Scott McLaughlin has been incredibly impressive throughout his motorsport career, competing at the front of the field in the Supercars Championship and in IndyCar, so here’s everything you need to know about the New Zealander.
He won three championships in the Australian Supercars Championship and won the Bathurst 1000 in 2019 alongside Frenchman Alexandre Premat.
The Kiwi competed then in his first full IndyCar season in 2021 after moving to America to continue racing for Roger Penske, who held a 51% stake in McLaughlin’s Supercars Championship outfit, DJR Team Penske.
McLaughlin later won his first IndyCar race on an oval in 2024, taking victory during the first race of the weekend at Iowa.
Scott McLaughlin won his first IndyCar race in 2022
McLaughlin was incredibly successful in Australia, winning the Supercars Championship on three consecutive occasions from 2018-2020.
After a dominant spell Down Under, McLaughlin made his IndyCar debut at the end of the 2020 season on the streets of St. Petersburg, finishing the race in 22nd place.
The Kiwi made his full-time IndyCar debut at the start of the following season with Team Penske, a sizeable switch in culture and the style of racing he was used to.
McLaughlin’s opening season proved challenging at times, with three consecutive races outside the top 10 including a disappointing day at the Indy 500, retiring after an accident with just 50 laps to go.
Top 10 finishes were scored on just five occasions in 2021, kicking off with an impressive drive to second place at Texas Motor Speedway.
More points were scored in Texas after an eighth-place finish in the second race of a doubleheader before a second consecutive drive to P8 followed at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
After a tricky run outside the top 10 and a strong performance at Gateway, McLaughlin finished 14th in the standings.
The 2022 season proved to be an improvement as the New Zealander finished fourth in the championship standings, sitting on the fringes of the title battle.
His campaign kicked off perfectly in Florida, taking victory ahead of Alex Palou and his Team Penske teammate Power.
McLaughlin was blisteringly fast from the outset at the season opener, topping the second practice session and taking pole position ahead of the 100-lap race.
The Team Penske driver led into Turn 1, resisting a bold attack from Colton Herta around the outside at the start of the race.
A caution was called a quarter of the way through the race after David Malukas hit the wall; McLaughlin critically held the lead as he and Power pitted while the race was neutralised.
The eventual race winner executed the strategy perfectly, holding off a hard-charging Palou despite being held up by the Spaniard’s teammate Jimmie Johnson.
Scott McLaughlin won his first oval race in IndyCar in 2024
Oval racing is a critical part of the IndyCar Series and an aspect of the championship that makes it unique compared to other single-seater categories around the world.
Drivers such as Josef Newgarden have mastered the art of ovals, winning the Indy 500 multiple times and taking two victories at Iowa in 2023.
McLaughlin also began his career in oval racing with a flourish in just his third IndyCar race, driving to second place at Texas Motor Speedway behind Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon.
He also drove to fourth place towards the end of the 2021 season at Gateway. The following year began perfectly on ovals with a second drive to P2 at Texas in two years before a couple of third places at Iowa and Gateway.
Despite many podiums on ovals and strong performances, McLaughlin had yet to win on an oval. The 2023 season yielded more of the same near misses on ovals before an impressive run to third place in the standings.
The Team Penske driver was blisteringly fast over the year, taking victory at Barber Motorsports Park after a battle with Romain Grosjean.
The Kiwi didn’t win on an oval, although he drove to yet another podium at Iowa before a fifth-place finish at Gateway, the final event away from road and street courses of the year.
Everything finally clicked for McLaughlin in 2024 as Team Penske kept up their good form on short ovals and speedways. He got his first victory on an oval after multiple seasons of trying and failing to stand on the podium’s top step after a race on an oval.
The first oval of the season, the Indy 500, yielded a sixth-place finish and a memorable pole position after setting the fastest four-lap average in history.
A doubleheader at Iowa followed, and McLaughlin won the first race of the weekend. He qualified in second place for the opening race and was competitive throughout the 200 laps.
The critical point of the race arrived 85 laps into the event after a tense opening stint. The caution was called, and McLaughlin exited the pit lane ahead of Colton Herta to keep the lead.
McLaughlin remained calm in the closing stages as chaos kicked off behind him, causing multiple caution periods.
He made no mistakes at the front of the field, staying ahead of Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward and his teammate Newgarden.
So, with that in mind, here is everything that you need to know about McLaughlin…
How old is Scott McLaughlin? Where was he born?
McLaughlin is 31 years old and he was born on the 10th of June 1993.
How tall is Scott McLaughlin? What is his height in feet?
McLaughlin is 6’0, which measures 182cm.
Scott McLaughlin’s career stats in IndyCar
As of the end of the 2024 IndyCar Series calendar, McLaughlin is yet to win a championship title in the single-seater series. But the once-dominant Australian Supercars driver has tasted plenty of success since moving to the United States.
IndyCar titles: 0
IndyCar race entries: 68
IndyCar wins: 7
Indy 500 wins: 0
IndyCar pole positions: 10
IndyCar podiums: 19