McLaughlin snaps 36-race drought
Scott McLaughlin broke a two-year-long winless streak in the NTT IndyCar Series after taking the chequered flag at the Grand Prix of Monterey.
His victory meant he finished sixth in the drivers’ standings and was the highest-placed New Zealander for the 2026 season.
McLaughlin, pictured, started the final race of the campaign on pole before steering his DEX Team Penske Chevrolet to finish 1.3739 seconds ahead of Kyle Kirkwood. Alexander Rossi was third.
The win snapped a 36-race drought for the Kiwi and was the eighth of his IndyCar career and first since September 1, 2024, at the Milwaukee Mile.
“My little girl [Lucy, born in October 2024] hasn’t seen me win yet, and now she has,” said McLaughlin during the post-race celebrations. “So, Dad’s coming home with a trophy, baby. Let’s go!
“These guys and girls at Team Penske have stood behind me the whole time. Congrats to Alex [Palou] on his fifth [championship], but we’re working hard to beat them, and today was a big step in the right direction.”
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Palou finished eighth at Monterey, having already sealed the drivers’ title at Milwaukee a week earlier.
As for New Zealand’s other racers, Scott Dixon’s final race with Chip Ganassi Racing ended in a disappointing 17th-place finish before he joins Arrow McLaren for the 2027 season.
Meanwhile, Marcus Armstrong came home in seventh to nab his seventh top-10 finish of the campaign.
The results meant Dixon and Armstrong finished 12th and 14th in the overall standings, respectively.
The 2027 NTT IndyCar Series season opens on March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Final 2026 drivers’ standings
1. Alex Palou, 631 points
2. Kyle Kirkwood, 545pts
3. Christian Lundgaard, 535pts
4. Pato O’Ward, 522pts
4. David Malukas, 514pts
Also: 6. Scott McLaughlin, 482pts, 12. Scott Dixon, 331pts, 14. Marcus Armstrong, 320pts.
