McLaughlin determined to make ‘no mistakes’ chasing Indy 500 dream
Scott McLaughlin will line up for the biggest race of his life tonight as he starts the 2024 Indianapolis 500 from pole position and he has one objective, make “no mistakes.”
McLaughlin is aiming to become the first driver to win both the Bathurst 1000 and Indianapolis 500 after setting some breathtaking speeds in the Penske “yellow submarine” in qualifying.
The Kiwi claimed pole by recording the fastest four-lap average pole speed in the 108-year history of the race of 234.220 mph.
He leads an all Trans-Tasman and Team Penske top two with Australian Will Power in second after his run of 233.917.
McLaughlin joined the prolific Scott Dixon as the second Kiwi to secure an Indianapolis 500 pole and hopes to follow in the footsteps of the Chip Ganassi Racing veteran, who won in 2008 from pole by drinking the milk at the end of 200 gruelling laps.
However, being the “greatest spectacle of racing” it is no guarantee and the Team Penske Kiwi has some demons to overcome.
The “Brickyard” has not been kind to McLaughlin in his three previous attempts of the Indy 500, with a best result of 14th last year.
McLaughlin does not need a reminder and feels the key to challenging to victory will be limiting the mistakes that have proved costly in the past.
“I just want a solid race. I want a race where I don’t make a mistake,” McLaughlin told SiriusXM IndyCar Nation.
“Every time I’ve come here, I’ve made a mistake at some point.
“I sped in the pits (2021), I spun Simon Pagenaud in 2023, I crashed in 2022.
“I have made a mistake at some point that’s affected me. That’s not just across the month, that’s in the race.
“I know it’s because I haven’t focused entirely on my execution and my processes.
“I have got a really deep understanding of that right now and I’m so locked in and so focused on what I need to do.
“I’m really confident that I can have a strong race that I can be there or thereabouts.
“I bet my bottom dollar I’m not leading lap one because that’s just how the draft works and I’m very content with that, but I just need to get into a rhythm, keep myself in position, save fuel when I need to, and hopefully at the end of it we’re there or thereabouts.
“If it’s a win, it’s a win. If it’s a top five, top 10, whatever, all I can do is control my process and my execution and hopefully be there in the end.”
Adding to the difficulty of winning at Indianapolis will be the weather, with thunderstorms forecast for race day.
But a “solid dry window” will likely open between 15.00-18.00 local time may be enough to squeeze in the 101 laps required to make the race official.
“We’re going to have at least a three-hour window, we think, where there’s not going to be any thunderstorms during the mid to late afternoon,” said National Weather Service in Indianapolis meteorologist Andrew White.
“The second line of storms is expected to be more severe.
“The second round is really the main one that we’re going to be concerned with.
“With the potential for more widespread and intense damaging winds, potential for some large hail and then that tornado potential is there as well.”
The 2024 Indianapolis 500 will begin at 2.45 AEST on Stan Sport Monday morning.
Photo by James Black | IMS Photo
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