McLaughlin hails maiden oval win
Scott McLaughlin has closed the gap on his rivals for the IndyCar championship after clinching a first and third-place finish at Iowa Speedway.
The New Zealander clinched his maiden oval-track triumph when he finished ahead of Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden in the opening race of a weekend double-header.
“I didn’t want to call myself an IndyCar driver until I won on an oval,” said McLaughlin after his success. “So, I’m going to call myself an Indycar driver now.
“That’s a big deal. I’ve been working for that for a couple of years. It takes a lot of hard work.”
He also led the second race on July 15 (NZ time) for 94 laps before having to settle for third, with Will Power taking the chequered flag and Alex Palou second.
The results moved McLaughlin, pictured, up to fifth in the overall standings with 314 points. Palou is top of the ladder on 379.
New Zealand’s Scott Dixon bagged two fourth spots over the weekend and holds the same position in the championship.
Marcus Armstrong, the third Kiwi in the series, came home 10th and 19th in the two Iowa races and is now 17th in the season’s standings.
Drivers’ standings
1. Alex Palou, 379 points
2. Will Power, 344pts
3 Pato O’Ward, 327pts
4. Scott Dixon, 322pts
5. Scott McLaughlin, 314pts
Also: 17. Marcus Armstrong, 173pts
