McLaughlin bounces back for win
Scott McLaughlin has won for the second consecutive year at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama to end a controversial week for Team Penske on a high.
The first victory of the IndyCar season for the Kiwi racer, and his fifth overall, has bumped him up to ninth in the championship.
The success came days after the team was penalised for the illegal use of a push-to-pass system in the season-opener in St Petersburg, with Josef Newgarden and McLaughlin, who had finished first and third respectively, both disqualified.
McLaughlin, pictured, qualified in pole position for the race in Alabama on April 29 (NZ time) and led for 58 out of the 90 laps before taking the chequered flag.
“We know our job, we know what we need to do,” he adds. “I’m just super proud of the execution. A couple of yellows didn’t fall our way, but we just showed our pace. We just keep rolling, man.
“Definitely one of my best drives in terms of execution and just knocking out the laps.”
Will Power finished in second place and Linus Lundqvist completed the podium, while Kiwi drivers Marcus Armstrong and Scott Dixon were ninth and 15th respectively.
The series resumes with the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 12 (NZ time).
Drivers’ standings
1. Colton Herta, 101 points
2. Will Power, 100pts
3. Alex Palou, 98pts
4. Scott Dixon, 94pts
5. Rosenqvist, 87pts
Also: 9. Scott McLaughlin, 59pts; 19. Marcus Armstrong, 45pts
