INDY DIARY 2025: Scotty Mac
It's hard to believe that Scott McLaughin is in his sixth year of IndyCar competition.
When he left Australia as a three-time Supercars champion, Roger Penske and Tim Cindric had no doubt that taking McLaughlin to the USA was the right move.
And they have been proven correct.
There was early speculation that McLaughlin may have been NASCAR bound for American stock cars, but the brains trust at Team Penske steered him straight to their single-seater IndyCar program and results came quickly from his first season in 2021.
He was named Indianapolis 500 Rookie Of The Year and overall IndyCar Rookie Of The Year.
Now, facing his sixth start at the Indy 500, and despite a Pole Position in 2024, his best result is sixth place, also in 2024.
The likeable Kiwi (or Aussie depending on where you live) has built a strong fan base in the USA with his strong on-track performances and likeable personality.
Race.news caught up with McLaughlin prior to the 109th running of the Indy 500 to hear the latest from a Kiwi who now has a daughter and a a US passport.
So, time has gone quickly for McLaughlin on his US adventure.
“I was full time in Supercars for seven (years) and coming over here now with Roger and in my sixth year is kind of crazy,” he begins.
"Now I am a US citizen and we (his wife Karly, a born-and-bred American) have moved our whole life here. It’s been awesome and a bit of a wild ride.
"I miss home and I do miss racing at Bathurst. It is the one race I miss out of all of them.
"But ultimately, I love being here and really enjoy driving for The Captain (Roger Penske) and living in America.”
After a tumultuous lead-up to the Indy 500, McLaughlin is quick to defend his team – and in particular Roger Penske – in the wake of the departure of team president Tim Cindric, who had more than a 25-year tenure with the organization, managing director Ron Ruzewski and general manager Kyle Moyer.
"Those three guys that have now departed the team, they've done a huge amount for my career, and they're friends of mine. So, I can understand that was certainly a tough decision for Roger [Penske] to make, it was a business decision," he said.
“I’m disappointed with how Roger’s name is being thrown through the mud (and) his integrity. Our team, the people on the floor, the people that spend hours away from their families trying to build these cars, and basically being thrown to the mud. I take that personally.”
McLaughlin’s own lead up to this year’s Indy 500 has also been a rocky road. The #3 Pennzoil 'Yellow Submarine' was near the top of the time sheets in just about every practice session until a big crash before Qualifying stopped progress.
“Obviously a little bit of a setback, going to the back-up car, as I thought the car we had could easily have been put on the front row and maybe Pole,” McLaughlin said.
“Then having that crash – and thank God I am alright – it was then all-hands-on-deck to build a new car. And it is an absolute rocket ship. I think it is every bit as good as what we had and now it is a matter of balancing it out. We have less time to do that and that is probably the hardest thing right now.”
The month of May presents a very strange racing program.
Practice for the Indy 500 starts at The Brickyard with cars in their low-drag super speedway trim, but then the schedule is interrupted with a round of the IndyCar series on the Indianapolis road course.
Looking at the two configurations of the cars in the Team Penske garage they are chalk-and-cheese. But, with outwardly looking small aero devices on the Indy 500 version, there is still a wide array of set-ups on available for tuning.
“It is very controlled but the way we are able to change the wickers (small aero fins on the bodywork) and in turn a change of downforce levels,” Scotty Max explained.
“There are a tremendous number of aero maps for the engineers to figure out drag levels. It is where our guys really excel, and I am excited to be working with this group.”
Moving away from downforce and drag, we spoke about the importance of family, not only in IndyCar but all major level USA motorsport. Not that is not evident in Australia but the constant companionship of partners and children is a very visible and an important part of life on the road. As a new dad it holds special significance for McLaughlin.
“I love it. I love having Karly and Lucy here. We have the bus and it’s like a whole life away from home. They come on the circus (tour) with you,” Scott enthused.
“In Australia you just don’t have that, other than maybe Bathurst.”
But there is more to than the motorhome and the family for McLaughlin. It is a feeling of independence.
“In Australia you grab the rental car with your teammate, but here it is like – 'We need you here on Thursday at this time, so just be here'. You figure it all out yourself, so you do have that level of independence. I really enjoy the lifestyle here for sure.”
Looking past the 500 and disregarding the final result for 2025, there are 11 rounds still to run in the IndyCar Championship and McLaughlin is under no illusion of the task ahead.
“We have been very consistent and this is one of my best starts to the season, but there is one guy. Alex Palou has won four out of five races and you cannot control that,” McLaughin said.
“Obviously, now with personnel changes, we are going to have to get together and work together as a group and be really strong and take this on together. I’m ready within myself and with Josef and Will to be leaders of the team and really push everyone forward.
"A direction not only for this year but for years to come,” he added.
Make no mistake, the fire is burning for success in McLaughlin and he is focused back on his own role.
“I need this to work. I have signed on for a long-term deal with Penske,” Scott said.
I treasure driving for Roger Penske and I am excited to continue to build this team up,” he added.
We could not let Scott off the hook without asking the perennial Bathurst Wildcard question, and no doubt he was expecting it by this response.
“I think if it was with Shane, he would be the only person I would consider,” he replied.
“If I hadn’t of won Bathurst it might be a little bit different, (but) I’m happy, I’ve closed the page, and I just want to get my feet settle here.
"I do want to do Bathurst again; it just has to be at the right time and the right fit.”