapolis 500 other than Dixon; Takuma Sato, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, and teammates Will Power and Simon Pagenaud.[50] He picked up further top ten finishes in the second race in Texas and at Gateway.[51] [52] When asked why his performances on ovals were better than on road and street courses despite having never raced on them before McLaughlin stated that it largely came down to the oval qualifying format being similar to that in the Supercars Championship and that the IndyCar oval tires came to temperature significantly faster than the road and street course tires, giving him the confidence to push harder on ovals than he did on road and street courses.

During the run-up and qualifying for the 105th Indianapolis 500 McLaughlin was mentored by former Penske driver and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears. Although Mears advised all the Penske drivers he focused the most on preparing McLaughlin for the 500.[53] Mears' mentorship paid off for McLaughlin and led to him qualifying seventeenth on the grid, the highest Penske driver in what was considered Penske's worst qualifying performance for the 500 since 1995.[54] During the race McLaughlin ran for large portions at the back of the top ten before incurring a drive-through penalty on lap 116 for speeding in the pit lane, leading to a twentieth place finish.[55] For his efforts McLaughlin was named Indianapolis 500 Rookie Of The Year, the third Penske driver to be named so along with Mears and race winner Helio Castroneves.[56]

The main narrative surrounding McLaughlin's rookie season was his place in a unique class of IndyCar rookies that included NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and Formula One veteran Romain Grosjean, with many pundits speculating which of the three, would have the strongest season.[57] [58] McLaughlin would be the only one of the three to run a full schedule in 2021, as Johnson opted not to race on any of the oval courses and Grosjean only chose to race at one of the four oval races. While Johnson would take the longest of the three to adapt to IndyCar racing McLaughlin and Grosjean were frequently measured against one another on the track. McLaughlin only outdueled Grosjean four times in their rookie season; at St. Petersburg when he raced there for the second time in six months, at Grosjean's first oval race at Gateway, and at Portland and Long Beach when Grosjean was caught up in accidents caused by other drivers early in both races.[59] [60] This meant that Grosjean had a chance at winning the IndyCar Rookie of the Year award despite not running a full schedule and McLaughlin racing in the double points earning Indianapolis 500. The two drivers largely downplayed the comparisons to one another, with Grosjean stating it was unfair to compare the two given his nearly two decades of open-wheel racing experience while McLaughlin only had one season in open-wheel racing before him joining the IndyCar Series.[44]

2022

2022 McLaughlin would put together all that he learned in his rookie season and became a championship contender in IndyCar. He took his first IndyCar win at the season opener at St. Petersburg, took a second win later in the season at Mid Ohio, and a third win on the season at Portland.[61] [62] [63] He picked up additional podium finishes at Texas, the second race at Iowa, Nashville, and Gateway, along with earning three pole positions on the season. McLaughin would go into the season finale at Laguna Seca as one of five drivers contending for the Astor Cup, despite crashing out of the Indianapolis 500 and missing out on double points. He ultimately finished fourth in the championship standings.

2023

McLaughlin agreed on a multi-year deal to remain with Team Penske from 2023 onwards.[64] He picked up his only win of the season at Barber. Despite the lone win McLaughlin finished as the highest scoring driver for Team Penske in 2023, finishing third in the standings.[65]

2024

McLaughlin got off to a rough start in 2024. He started the year finishing third in St. Petersburg, but was stripped of his result after it was found out that Team Penske had illegally manipulated ECU software during the race to allow their drivers to use push to pass on restarts, which McLaughlin took advantage of. He took a mechanical DNF at Long Beach but the year began to turn around as he took his first win of the season at Barber. McLaughlin qualified on pole for the 108th Indianapolis 500, though only finished sixth in the race. Further podium finishes at Road America and Mid Ohio helped McLaughlin rebound on the season. He took his first career win on an oval at the first race of the Iowa double header, putting him in the top five of the championship.

Motorsports career results

Karting career summary

SeasonSeriesPosition
2004Kartsport NZ National Sprint Championship - 100cc Junior Restricted Yamaha class19th
2006Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Junior Clubman20th
Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Junior National Heavy7th
2007Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Junior Clubman17th
Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Junior National Light2nd
2008Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals - Junior19th
Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge NZ - Arai Helmets Junior class2nd
Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Junior Clubman3rd
2009Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Clubman Light13th
NZ Top Half Series - 100cc Yamaha Light11th
2019Kartsport NZ National Sprint Championship - Rotax Max Heavy2nd

Circuit racing career

SeasonSeriesPositionCarTeam
2010Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series12thFord BF FalconStone Brothers Racing
Victorian Formula Ford Championship12thVan Diemen RF94 - Ford
Australian Mini Challenge13thMini Cooper S JCW
2010–11New Zealand V8s8thHolden VE CommodoreRacing Projects
2011Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series4thFord BF Falcon
Ford FG Falcon
Stone Brothers Racing
2012V8 SuperTourers Championship1stHolden VE CommodoreMPC Motorsport
Dunlop V8 Supercar Series1stFord FG FalconStone Brothers Racing
Matt Stone Racing
International V8 Supercars Championship33rdHolden VE CommodoreTekno Autosports
Garry Rogers Motorsport
2013V8 SuperTourers Championship5thHolden VE CommodoreScott McLaughlin Racing
International V8 Supercars Championship10thHolden VF CommodoreGarry Rogers Motorsport
2014International V8 Supercars Championship5thVolvo S60Garry Rogers Motorsport
2015International V8 Supercars Championship8thVolvo S60Garry Rogers Motorsport
2016International V8 Supercars Championship3rdVolvo S60Garry Rogers Motorsport
Scandinavian Touring Car Championship13thPolestar Cyan Racing
2017Virgin Australia Supercars Championship2ndFord FG X FalconDJR Team Penske
2018Virgin Australia Supercars Championship1stFord FG X FalconDJR Team Penske
2019Virgin Australia Supercars Championship1stFord Mustang GTDJR Team Penske
2020Virgin Australia Supercars Championship1stFord Mustang GTDJR Team Penske
IndyCar Series35thDallara DW12-ChevroletTeam Penske
2021IndyCar Series14thDallara DW12-ChevroletTeam Penske
2022IndyCar Series4thDallara DW12-ChevroletTeam Penske
2023IndyCar Series3rdDallara DW12-ChevroletTeam Penske

Supercars Championship results

(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Supercars results
YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839PositionPoints
2012Tekno AutosportsHolden VE CommodoreADE
R1
ADE
R2
SYM
R3
SYM
R4
HAM
R5
HAM
R6
BAR
R7
BAR
R8
BAR
R9
PHI
R10
PHI
R11
HID
R12
HID
R13
TOW
R14
TOW
R15
QLD
R16
QLD
R17
SMP
R18
SMP
R19
SAN
Q

SAN
R20

BAT
R21

SUR
R22
SUR
R23
YMC
R24
YMC
R25
YMC
R26
WIN
R27
WIN
R28
SYD
R29
33rd422
Garry Rogers MotorsportHolden VE CommodoreSYD
R30

2013Garry Rogers MotorsportHolden VF CommodoreADE
R1

ADE
R2

SYM
R3

SYM
R4

SYM
R5

PUK
R6

PUK
R7

PUK
R8

PUK
R9

BAR
R10

BAR
R11

BAR
R12

COA
R13

COA
R14

COA
R15

COA
R16

HID
R17

HID
R18

HID
R19

TOW
R20
TOW
R21
QLD
R22
QLD
R23
QLD
R24
WIN
R25
WIN
R26
WIN
R27
SAN
Q

SAN
R28

BAT
R29

SUR
R30

SUR
R31

PHI
R32
PHI
R33
PHI
R34
SYD
R35

SYD
R36

10th1934
2014Garry Rogers MotorsportVolvo S60ADE
R1

ADE
R2

ADE
R3

SYM
R4

SYM
R5

SYM
R6

WIN
R7

WIN
R8

WIN
R9

PUK
R10

PUK
R11

PUK
R12

PUK
R13

BAR
R14

BAR
R15

BAR
R16

HID
R17

HID
R18

HID
R19

TOW
R20

TOW
R21

TOW
R22

QLD
R23

QLD
R24

QLD
R25

SMP
R26

SMP
R27

SMP
R28

SAN
Q

SAN
R29

BAT
R30

SUR
R31

SUR
R32

PHI
R33

PHI
R34

PHI
R35

SYD
R36

SYD
R37

SYD
R38

5th2509
2015Garry Rogers MotorsportVolvo S60ADE
R1

ADE
R2

ADE
R3

SYM
R4

SYM
R5

SYM
R6

BAR
R7

BAR
R8

BAR
R9

WIN
R10

WIN
R11

WIN
R12

HID
R13

HID
R14

HID
R15

TOW
R16

TOW
R17

QLD
R18

QLD
R19

QLD
R20

SMP
R21

SMP
R22

SMP
R23

SAN
Q

SAN
R24

BAT
R25

SUR
R26

SUR
R27

PUK
R28

PUK
R29

PUK
R30

PHI
R31

PHI
R32

PHI
R33

SYD
R34

SYD
R35

SYD
R36

8th2205
2016Garry Rogers MotorsportVolvo S60ADE
R1

ADE
R2

ADE
R3

SYM
R4

SYM
R5

PHI
R6

PHI
R7

BAR
R8

BAR
R9

WIN
R10

WIN
R11

HID
R12

HID
R13

TOW
R14

TOW
R15

QLD
R16

QLD
R17

SMP
R18

SMP
R19

SAN
Q

SAN
R20

BAT
R21

SUR
R22

SUR
R23

PUK
R24

PUK
R25

PUK
R26

PUK
R27

SYD
R28

SYD
R29

3rd2806
2017DJR Team PenskeFord FG X FalconADE
R1

ADE
R2

SYM
R3

SYM
R4

PHI
R5

PHI
R6

BAR
R7

BAR
R8

WIN
R9

WIN
R10

HID
R11

HID
R12

TOW
R13

TOW
R14

QLD
R15

QLD
R16

SMP
R17

SMP
R18

SAN
Q

SAN
R19

BAT
R20

SUR
R21

SUR
R22

PUK
R23

PUK
R24

NEW
R25

NEW
R26

2nd3021
2018DJR Team PenskeFord FG X FalconADE
R1

ADE
R2

MEL
R3

MEL
R4

MEL
R5

MEL
R6

SYM
R7

SYM
R8

PHI
R9

PHI
R10

BAR
R11

BAR
R12

WIN
R13

WIN
R14

HID
R15

HID
R16

TOW
R17

TOW
R18

QLD
R19

QLD
R20

SMP
R21

BEN
R22

BEN
R23

SAN
QR

SAN
R24

BAT
R25

SUR
R26
SUR
R27
PUK
R28

PUK
R29

NEW
R30

NEW
R31

1st3944
2019DJR Team PenskeFord Mustang GTADE
R1

ADE
R2

MEL
R3

MEL
R4

MEL
R5

MEL
R6

SYM
R7

SYM
R8

PHI
R9

PHI
R10

BAR
R11

BAR
R12

WIN
R13

WIN
R14

HID
R15

HID
R16

TOW
R17

TOW
R18

QLD
R19

QLD
R20

BEN
R21

BEN
R22

PUK
R23

PUK
R24

BAT
R25

SUR
R26

SUR
R27

SAN
QR

SAN
R28

NEW
R29

NEW
R30

1st3872
2020DJR Team PenskeFord Mustang GTADE
R1

ADE
R2

MEL
R3
MEL
R4
MEL
R5
MEL
R6
SMP1
R7

SMP1
R8

SMP1
R9

SMP2
R10
SMP2
R11
SMP2
R12
HID1
R13
HID1
R14
HID1
R15
HID2
R16
HID2
R17
HID2
R18
TOW1
R19
TOW1
R20
TOW1
R21
TOW2
R22
TOW2
R23
TOW2
R24
BEN1
R25
BEN1
R26
BEN1
R27
BEN2
R28
BEN2
R29
BEN2
R30
BAT
R31

1st2576

Bathurst 1000 results

YearTeamCarCo-driverPositionLaps
2012Tekno AutosportsHolden Commodore VE Jonathon Webb6th161
2013Garry Rogers MotorsportHolden Commodore VF Jack Perkins8th161
2014Garry Rogers MotorsportVolvo S60 Mk.2 Alexandre Prémat17th150
2015Garry Rogers MotorsportVolvo S60 Mk.2 Alexandre Prémat5th161
2016Garry Rogers MotorsportVolvo S60 Mk.2 David Wall15th159
2017DJR Team PenskeFord Falcon FG X Alexandre PrématDNF74
2018DJR Team PenskeFord Falcon FG X Alexandre Prémat3rd161
2019DJR Team PenskeFord Mustang Mk.6 Alexandre Prémat1st 161
2020DJR Team PenskeFord Mustang Mk.6 Tim Slade5th161

V8 SuperTourer results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021Final posPoints
2012MPC MotorsportHolden VE CommodoreHAM
R1

HAM
R2

HAM
R3

RUA
R4

RUA
R5

RUA
R6

MAN
R7
MAN
R8
MAN
R9
HAM
R10

HAM
R11

HAM
R12

TAU
R13

TAU
R14

PUK
R15

PUK
R16

PUK
R17

RUA
R18

RUA
R19

1st3474
2013Scott McLaughlin RacingHolden VE CommodoreHAM
R1

HAM
R2

HAM
R3

RUA
R4

RUA
R5

RUA
R6

PUK
R7

PUK
R8

PUK
R9

TAU
R10

TAU
R11

TAU
R12

HAM
R13

HAM
R14

HAM
R15

HAM
R16

HAM
R17

HAM
R18

PUK
R19

PUK
R20

PUK
R21

5th2744

Scandinavian Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

IndyCar Series

(key)

YearTeamChassisNo.Engine123456789101112131415161718RankPointsRef
2020Team PenskeDallara DW123ChevroletTXS
IMS
ROA
ROA
IOW
IOW
INDYGTW
GTW
MDOIMSIMSSTP
35th8[66]
2021ALA
STP
TXS
TXS
IMS
INDY
DET
DET
ROA
MDO
NSH
IMS
GTW
POR
LAG
LBH
14th305[67]
2022STP
TXS
LBH
ALA
IMS
INDY
DET
ROA
MDO
TOR
IOW
IOW
IMS
NSH
GTW
POR
LAG
4th510[68]
2023STP
TXS
LBH
ALA
IMS
INDY
DET
ROA
MDO
TOR
IOW
IOW
NSH
IMS
GTW
POR
LAG
3rd488[69]
2024STP
THE
LBH
ALA
IMS
INDY
DET
ROA
LAG
MDO
IOW
IOW
TOR
GTW
POR
MIL
MIL
NSH
5th*370*[70]

Indianapolis 500

YearChassisEngineStartFinishTeam
2021DallaraChevrolet17align=center style="background:#CFCFFF;"20Team Penske
2022DallaraChevrolet26align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;" 29Team Penske
2023DallaraChevrolet14align=center style="background:#CFCFFF;"14Team Penske
2024DallaraChevroletalign=center style="background:#ffffbf;"1align=center style="background:#cfeaff;"6 Team Penske

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassMakeEngine1234567Points
2023Tower MotorsportsLMP2Oreca 07Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8style=background:#DFFFDF;"DAY
style=background:#FFFFBF;"SEB
LGAWGLELKIMSstyle=background:#DFFFDF;"PET
18th639
2024Tower MotorsportsLMP2Oreca 07Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8DAY
SEB
WGL
MOS
ELK
IMS
PET
6th*278*
Points only counted towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, and not the overall LMP2 Championship.

Personal life

McLaughlin is married to Karly Paone, a schoolteacher from Long Island. The two met by chance in 2016 in Las Vegas when McLaughlin made the trip to help a fellow racer competing in an international karting tournament. Paone moved to Australia with McLaughlin in 2018 and the two were married in 2020.[71] After McLaughlin moved from Supercars to the IndyCar Series he and Karly relocated to North Carolina to be closer to Team Penske's headquarters.

McLaughlin has two dogs, one named Chase and the other named Luna.[72] He began watching American team sports after he met his wife and is a fan of the New York Mets, New York Knicks, and Carolina Panthers.[73] [74]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Team Penske | Drivers | Scott McLaughlin. www.teampenske.com.
  2. Web site: Homework pays offs as former Saint Stephen's student hits home straight towards series victory . 19 October 2018.
  3. News: McLaughlin to share love of karts at new 'Grand Prix' charity event . Fuseworks Media . Voxy.co.nz . 24 October 2018 . 24 April 2021.
  4. News: Scott McLaughin Becomes Patron for Kartsport New Zealand . KartSportNews . 17 July 2018 . 24 April 2021.
  5. Web site: Scott McLaughlin . Driver Database . 24 April 2021.
  6. News: McLaughlin Ready For World Karting Challenge . KartSportNews . 25 November 2008 . 24 April 2021.
  7. News: 2 Aussies In Top 10 . KartSportNews . 2 December 2008 . 24 April 2021.
  8. News: Bright Back Aboard A Kart . KartSportNews . 23 April 2008 . 24 April 2021.
  9. News: #MyFirstBathurst series: Scott McLaughlin relives his first trip to the Bathurst 1000 in 2008 . . Taylor . Matthew . 29 September 2015 . 24 April 2021.
  10. News: Young karting ace joins SBR . . The Crittenden Automotive Library . 24 September 2009 . 24 April 2021.
  11. News: Early Xmas For McLaughlin . KartSportNews . 23 December 2009 . 24 April 2021.
  12. News: Scott McLaughlin: Youngest-ever V8 driver . . 1 February 2010 . 24 April 2021.
  13. News: Young Kiwi to make MINI Challenge debut . . 5 March 2010 . 24 April 2021.
  14. News: Young driver to make V8 Supercars history . . 30 April 2010 . 24 April 2021.
  15. News: Remember When? McLaughlin made his Super2 debut . V8 Sleuth . . Rowley . Grant . 18 July 2018 . 24 April 2021.
  16. News: McLaughlin to rebuild after Bathurst crash . . 11 October 2010 . 27 April 2021.
  17. News: Jason Richards wins Fujitsu V8 Race 2 . . 19 March 2011 . 27 April 2021.
  18. News: Thompson wins as Morris and Percat clash . . 1 May 2011 . 27 April 2021.
  19. News: Maiden V8 Supercars race win for McLaughlin . . 20 August 2011 . 27 April 2021.
  20. News: McLaughlin's new Falcon FG breaks cover . . 26 October 2011 . 6 May 2021.
  21. News: Scott McLaughlin switches Dunlop Series teams . . 26 June 2012 . 6 May 2021.
  22. News: Fast five: The big V8 Supercars showdowns to keep your eye on through season 2014 . . . Dale . William . 26 February 2014 . 6 May 2021.
  23. News: Feature: Jack Le Brocq - Jack be quick . . Branagan . Phil . 16 August 2017 . 6 May 2021.
  24. News: The four greatest races from Super2 Series history . V8 Sleuth . Dale . William . 31 July 2020 . 6 May 2021.
  25. News: V8 Supercars team profile: Fujitsu Racing GRM . . . 20 February 2013 . 6 May 2021.
  26. News: PIRTEK POLL: Which Dunlop Series driver has impressed in 2012? . . 17 August 2012 . 6 May 2021.
  27. News: Percat holds out Mostert for Race 2 victory . . Bartholomaeus . Stefan . 6 October 2012 . 6 May 2021.
  28. News: Percat holds out Pye in Dunlop Series Race 3 . . Bartholomaeus . Stefan . 18 November 2012 . 6 May 2021.
  29. News: Mostert title chances hurt by 50 point penalty . . 18 November 2012 . 6 May 2021.
  30. News: McLaughlin closes on Dunlop title as rivals falter . . Bartholomaeus . Stefan . 1 December 2012 . 6 May 2021.
  31. News: McLaughlin secures Dunlop Series title as Pye takes finale . . Bartholomaeus . Stefan . 2 December 2012 . 6 May 2021.
  32. News: Teen champ Scott McLaughlin will have a target on his back as the V8 SuperTourers season begins . news.com.au . 15 February 2013 . 21 February 2013.
  33. News: New Dunlop Series champion Scott McLaughlin will replace an ill Alex Premat at the Sydney Telstra 500 . news.com.au . Dale . William . 2 December 2012 . 21 February 2013.
  34. Web site: McLaughlin Confirmed at Fujitsu Racing GRM . 21 February 2013.
  35. Web site: Penske . Team . Get to Know Scott McLaughlin Pt. 1 . Instagram . Team Penske . 4 February 2021.
  36. Web site: Scott McLaughlin on his COTA Indycar Test . Youtube . 17 February 2020 . Speed Cafe . 4 February 2021.
  37. News: McLaughlin IndyCar test 'a dream come true' . Speedcafe . Coch . Matt . 14 January 2020 . 2 February 2020.
  38. News: Power hails McLaughlin a 'phenomenal driver' . Speedcafe . Coch . Matt . 17 January 2020 . 2 February 2020.
  39. Web site: Scott McLaughlin Indycar Test at Texas Motor Speedway . Youtube . 18 February 2020 . DMG United . 4 February 2021.
  40. Web site: McLaughlin to make Team Penske IndyCar debut at St. Pete. Teampenske.com. September 17, 2020.
  41. Web site: Mcglaughlin . Scott . New Beginnings . Instagram . 4 February 2021.
  42. Web site: Mcglaughlin . Scott . Primary Sponsor . Instagram . Team Penske . 4 February 2021.
  43. Web site: Scott McLaughlin to tackle Indy 500 in iconic Pennzoil colours . www.nzautocar.co.nz . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210416154352/http://www.nzautocar.co.nz/autocar-news-app/scott-mclaughlin-to-tackle-indy-500-in-iconic-pennzoil-colours . 2021-04-16.
  44. Web site: Malsher-Lopez . David . McLaughlin deserves Rookie title, but his aim is far higher . Motorsport.com . Motorsport network . 23 September 2021.
  45. Web site: INDY SUCCESS, BETTER QUALIFYING NEXT FOR TOP ROOKIE MCLAUGHLIN . Indycar.com . Indycar Group . 4 October 2021.
  46. Web site: Pavey . James . McLaughlin scores another IndyCar career-first . Supercars.com . Supercars . 17 May 2021.
  47. Web site: Ryan . nate . Romain Grosjean captures first career IndyCar pole position for the GMR Grand Prix . NBC Sports . 14 May 2021 . NBC Universal . 17 May 2021.
  48. Web site: Ryan . Nate . IndyCar results and points standings after Grand Prix of Portland . NBC Sports . 12 September 2021 . NBC Universal . 13 September 2021.
  49. Web site: Fair . Ashley . IndyCar: 2021 Texas – Full race 1 starting lineup . Fansided . May 2021 . 2 May 2021.
  50. Web site: Ryan . Nate . Kiwi kudos at Texas as Scott Dixon holds off rookie Scott McLaughlin for IndyCar victory . NBC Sports . 2 May 2021 . NBC Universal . 2 May 2021.
  51. Web site: Ryan . Nate . IndyCar results and points standings after XPEL 375 Sunday at Texas . NBC Sports . 3 May 2021 . NBC Universal . 23 September 2021.
  52. Web site: Ryan . Nate . IndyCar race results, points standings after Bommarito 500 at WWT Raceway Gateway . NBC Sports . 22 August 2021 . NBC Universal . 13 September 2021.
  53. Web site: Cavin . Curt . PADDOCK BUZZ: MEARS ADAPTS TO NEW SPOT WITH TEAM PENSKE . IndyCar.com . IndyCar Group . 24 May 2021.
  54. Web site: Horner . Scott . Scott Dixon is the Indy 500 pole position winner. Here's the full starting lineup for 2021 . Indianapolis Star.com . Indianapolis Star . 24 May 2021.
  55. Web site: Chapman . Simon . 'Simple mistake' costs McLaughlin on Indy 500 debut . Speed Cafe . 30 May 2021 . speedcafe . 31 May 2021.
  56. Web site: Brown . Nathan . Scott McLaughlin named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year; third Team Penske honoree in team history . IndyStar.com . Indianapolis Star . 31 May 2021.
  57. Web site: Miller . Caleb . IndyCar's Unusual 2021 Rookie Class . Front Stretch . 15 April 2021 . 19 April 2021.
  58. Web site: Malsher . David . The Six Major Indycar Subplots To Follow in 2021 . Autosport.com . Motorsport Network . 19 April 2021.
  59. Web site: Ryan . Nate . IndyCar results and points standings after 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg . NBC Sports . 25 April 2021 . NBC Universal . 24 September 2021.
  60. Web site: Ryan . Nate . IndyCar race results, points standings after Bommarito 500 at WWT Raceway Gateway . NBC Sports . 22 August 2021 . NBC Universal . 24 September 2021.
  61. Web site: IndyCar: 2022 St. Petersburg qualifying - Full starting lineup . Beyond The Flag . 26 February 2022 . Minute Media . 27 February 2022.
  62. Web site: Ryan . Nate . Scott McLaughlin scores first career IndyCar victory in St. Pete Grand Prix . NBC Sports . 27 February 2022 . NBC Universal . 28 February 2022.
  63. Web site: Ryan . Nate . IndyCar results and points after Mid-Ohio . NBC Sports . 3 July 2022 . NBC Universal . 5 July 2022.
  64. Web site: Team Penske re-signs McLaughlin in multi-year deal. 8 September 2022. 1 November 2022. motorsportweek.com.
  65. Web site: Deharde . Christopher . 2023-09-11 . McLaughlin second in 'peak IndyCar day' at Laguna Seca . 2023-09-11 . Speedcafe.com . en-US.
  66. Web site: Scott McLaughlin – 2020 NTT IndyCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. August 1, 2023.
  67. Web site: Scott McLaughlin – 2021 NTT IndyCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. August 1, 2023.
  68. Web site: Scott McLaughlin – 2022 NTT IndyCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. August 1, 2023.
  69. Web site: Scott McLaughlin – 2023 NTT IndyCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. August 1, 2023.
  70. Web site: Scott McLaughlin – 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 10, 2024.
  71. Web site: O'Brien . Connor . McLaughlin's chance meeting with future wife . Supercars.com . Supercars . 20 September 2021.
  72. Web site: McLaughlin . Chase . Chase McLaughlin Instagram Profile . Instagram.
  73. Web site: Stanley . Ben . Scott McLaughlin learns America: how Supercar superstar deals with Indycar speed and distance . Stuff . 18 September 2021 . Stuff Media . 20 September 2021.
  74. Ep.188 – Scott McLaughlin . Dinner with Racers . . Ryan Eversley and Sean Heckman . 22 November 2021 . 30 November 2021.