SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN No. 3 XPEL CHEVROLET
START: 2ND
FINISH: 1ST
POINTS: 5TH (-59)
RACE RUNDOWN: On Scott McLaughlin’s list of goals heading into the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season was winning on an oval. Oval racing is still a newer discipline to the former Australian Supercars Champion. That goal can now be crossed off as McLaughlin took the checkered flag in Saturday night’s Hy-Vee Homefront 250 at Iowa Speedway. McLaughlin – the pole winner for the second race of the doubleheader weekend on Sunday morning – nearly swept both pole positions before starting Saturday’s race from the second position. He kept his No. 3 XPEL Chevrolet in second until the first pit stop of the night when he just nipped the No. 26 of race leader Colton Herta on the exit of pit lane. He would never look back, building a lead of over four seconds before having to endure several late-race cautions despite never being truly pressured for the win. The win is McLaughlin’s sixth in the INDYCAR SERIES and his second of the season along with his win at Barber Motorsports Park in April. It is the New Zealander’s 54 win for Team Penske, maintaining third place on the team’s all-time list.
MCLAUGHLIN’S THOUGHTS: “The XPEL Chevy was unreal and what got it done tonight was the pit stops by the team. Got me out in front of (Colton) Herta there and we showed our pace. That is a big deal today and we have been working on that for a couple of years. It takes a lot of hard work, and I got bit by this place for a couple of years and it stung. I am really stoked for this whole team and for the whole team at Penske and give it another race tomorrow and we start on pole. So, let’s go again.”