Chasing a set-up philosophy that didn’t pay off in practice, McLaughlin salvaged a top 10 at Road America. Image: James Black/Penske Entertainment
Scott McLaughlin managed to move his way into the top 10 at Road America and finished eighth in Sunday’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America for the NTT IndyCar Series.
The #3 Team Penske Chevrolet started 18th of 27 cars but managed to move up to 15th on the first lap of the race, helped by Kyle Kirkwood spinning at Turn 1 and Benjamin Pedersen going off track at Turn 5.
From there, McLaughlin managed to climb to ninth before the field visited pit road for their first round of pit stops in anticipation of a full course yellow for the stalled car of Romain Grosjean in the gravel trap outside of Turn 3.
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McLaughlin remained in the lower half of the top 10 for the rest of the 55-lap race around the 14-turn, 4.014-mile (6.459km) natural terrain road course and was on course for a seventh-place finish except Marcus Ericsson got around the 2019 Bathurst 1000 winner on Lap 50.
Shortly after that pass there was one final drama for the three-time Supercars champion as Christian Lundgaard went off-track on the exit of Turn 6. McLaughlin didn’t make a risky move going inside of Lundgaard at Turn 7 and couldn’t get close enough to pass the #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.
“It was just awkward where [Lundgaard] came on,” McLaughlin said. “So you sort of can go in there, but then I’ve put myself in the wrong spot. I’ve got Ericsson right behind me and I can’t make a mistake. So it is what it is.”
McLaughlin’s result was after a weekend that started off tough after placing 15th in Friday’s practice session. The team were chasing a setup idea that didn’t pan out. The team found something that worked in Sunday’s morning warmup session, but strategy dictated much of the race for the Barber Motorsports Park winner.
“We were changing everything and managed to get a really good balance this last [session on] Sunday,” McLaughlin said.
“So yeah, ultimately, we finished eighth, but like, this is probably where we should have started probably. And then who knows what would’ve happened from there. So, it is what it is.
“Ultimately it was just like a tyre race. Like it was just be on the right tyre at the right time. People that were on the reds when there’s heap of those yellows, you know, guys like Dixon and that they just benefit huge.
“So ultimately, I think we’re probably like top six today which I think is a really good bounce back, you know. I think balance-wise the car felt really nice, so I’m happy with that.”