NO. 3 GOOD RANCHERS DALLARA/CHEVROLET
START – 8TH
FINISH – 5TH
POINTS – 6TH (-148)
RACE RUNDOWN: Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 Good Ranchers Chevrolet team put together another solid weekend in Sunday’s Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, finishing fifth for his third-consecutive finish of eighth or better. After starting from the eighth position, the 2022 Mid-Ohio winner survived a first lap incident just behind him to move up to seventh in the opening lap. Unfortunately, he was forced to give that position up on Lap 8 after being penalized for blocking the No. 27 of Kyle Kirkwood. As with every other competitor in the field, McLaughlin and team utilized a two-stop strategy, electing to pit based off the condition of the tires around the tough, 13-turn circuit. He was able to make his Firestone tires last longer than most as he turned some of the fastest laps of the day in the later part of each stint. That allowed him to produce solid in laps that, when the dust settled, helped propel him to a top-five finish.
MCLAUGHLIN’S THOUGHTS: “Yeah, pretty solid day. I think we’re capable of a podium today. The Good Ranchers Chevy was really strong, just picked our way through the fight. Got held up there on that last exchange here, annoyingly, but, you know, I think we’re in a good spot. I think we’re only 30 points out of second now in the championship. So, you know, Palou is doing a really good job at the moment. It’s up to us and Chevy and everyone else to work hard and catch up to him. Really proud of the hard work but we just need a little bit more and we’re going to be right there. So yeah, good day.”