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SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN No. 3 DEX CHEVROLET
START: 1ST
FINISH: 1ST
POINTS: 6TH (-149)
RACE RUNDOWN: Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 DEX Chevrolet team dominated the field in Sunday’s Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, leading 87 of the 95 laps to score his eighth NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory and head into the offseason with valuable momentum. In Saturday’s time trials, McLaughlin nipped Alex Palou in the Firestone Fast Six to extend his team record of 73 career pole positions. From the drop of the green flag, McLaughlin was never challenged and only gave up the lead during pit cycles. With race strategist Tim Cindric executing a flawless, three pit stop strategy, McLaughlin was able to enjoy a stress-free final stint to cross the finish line two seconds ahead of Kyle Kirkwood. With the win, McLaughlin maintains his third position on the Team Penske all-time wins list with 56 victories, three wins behind Team Penske Hall of Fame driver Mark Donohue for second place. In an interesting footnote to the season, with his pole position at the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, FL and his Sunday victory, McLaughlin led the first and last laps of the 2026 season.
MCLAUGHLIN’S THOUGHTS: “Well, firstly, my little girl hasn’t seen me win yet, and she finally has. So, Dad’s coming home with a trophy, baby. Let’s go! Karly, I love you, babe. It’s been hard, I know. The DEX Chevy was unbelievable. These guys and girls on my team, Team Penske, have stuck behind me the whole time. Congrats, Alex, on his fifth. We’re working hard to be better but today was a big step in the right direction, so… and I’ve been waiting six years to do donuts. They sucked, but I was like, let’s go! I was really happy. We had to be solid. That’s what it’s gonna take to win a championship. So, yeah, bring it on 2027.”
