Career best year for Scott “The Thirsty One” McLaughlin

In AUTO ACTION’s latest issue, we took a look at how Scott McLaughlin fared in his fourth IndyCar season, which saw the three-time Supercar champion complete a career best year in North America after things had wrapped up at the Nashville Superspeedway.

His fifth place in the finale saw him rise to third in the rankings – equal with last season – but he leaves 2024 as a more complete and consistent performer…and, as a two-time winner on ovals.

As one of the famed Penske “Thirsty Three” alongside Indy 500 and Astor Cup winners Will Power and Josef Newgarden, Scotty Mac is holding his own and more, having finished above both his teammate’s two-years running.

McLaughlin scored his maiden Indy 500 pole in 2024 with a scintillating four lap average that blew the Firestone Fast 6 out of the park. Image: LAT

He not only equalled his 2022 record with three wins – one on the Alabama road course, and the other two on the Iowa and Milwaukee ovals – but he scored five podiums (six on-track if you include the Penske St Petersburg disqualification…or four if you discount the non-championship million dollar Thermal Club round) but only failed to finish in the top-ten on four occasions.

He also scored a record breaking pole at the Indy 500 to go with his four others for the year (the most for any driver).

McLaughlin drove from 18th to 5th at the Nashville final to finish third in the championship

The #3 Chevrolet pilot said during the year that he could “finally call himself an IndyCar driver” after winning his first oval race, and in fact, he had five top-fives on ovals this year, and a lowest finish of eighth. Consistency wins Astor Cup’s, and that’s a trait that he’s finding fast.

“I’m really happy with the execution of everyone on the DEX Imaging Chevy,” the Kiwi star said. “Obviously, Team Chevy got us the goods all season. It was a pretty fun race to finish it off. We got the Biggest Mover Award so that’s always a good thing, but we had a heck of a race there. “Finished third in the championship, so that’s a great thing two years in a row.”

For a driver that’s used to winning, and knows how to win titles, there is a very hot poker in the fire for 2025.

Check out the latest edition – #1895 – of AUTO ACTION via the link below, with all the wrap up from the IndyCar finale at the Nashville Superspeedway, where Alex Palou took title number three, and Aussie Will Power’s title tilt was put to bed early from a faulty seatbelt…

READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF AUTO ACTION HERE

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