Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin, the New Zealander, recently reflected on his difficult weekend at the Road America race in Wisconsin on June 22, where a key misstep affected his performance. McLaughlin shared his thoughts via social media following the event, describing how a strategic error influenced the outcome of the race.

Taking to his X account, McLaughlin wrote,

“We had an amazing car today. We just caught the wrong side of the yellow and it hosed our day. Proud of the effort from the #Thirsty3s. We’ll be ready to go in Mid-Ohio.”

—Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Driver

The 32-year-old driver, piloting the #3 Team Penske Chevrolet, started the race in fourth position and led during the early stages before switching to red-walled tires, which ultimately dropped him to twelfth place at the finish. Despite the setback, McLaughlin highlighted the team’s solid car performance and expressed readiness for upcoming challenges.

Season Performance Highlights Before Road America

Scott McLaughlin’s 2025 season showed promising results prior to the Road America event. At the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 2, he secured pole position in qualifying and finished the race in fourth place. Later, at the Sonsio Grand Prix held on May 10, he qualified and completed the race in fourth, demonstrating consistent competitiveness early in the season.

McLaughlin Shares Thoughts on Pursuing Dual Racing Roles

In addition to reflecting on Road America, McLaughlin has recently addressed the possibility of attempting double duty in racing, similar to his Indy 500 counterpart and NASCAR driver Kyle Larson. Nonetheless, he emphasized his priority remains focused on IndyCar and winning the prestigious Indianapolis 500.

Speaking on the Speed Freaks podcast, the Kiwi racer stated,

“I would do it, but I think I’ve got a few boxes I want to tick here in IndyCar first. I know it’s a boring answer but it’s definitely something I’m really interested in doing, but I think I owe it to RP (Roger Penske) and the team to focus on what I’m doing here in IndyCar and then the rest will follow.”

—Scott McLaughlin

He further elaborated on the demands of competing in both series, referencing Larson’s experience:

“If you look at [Kyle] Larson; like he was burnt out from doing it the last couple of years and I need to make sure that I’ve won this big race and ultimately the one that I want to win the most, before I even think about moving on to something else and doing something crazy like that,”

McLaughlin added.

At the 109th Indianapolis 500, McLaughlin’s efforts ended prematurely after a crash early in the race, underscoring the challenges he faces in achieving his goals at such high-stakes events.

The Road Ahead for Scott McLaughlin

Despite the difficulties at Road America and the Indy 500, Scott McLaughlin remains focused and optimistic about the remainder of his season. His acknowledgment of mistakes and emphasis on team effort reflect a thoughtful and strategic approach as he aims for future successes. With his eyes set on significant achievements in IndyCar, McLaughlin and Team Penske look prepared to build on their strengths while learning from recent setbacks, especially as they prepare for the upcoming race at Mid-Ohio.